1. We've almost set a record for most consecutive rainy days
If you haven't noticed Tokyo being a bit wet the past few days, you either live in a cave or are not physically here. In fact, we've had some form of precipitation every day since August 1, making this the longest stretch of consecutive rainy August days in Tokyo since 1977. The poor sods back then had 22 straight days of rainfall, but not to worry: if it rains every day until Wednesday, we'll have set a new record.
Considering the almighty storm that hit Saturday evening, flooding both streets and everyone's social media feeds, we'd argue we've had more than enough water already. Then again, spare a thought for poor Sendai, which has now had 31 consecutive days of rain – the second-longest streak in Japan's summer history.
2. Over 300,000 people tried to name a panda
Remember the news about a black and white clumsy ball of furriness being born at Ueno Zoo back in June? That's right, it's still alive and kicking, and little panda-chan needs a name. After Ueno Zoo announced a public call, a whopping 322,581 people came up with suggestions, submitted through the online form or at a physical ballot box inside the zoo. That's a lot of names to choose from. The result will be announced in September after the cub passes its 100-days-of-being-alive marker.
3. Head over to Koenji this weekend for your matsuri fix
Still not matsuried-out? Around 10,000 dancers pile out on to the streets of Koenji over the two days of the annual Awa-Odori. The awa-odori ('awa dance') tradition can be traced back to Tokushima in Shikoku, where the story goes that the local daimyo plied his citizens with booze to celebrate the completion of the local castle in 1586, leading to a citywide outbreak of dancing in the streets.
Whatever the accuracy of that tale, the enthusiasm was contagious, and Koenji has been holding a dance of its own since 1957. While the action starts at 5pm, you'll need to arrive much earlier if you want to snag one of the best viewing spots.
4. You can fly internationally from ¥2,000
Very fruity budget airline Peach is having one of its famed flash sales this week between Monday morning and Wednesday evening, a period during which you can bag yourself a ¥2,000 one-way flight (excluding taxes and surcharges) to all kinds of destinations.
From Tokyo, this means mega-cheapo tickets to Taipei, Seoul and Shanghai (all from Haneda – yay!); if you're willing to get yourself to Okinawa first, you can even make it to Bangkok. Eligible flight dates depend on the point of departure and destination, but are generally between November 1 and December 21 from Haneda. Happy flying!
5. You can see a sumo wrestler up close this Sunday
Taking time out of their busy training schedules in the lead-up to September's Grand Sumo tournament at the Kokugikan, a number of top rikishi (sumo wrestlers) will be making appearances at Marunouchi's Kitte. You'll also want to check out the Grand Sumo exhibition (on 11am-9pm until August 26, 1F Atrium) before the main event on Sunday August 27, when all four yokozuna wrestlers are scheduled to step into the ring.
You'll need a special ticket to see this one up close, though – details (in Japanese) can be viewed here. If you can't be arsed to get in a queue before 7am during the September tournament, this is probably your best bet to see the big boys in the flesh.