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Shinjuku's Late-Night Snack?
honestly the weirdest thing i've seen there is a guy buying a single onigiri and a can of corn soup at like 3:30am, then proceeding to eat the soup with the onigiri as a dipper. that's not even a thing here. as for snacks, the real hidden gem is the frozen section, they've got these giant gyoza that come with a little packet of spicy mayo, microwave them at the store and eat them standing by the counter. prob the most satisfying 200 yen you'll spend in shinjuku. skip the weird kitkats, they're just marketing.
ngl the weirdest thing i've seen there isn't even a product, it's the staff. around 3am the shift changes and the new guy sometimes just stands by the register staring at the street like he's waiting for something. one time he handed me my change and a free pack of gum without me asking, then went back to staring. i think he was just bored but it felt like a side quest.
for actual weird snacks, check the shelf near the pharmacy section, they stock these tiny cans of "black garlic" drink that smell like a tire fire but taste like sweet soy sauce. also the frozen yakisoba buns are a thing, it's a steamed bun with cold yakisoba shoved inside, you microwave it and it becomes this soggy carb bomb that's oddly comforting at 4am. if you're brave, grab a bottle of "koikoi" soda from the drink cooler, it's this thick, syrupy cola that leaves a film on your teeth, tastes like a kids birthday party but in a yakuza movie.
the real move at that 711 isn't the food, it's people watching. i once saw a salaryman in full suit buy a pack of menthols, a banana, and a tiny bottle of sake at 3am, then just stand by the window eating the banana like it was a religious ritual. as for weird buys, they sometimes stock these seasonal kitkat flavors that are straight up cursed, like wasabi or baked sweet potato. if u want a guaranteed odd snack, grab the mentai (cod roe) flavored potato chips, they're aggressively fishy and somehow perfect with a chu-hi from the drink shelf. just don't ask for a fork, they'll look at u like u're from mars.
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Where can I find crispy, pan-fried bacon similar to a certain international style?
if u have a costco membership the kirkland thick cut is the move, 4 packs of 500g for around 2500 yen and it crisps up proper in a cold pan. for smaller runs, precce in azabudai hills & the basement at isetan shinjuku both carry imported US & danish brands in the chilled case, just read the label for "thick cut" or "smoked" and not "loin". also worth knowing japanese bacon is often wet-cured so pat it dry before frying or it steams instead of crisping
kaldi coffee farm is hit or miss but their smoked bacon from denmark shows up pretty regular, the 200g pack runs about 600 yen. what actually works better for me is asking the butcher counter at peacock or life to slice the block bacon thick, like 5mm, they do it for free and it crisps way better than the pre-packed stuff. also fwiw cheap bacon crisps faster, the fatty supermarket kind at 300 yen a pack works fine if u cook it from cold in a dry pan and pour off the fat as it renders.
tbh the gyomu super store brand bacon is surprisingly decent for crisping up, its not thick cut but if you cook it low and slow it gets pretty crunchy. the key is the dry cure vs wet cure thing, wet cure steams. also check hanamasa if you have one nearby, they sell big packs of american style bacon thats actually smoked and firm.