1. You can now have radish sushi
Yes, you did read that correctly – but it's not what you think. Rather than radish-topped sushi, this time, it's the rice that's been substituted with shredded daikon (Japanese radish) by the jokers at sushi-go-round chain Kurazushi. Touted as a 'carb-, sugar- and calorie-low' alternative to a regular piece of sushi, this novelty is said to contain 88 percent less carbohydrates than your average nigiri and will be available with four different toppings, all at the standard ¥108 a piece.
For those who prefer rice but still want to cut down on carbs, Kura is also offering nigiri with half the regular amount of shari. Sales started at all of their outlets nationwide on August 31 – find your closest Kurazushi here.
2. Nichigeki, one of Tokyo's longest-running cinema institutions, is closing
A sad day for fans of the 84-year-old cinema that has become a Yurakucho fixture: Nichigeki will close its doors for good in early February 2018. Constructed back in 1933 as a cinema-meets-theatre, it has operated under a variety of names and guises up until the present, but apparently now has to give way to the winds of change.
Nichigeki was acquired by Toho Cinemas back in 1984, and it is that same movie giant that now decided to pull the plug. Luckily for those still looking to catch a film in the area, the brand-new Toho Cinemas Hibiya is set to open nearby in 2018 with a 13-screen, 3,000-seating capacity. We surely hope that the new one will make up for in atmosphere what it may lack in age.
3. Bicycles might be allowed on trains from January 2018 (but only sometimes)
In an apparent bid to promote sports-related tourism in Chiba, JR East has decided that non-foldable bicycles will be allowed on certain trains and lines from January next year onwards. The news got us very excited; will the dream of cycling to the station, hopping on with your bike and continuing your journey on two wheels from another station finally come to fruition?
So far, the Sobu, Uchibo and Sotobo lines are the lucky winners, with trains fitted with upstanding bicycle racks set to ply routes from central Tokyo towards Chiba – on event days only, that is. Dammit. We knew there had to be a catch...
4. Little panda-chan is inching closer to a proper name
One cuddly cub certainly is getting enough media attention... The official 'naming commission' at Ueno Zoo announced that they have now managed to narrow down the list of potential names for Tokyo's cuddliest celebrity to eight – from the whopping 320,000-plus that were submitted. The actual names are still a secret; all we can do now is wait for the big reveal, set to come after the cub's first 100 days of being alive have safely passed (September 19 or 20, depending on how you're counting). At least the cub seems to be in good health.
5. You can ogle at pictures of cute bunnies this weekend
On until the end of September, this bunny-themed exhibition is sure to put a smile on anyone's face (unless you have rabbit-phobia). And we do actually mean a bunny bonanza: you can look forward to more than 300 bunny-themed photographs, videos, sculptures, T-shirts, mugs, accessories and stationery pieces all throughout Todays Gallery Studio in Asakusabashi. Let's call it a worthy, albeit less hands-on, alternative to a bunny café.