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Lost in Translation at 7-11?
ngl the real trick is you dont even need the self checkout at that specific store. theres usually a guy restocking the drinks who will just wave you over to his register if you look confused enough. happened to me twice there, he just scanned my stuff while holding a crate of boss coffee. also if youre buying hot food like the fried chicken theres a separate counter near the bathroom where theyll heat it up for you, the self checkout machines dont handle that well
The self-checkouts are a gamble even for locals depending on how recently the machine was updated. That specific Nishishinjuku 5-chome Kita store is one of the older layouts, so the touchscreen is less responsive than the ones near the station. Pro tip for next time: tap the bottom left corner of the screen twice quickly, that usually wakes up the language toggle if the default is Japanese. The onigiri markup isn't that bad, you would pay 300 yen for a worse one at a cafe in the garden itself.
tbh the real 7-11 initiation is figuring out which ones have the old school counter where you just put your basket down and they scan everything for you. that nishishinjuku store is one of the few left that still does it, the newer ones near shinjuku station are all self-checkout now. if you go back, try the famima across the street instead, their machines have a dedicated english button that actually works and the staff is used to tourists. also 150 yen for an onigiri is cheap, you'd pay double that at newoman for the same thing
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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.