1. The opening day of the Olympics may become a national holiday
Filed under 'practicality we can appreciate', the government is considering making the day of the 2020 Olympics opening ceremony – Friday July 24, 2020 – a national holiday, just to make sure Tokyo's train network won't collapse under the combined weight of Games-watchers and commuters. The question now is whether we'll all be getting an extra holiday that year (yay!) or whether they might move another national holiday to the 24th just this once.
Both Marine Day, a few days prior, and Health and Sports Day, held in October and originally created for the 1964 Olympics, have been touted as options; we're definitely in favour of just getting a completely new holiday. The question is will it only be for Tokyo and surrounds, or will the entire country get the day off?
2. The new fish market at Toyosu has gone mouldy
Yes, yet another fishy (sorry) update in the is-Tsukiji-moving-or-not saga. Turns out that parts of the new Toyosu market have gone mouldy, with 80 seafood businesses and around ten fruit and veg purveyors affected. Refrigerators, wooden shelves and the like are all said to be sprouting fungi, with the excessive amount of rainfall in August coupled with high temperatures cited as the culprit. Market officials blame negligent governance and the long-postponed move, while the metro government has just decided to push back the official relocation date to autumn 2018. Will we ever see the end of this?
3. Vogue Japan just put their first Japanese male on the cover
Having been in the print business since 1999, Vogue Japan has apparently never had a Japanese male cover star – until now, that is. The women's fashion magazine has had quite a low number of Japanese cover models period, so highlighting rocker Yoshiki of X Japan definitely looks like a step in a new direction. To add some drama to it all, the acclaimed drummer-pianist-composer actually flew out for the photo shoot only a few weeks after undergoing massive neck surgery. Now that's dedication.
4. You can now go on a pilgrimage to anime-related sites across Japan
Remember being able to vote for your favourite 'holy anime sites' way back when? Well, the results are now in, and the Japan Anime Tourism Association (yes, they're a thing) have finally unveiled their 88 picks. A whopping 25 of them are within Tokyo, although – shock, horror – the Ghibli Museum somehow did not make the list. Shinjuku received plenty of attention as the backdrop to last year's hit Your Name, while other central locations include Kanda Shrine (Love Live! School Idol Project) and the Hachiko Square/Scramble crossing combo (The Boy and the Beast). Check the full list (in Japanese) here.
5. Head to Kinshicho for some weekday Bon Odori action
Summer may be nearing its end, but there's still time to catch some festival fun. Held on Wednesday and Thursday, the Kinshicho Kawachi Ondo Bon Odori is an offshoot from an Osaka tradition. Kawachi Ondo is a folk song that originated in what is now the Osaka region and later spread all over the country. The lyrics can be modified to touch on anything from epic tales to current events, and the best singers are able to improvise freely. Head over to Kinshicho to enjoy the dance and yukata contests, feast on classic festival grub and show off your best bon odori moves.