Continued from 2013 Tokyo Trip Day 18: Meiji Shrine.

Who knew?! I certainly didn’t! Turns out that if the weather is nice — after the winter chill and before the summer heat, Akihabara holds a weekend street market on the grounds of Akihabara UDX. Merchants sell a mix of anime goods and handmade items, and it’s a great way to pick up a figure or two at bargain prices.

How good are the items? Pretty damn good! You can pick up Madoka Magica SQ Prize figs for about JPY 1200 — about JPY 600 less than what they’re going for at the already cheap Mandarake Akihabara Complex. You can also pick up some pretty high-quality fanmade gear, like Hatsune Miku leather wallets for a song — about JPY 1000 each.

Protip: ask the sellers if they’ll be back next week, and on what day (it varies every weekend). Also ask if they have alternative plans in case of rain, so you know where else to look for them when the weather takes a turn for the worse.