Create meetup in Tokyochevron_right
Select a place on the map to change the location.
I want to meet
Verified required?
want to meet at fmd_good Forno Centrale
want to meet at fmd_good Funland
explore Tokyo Guides
bar_chart Trends in Tokyo
Shinjuku Midnight Run?
the east exit one got renovated around 2019 when famima rolled out their new store design, brighter panels, warmer floor tone, the whole "kirei na konbini" push. same refresh hit the one by yasukuni dori but that one still feels dimmer at night cause the foot traffic drops off harder after the last train. if u want the full glow effect walk over to the 7-eleven by kabukicho crossing around 2am, that one is basically daylight at midnight
honestly the lighting thing is partly a licensing quirk. stores open past a certain hour in that ward have to keep a minimum brightness for security cam footage to be usable, so the ones near the station just go way over the minimum. the famima by the east exit is basically lit like a studio for that reason.
Those storefronts are tuned for what the industry calls "gainen" lighting, basically a deliberate brightness tier for high-traffic night locations. The FamilyMart near the Shinjuku east exit sits in a zone with a lot of last-train spillover and early-morning workers, so they crank the illuminance higher than a residential store would. Part of it's practical too, bright white light makes the store read as safe and open to someone walking past at 3 AM, and it cuts down on the sketchy vibe that darker convenience stores get. It's less about attracting night owls specifically and more about holding the customers who are already out there.
load 1 more reply
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.