If you have some spare time on weekends,
but not much money, visit flea markets in Tokyo. Every
weekend, at least one flea market of a decent size is held
somewhere in central Tokyo. You might bump into something
special that you've never expected.
Finding souvenirs:
Flea market might be a good place to buy Japanese souvenirs,
since all sorts of Japanese goods, from
handicrafts or
antiques
to
the
latest
cartoon
charactor
goods, are
there.
There might be things not worth buying,
but finding good things
out of them, is like treasure hunting. If you're lucky,
you might find a right souvenir for a price lot cheaper
than you buy in souvenir shops.
SAYONARA SALE :
Leaving
Tokyo? Then, how about selling your things you don't need anymore
?
Among English speaking people in Japan, this kind
of selling is called 'sayonara sale'. (Sayonara means
goodbye in Japanese as most of you know)
Putting up a stall in a major flea market costs like 2000-3000
yen/day, so making a large benefit out of a sayonara sale
is not easy. But municipalities in Japan usually require
some
amount of payment
for large sized wastes to be collected, so isn't it much
better for you to at least make some money out it?
And most of all, spending a day at your own stall and negotiating
with the locals, should be a good way to spend your time
in Tokyo that is drawing to an end.
Major flea markets and the schedules :
Flea
markets at Meiji-koen, Yoyogi-koen, Shinjuku-chuo-koen ('koen'
means park) and Oi horse race track is well known for the size
and popularity.
You can check the schedules and the details of each market
at Paperlantern.net'
Event finder. (choose 'Flea market' from the pulldown menu
at the center of the page)
Salvation Army Bazaar:
Salvation
Army Bazaar is another option to find cheap and good things.
Held every Saturday from 9:00am to 2:00pm at Suginami district.
Address:2-21-2 Wada Suginami-ku, Tokyo-to, 10minutes from Fujimidai
Station, Subway Marunouchi line. Their Website is http://familystore.salvationarmy.or.jp (only
in Japanese)
Flea market might be a good place to buy Japanese souvenirs,
since all sorts of Japanese goods, from
handicrafts or
antiques
to
the
latest
cartoon
charactor
goods, are
there. 
Leaving
Tokyo? Then, how about selling your things you don't need anymore
? 
Flea
markets at Meiji-koen, Yoyogi-koen, Shinjuku-chuo-koen ('koen'
means park) and Oi horse race track is well known for the size
and popularity. 
Salvation
Army Bazaar is another option to find cheap and good things.
Held every Saturday from 9:00am to 2:00pm at Suginami district.
