how to write the address for japan

• Sitemap (Japanese Version Only)
• Contact (Japanese Version Only)

Please write the address using the English alphabet and Arabic numbers as a general rule to ensure secure delivery.

Note If you write sender's and recipient's name and address conversely to the example below, or write them next to each other, the letter might be returned from the recipient's country or delivery might be delayed. If the recipient's address is difficult to read because of the envelope's dark color, it may be returned by the destination country.

How to Write Address

• 1st Row ： From: First name Last name
• 2nd Row ： Name of the building, like an apartment bldg. and room number (if applicable)
• 3rd Row ： House number, street, town/village
• 4th Row ： City, Prefecture/State/Province
• 5th Row ： Postal Code, Country

Check rates and delivery days

Calculate by destination, type of articles and weight

International Mail Conditions.

What is International Mail My Page Service?

Insert 13-digits tracking number

• Goods and services
• Fees and number of days
• Information by country and regions (Japanese Version Only)
• Contact us Frequently Asked Questions
• Announcements

How to Write Japanese Address – Learn the various ways

In this lesson, we learn the basics of how to write Japanese addresses .

Knowing how to write/read/understand addresses using the Japanese address system is crucial when you send a letter, an envelope, or a package to a Japanese address.

• 1.1.1 The order of Japanese address
• 1.1.2 In the horizontal writing
• 1.1.3 In the Vertical writing
• 1.2 What are the Japanese Postal Codes?
• 1.3 How to Find a Postal Code in Japan
• 2.1 Sending from Overseas
• 2.2 Sending from Japan
• 2.3.1 Horizontal envelopes and postcards
• 2.3.2 Vertical envelopes and postcards
• 3.1 Other Japanese vocabulary related to addresses
• 3.2 Fun Fact: Hard-to-Read Addresses in Japan

The Basic Knowledge of How to Write Japanese Address

Japanese addresses always start with the name of the prefecture.

Japan has 47 prefectures altogether, one 都 (To | と | Metropolis), one 道 (Dou | どう | Circuit, Prefecture), two 府 (Fu | ふ | Urban prefecture), and the rest forty-three 県 (〇〇 けん | 〇〇 Ken) to be precise.

• とうきょうと (Toukyou-to | 東京都 | Tokyo metropolis, Tokyo)
• ほっかいどう (Hokkai-dou | 北海道 | Hokkaido)
• おおさかふ (Oosaka-fu | 大阪府 | Osaka prefecture, Osaka)
• きょうとふ (Kyouto-fu | 京都府 | Kyoto prefecture, Kyoto)
• 〇〇 けん (〇〇 Ken | 〇〇県 | 〇〇 prefecture)

For example:

• かながわけん (Kanagawa-ken | 神奈川県 | Kanagawa prefecture, Kanagawa)
• とちぎけん (Tochigi-ken | 栃木県 | Tochigi prefecture, Tochigi)

How to Read/Write/Use Typical Japanese Address

Unlike in western countries, street names are uncommon in the postal address in Japan. Instead, Japan uses the official national address system based on the block name.

The order of Japanese address

• postal code
• prefecture name
• city, town, district name, or a street name
• building number, house number, and apartment number
• building name, apartment name
• floor number or room number

In the horizontal writing

When written horizontally, the correct order to read and write is from left to right and from top to bottom.

〒100-0013 東京都千代田区丸の内1丁目2番地3号 405号室

いちぜろぜろ ぜろぜろいちさん とうきょうとちよだくまるのうちいっちょうめにばんちさんごう よんまるごごうしつ

Toukyou-to Chiyoda-ku Marunouchi icchoume nibanchi sangou yonmarugo goushitsu |

1-2-3-405 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ward, Tokyo, 100-0013)

In the Vertical writing

When written vertically, the correct order to read and write is from top to bottom and right to left. Japanese vertical writing requires to use of かんすうじ (Kan-Suuji | 漢数字 | Chinese Numerals) instead of アラビアすうじ (Arabia Suuji | アラビア数字 | Arabic numerals) as a regular rule.

〒一〇〇-〇〇一三 東京都千代田区丸の内一丁目二番地三号 四〇五号室

いちぜろぜろ ぜろぜろいちさん とうきょうとちよだくまるのうちいっちょうめにばんちさんごう よんひゃくごごうしつ

Ichi zero zero zero zero ichi san Toukyou-to Chiyoda-ku Marunouchi icchoume nibanchi sangou yonhyakugo goushitsu

1-2-3-405 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ward, Tokyo, 100-0013

Don’t forget to read them in the correct order if you see multiple rows and columns for the Japanese addresses.

What are the Japanese Postal Codes?

Your home country might have postal codes with combinations of digits and alphabets, but the Japanese ゆうびんばんごう (Yuubin Bangou | 郵便番号 | Postal Codes) only consists of seven numbers and a hyphen.

Also, people often use the mark 〒 (ゆうびんきごう | 郵便記号 | Yuubin Kigou | Japanese Postal Mark) when the address is written.

Japanese postal codes are always a combination of three digits, a hyphen, and four digits, and it roughly determines the post’s destination.

〒150-0043 means:

• 東京都渋谷区道玄坂 (とうきょうとしぶやくどうげんざか | Toukyou-to shibuya-ku Dougenzaka | Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ward, Tokyo)

〒377-1711 means:

• 群馬県吾妻郡草津町草津 (ぐんまけんあがつまぐんくさつちょうくさつ | Gunma-ken Agatsuma-gun Kusatsuchou Kusatsu | Kusatsu, Kusatsuchou, Agatsuma, Gunma)

The first digit means:

The first digit signifies the directions from Tokyo, the current capital in Japan.

• Direction from Tokyo to Fukuoka: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8
• Direction from Tokyo to Aomori: 1, 3, 9, and 0

The following two digits mean:

The following upper two digits indicate the regional area codes. A number from 00 to 99 is assigned based on where each prefecture is, and it’s called ちいきばんごう (Chiiki Bangou | 地域番号 | Area Code).

Example of the area codes:

• ほっかいどう (Hokkaidou | 北海道 | Hokkaido): 00, 04, and 05 to 09
• とうきょうと (Toukyou-to | 東京都 | Tokyo): 10 to 20
• おきなわ (Okinawa-ken | 沖縄県 | Okinawa): 90

The Japanese postcards and envelopes always have seven empty squares on the front top surface, so make sure you fill the space with the combination of required digits.

How to Find a Postal Code in Japan

You can search for a postal code through the Japan Post official website or other websites. Some websites suggest how to read Kanji, so it’s helpful when you want to write the address using ろーまじ (Roomaji | ローマ字 | Romaji, Roman Alphabet) instead of Japanese characters.

In Japanese:

• https://www.post.japanpost.jp/zipcode/
• https://www.yu-bin.net/

In English:

• https://www.japanpostalcode.net/
• https://japan-postcode.810popo.net/

How to Write an Address on a Letter/Envelope/Package

Here are different instances that you might encounter wherein you should write an address in Japanese.

Sending from Overseas

Are you planning to send a postcard or a gift to your friend or family? Then, you can relax. There are no strict rules for these casual occasions.

You can fill up the form for the recipient’s じゅうしょ (Juusho | 住所 | Address) and なまえ (Namae | 名前 | Name). It sometimes requires a でんわばんごう (Denwa Bangou | 電話番号 | Phone Number) or item details as extra information. Make sure you have everything from the house number to the postal code before shipping the item.

Example of Recipient’s Address:

• 〒100-0013 東京都千代田区丸の内1丁目2番地3号 メゾンド東京405 号室(とうきょうとちよだくまるのうちいっちょうめにばんちさんごう めぞんどとうきょう よんまるご | Toukyou-to Chiyoda-ku Marunouchi icchoume nibanchi sangou mezon do Toukyou yonmarugo)

Of course, you can write the recipient’s address above in English.

Writing examples:

• 1-2-3-405 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ward, Tokyo, Japan, 100-0013
• 1-2-3 maison de Tokyo 405 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ward, Tokyo, Japan 〒100-0013

Sending from Japan

Are you planning to send a letter to your friend in Japan or purchase something online and send it to your home? Then, fill up the required address and postal code.

You can also omit a part of the recipient’s and sender’s addresses if you want to since Japanese postal codes can determine rough addresses.

Recipient’s Address:

• 〒100-0013 東京都千代田区丸の内1丁目2番地3号 東京国際マンション 405号室

Writing Examples:

• 〒100-0013 東京都千代田区丸の内1-2-3-405
• 〒100-0013 千代田区丸の内1-2-3 東京国際マンション 405
• 〒100-0013 千代田区丸の内1-2-3-405
• 〒100-0013 丸の内1-2-3 東京国際マンション 405
• 〒100-0013 丸の内1-2-3-405

Sending for Business or Formal Occasions

Are you planning to submit an official document to a Japanese company or something a little more formal? Then, it’s time to discover how to write Japanese addresses perfectly, both in a horizontal envelope and a vertical envelope.

Horizontal envelopes and postcards

• postal code and address in Arabic numerals
• write the address from top left corner to right
• second column should be below the first column
• write the name under the address
• 〒100-0013 東京都千代田区丸の内1-2-3 東京国際ビル 15階
• 〒100-0013 東京都千代田区丸の内123-45

Vertical envelopes and postcards

• postal code in Arabic numerals
• write the address from the top right corner to the bottom
• second row should be on the left side of the first column
• use Japanese Kanji numbers for address
• 〒一〇〇-〇〇一三 東京都千代田区丸の内一丁目二番地三号 東京国際ビル 一五階
• 〒一〇〇-〇〇一三 東京都千代田区丸の内一二三の四五
• 〒一〇〇-〇〇一三 東京都千代田区丸の内一二三‐四五

Vocabulary related to Japanese addresses

Below are different words that are related to the Japanese address system.

Other Japanese vocabulary related to addresses

Here are some additional vocabulary related to the addresses in Japanese

Fun Fact: Hard-to-Read Addresses in Japan

Though, a Japanese Kanji can have several ways to read. Therefore, Japanese addresses can be a little confusing, even for native speakers.

Also, Hokkaido and Okinawa’s addresses come from their original Ainu and Ryukyuan language. There are many unusual sounds and readings.

鹿児島県志布志市志布志町志布志 (かごしまけんしぶしししぶしちょうしぶし)

Shibushi, Shibushichou, Shibushi-city, Kagoshima

大分県別府市 (おおいたけんべっぷし)

Beppu-city, Oita

北海道占冠村 (ほっかいどうしむかっぷむら)

Shimukappu, Hokkaido

沖縄県豊見城市 (おきなわけんとみぐすくし)

Tomigusuku-city, Okinawa

Most Japanese addresses are written only in かんじ (Kanji | 漢字 | Chinese character) and ひらがな (Hiragana | 平仮名).

However, some historical cities like Kyoto and Ishikawa use カタカナ (Katakana | 片仮名) or an unusual letter combination in their addresses.

• ル乙 (るおつ | Ru otsu)
• 東入ル (ひがしいる | Higashi iru | Go east)
• 塩小路下ル (しおこうじさがる | Shiokouji sagaru | Go down on the Shiokouji street)

Now that you know how to write a Japanese address sending a package or letter to Japan will be much easier. If you’re curious, take a Google maps tour of the famous sightseeing spot in Japan!

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Living in Tokyo
• Japan General

Japanese Addresses: How to Read, Write, Say & Understand Them

Japan’s numbering system can be quite difficult for those from Western countries, where streets are clearly labeled with names or numbers. While Japan does have names for streets, they are never used in addresses (except for some occasions in Kyoto). Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about addresses in Japan.

Understanding the Japanese Address Format

It’s important to understand that the overall order of a Japanese address is reversed from what is typically used in the West. Rather than starting with the house number and ending with the postal code, it goes the other way. The usual order of operations is as follows:

Postal Code

Japanese postal codes are seven-digit numbers hyphenated between the third and fourth digit (000-0000), usually preceded by a postal code mark (〒). If you don't know your postal code, or if you do but don't know the address and want to search for it, please check  Japan Postal Code Directory .

A prefecture is the largest division possible in Japanese geography (similar to a state in the United States). Most prefectures are denoted by the suffix 県 pronounced “ken” (e.g., Kanagawa-ken, Ehime-ken, Gunma-ken). Notable exceptions are Tokyo with the suffix都, pronounced “to,” to denote the nation’s capital (i.e., Tokyo-to), Osaka and Kyoto with the suffix府, pronounced “fu,” to show their more significant political and economic role (i.e., Osaka-fu and Kyoto-fu), and Hokkaido which has no suffix.

Municipality

For most Tokyo residents, this is what ends in the suffix 区, pronounced “ku” (e.g., Minato-ku, Nerima-ku, Shibuya-ku). These 23 wards of Tokyo are considered special cities unto themselves with high populations in concentrated areas.

The suffix 市, pronounced “shi,” is mostly used for other large cities (e.g., Kobe-shi, Sapporo-Shi, Hiroshima-shi) but also can be used for some concentrated population areas in Tokyo (e.g., Hachioji-shi, Arakawa-shi, Tama-shi).

For more rural areas, Japanese addresses use the suffix 郡, pronounced “gun,” as a county denotation, since multiple townships could be needed to reach the population quota.

Town or Village

If you live in Tokyo, this part won’t be necessary, but rural areas will have a further suffix of either 町, pronounced “machi” or “cho,” or 村, pronounced “son” or “mura.” This is used with the “gun” suffix to often help further pinpoint the location. Please note that “cho” is not the same as “chome” described below.

District Name and Block Number

If you live in Tokyo, you’ll see this information on plaques lining almost every city block, usually paired with the symbol 丁目, pronounced “chome.” This number tells you the district name and block number.

Building, Apartment, and Floor Numbers

The final part of a Japanese address is the building name and floor number or the apartment name and residence number. Since the building name is usually not needed for apartments, many people skip that part and simply write the apartment number as an additional number following the district name and block number.

However, for floor numbers, you will either need to use the suffix 階, pronounced “kai,” or an abbreviated “F” following the floor number (e.g., 2F for second floor). The floor number will always follow the building name.

Understanding Block Numbers

The most difficult part of Japanese addresses is understanding the district name and block numbering system.

Tokyo and other Japanese cities were not always built in tidy rows. With the “chome” system, cities are divided into districts 丁目 (chome). Then, each block in the district is numbered 番地, pronounced “banchi.” Finally, each building in the block is numbered 号, pronounced “go.”

Often, to simplify the address in writing, the suffixes (丁目, 番地, and 号) are omitted and the numbers are written in order with a hyphen in between each. For example:

東京都港区麻布台 1丁目9番地12号 （1 chome, 9 banchi, 12 go）

is often written like: 東京都港区麻布台 1-9-12

How to Write a Japanese Address

You can see more details on: How to Address the Front and Back of an Envelope

Vertical Envelopes

If you’re using a vertical envelope to address a letter within Japan, the address of the recipient goes on the front in the vertical box, with the postal code on the top. The address is written vertically, right to left, with the recipient’s name at the very end. Your address then goes on the reverse side (the same side as the flap).

Horizontal Envelopes

If you’re using a horizontal envelope, you can write the address in Japanese or English. Be sure to put “JAPAN” in big letters at the top of the address if mailing to Japan from overseas. The recipient’s name and address are placed in the center of the envelope while the sender’s information is placed in the top left corner.

If you’re addressing a postcard from Japan to overseas, look for the portion of the card with the postal code symbol 〒, then address the card as it would make sense in your home country, but with the country name first. If you’re addressing the postcard to a Japanese address, please write as we’ve outlined above.

How to Place an Online Order Using a Japanese Address

It can be a bit confusing as to how to input your address on Japanese shopping websites, but once you remember the formula, it’s relatively simple. Most often, your prefecture, or “ken,” will be selected from a dropdown menu, and the rest will require manual input. You will likely need to know the Japanese characters for the prefecture you are selecting.

In this example, the address below would be input as follows:

〒106-0041 東京都港区麻布台1丁目9番地2号

Recommended Reading: Online Grocery Shopping in Japan , Amazon Japan: How to Shop and Order in English .

How to Say a Japanese Address

Start big, with the prefecture, then work your way down to the house number. Every time there’s a hyphen in the address, you can use the word “no.” So the following example would sound like this over the phone:

Example: 106-0041 東京都港区麻布台1丁目9番地12号

Verbalized: 106-0041 Tokyo-to, Minato-ku, Azabudai, 1 no 9 no 12.

Note: You will also need to know how to pronounce Japanese numbers. There are many resources for learning the Japanese number system, but basic information on pronouncing numbers can be found here .

Tips for Finding Your Way in Japan

If you get lost, don’t panic! Inputting the address into Google Maps is a reliable option, but if your phone is dead or without signal, you can check signs around you to see if you’re in the correct district. If you’ve just arrived at a train station, try to get a map and directions from the local police box, usually located near the station.

While this may seem overwhelming at first, you will get the hang of it very quickly with a little practice. There are pros and cons to every address system, and while the learning curve can be a bit steep for Westerners, you will see the benefits for memorizing this system as you enjoy your time in Japan.

For more information on how to navigate Tokyo and beyond, we offer a wealth of transportation guides and information designed to help get you where you need to go.

You may also be interested in these articles

* Japan Post Office Tips: Finding your Way * Mail Forwarding in Japan: Domestic and International Options * How to register or change your address in Japan

Related Posts

Japanese Consumption Tax (VAT)

Money in Japan: Banknotes and Coins

Moving to Japan: 6 Helpful Tips for Getting Settled

Age Restrictions in Japan: Drinking, Smoking, Voting & More

Opening a Bank Account in Japan for Foreigners

Japan Consumption Tax Hike 2019: How it Will Affect You

Tokyo expat areas.

Introduction to the Best Expat Areas in Tokyo to Live

Tokyo Rentals

Rental Properties in Tokyo

Buy Property in Tokyo

Properties for Sale in Tokyo.

Monthly/Serviced Apartments

Monthly and serviced apartments for short term (1 month+) rentals in Tokyo

Weekly Ranking

Japanese vs. Western Clothing Sizes — Finding the Right Fit

School Grade and Age Structures in Japan

Dress Code in Japan: A Guide to Appropriate Japanese Attire

Summer Escapes: 10 Great Beaches Around Tokyo

Tokyo Lease Corporation

Furniture Rentals in Japan

All Japan Relocation

Relocation Services in Japan

Follow us on

© 2024 PLAZA HOMES, LTD.

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications
• Addressing Envelopes

How to Address Envelopes to Japan

Last Updated: September 23, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff . Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 451,549 times. Learn more...

Depending on your home country, the way you address envelopes might be completely different from how it’s done in Japan. Generally, address information is organized from large to small in Japanese. How this info is formatted will depend largely on whether you’re using a vertical envelope or a horizontal one. Should you see more letters to Japan in your future, you might want to polish up your letter writing skills by practicing things like common Japanese mail suffixes.

Using Vertical Envelopes

• Organize address information from largest to smallest. An out-of-country letter might be addressed: JAPAN, Tochigi-ken, Utsunomiya-shi, Minemachi, 2-chome, 1. [3] X Research source
• The order of information is more important than its location on certain lines. Kanji (Japanese pictograms) can shorten some addresses to a single line, while others might take several.
• The postal codes used in Japanese addresses generally contain 7 digits (as in: 123 - 4567). Since few Japanese streets have names, a street name is rarely included.

• Be sure to write “Japan” very prominently with the recipient’s address information. To make it especially hard to miss, write it in caps! [4] X Research source
• If you’re concerned you might have made a mistake, you might be able to cut and paste the address written out in Japanese from an online map search .

• When sending a letter to Japan from a foreign country, make sure you clearly write your home country in English. This will increase the chances of the letter being returned should it be undeliverable.
• The format of your return address does not have to follow the Japanese style of large-to-small if you live outside of Japan. [6] X Research source

• You should only need postage from your home country to send an envelope to Japan, though this may differ from country to country. Ask at your local post office. [8] X Research source
• Postage is weight-rated inside Japan. Expect a two-sheet letter in a normal envelope to cost about 90 yen or 110 yen airmail. [9] X Research source

Using Horizontal Envelopes

• Because horizontal envelopes carry a Western association, they are generally written according to Western convention: left-to-right, top-to-bottom.
• If you’re mailing this letter from outside of Japan, make sure you clearly write “Japan” at the top of the address.

• It’s a matter of preference, but some people write the address on the flapless side and the return address on the flap side, similar to how one would for a vertical envelope. [12] X Research source

Improving Your Japanese Letter Writing

• City • shi • 市
• County • gun • 郡
• Master/madam • sama • 様
• Neighborhood subarea • chōme • 丁目
• Number (in a series) • ban • 番
• Prefecture/state • ken • 県
• Room • shitsu • 室
• Town/neighborhood • machi/chō • 町
• Wards (subdivisions for big cities) • ku • 区 [14] X Research source

• 寒さひとしお 身にしみる 今日このごろ • samusa hitoshio minishimiru kyou konogoro • In this time of piercing cold…
• 春の 日うららかな 今日このごろ • haru no hi uraraka na kyou konogoro • In this time of beautiful spring days…
• 厳しい 残暑が 続いておりますが • kibishii zansho ga tsudzuite orimasu ga • The oppressive heat continues to linger… [15] X Research source

• Avoid writing messages or names in red ink, as this can carry negative implications for many Japanese.

• Take a Japanese language or culture class offered by a local Japanese cultural organization. Many cross cultural events are sponsored by the Japanese consulate.

Community Q&A

• The basic order for Japanese addresses can be summarized as follows: postal code, prefecture, city, ward, sub-area, block, and building. After that comes the name. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1
• If you have received an address that is typed in Japanese, you may be able to print it onto the envelope or print it and tape it to the envelope. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Things You'll Need

• Pen with blue or black ink
• Printer (optional)

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://www.post.japanpost.jp/service/standard/index_en.html
• ↑ https://voyapon.com/how-to-write-japanese-address/
• ↑ http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2224.html
• ↑ https://culturegaps.com/prepare-address-send-international-mail-e26ee56fbf93
• ↑ https://www.usps.com/international/mail-shipping-services.htm
• ↑ http://www.post.japanpost.jp/service/standard/one_price_en.html
• ↑ https://www.tofugu.com/japanese/how-to-write-letters-in-japanese/
• ↑ http://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/use/writing/normal_en.html
• ↑ http://www.sljfaq.org/afaq/addresses.html

About This Article

If you need to address an envelope to Japan, get a vertical envelope or turn a regular one so it is vertical with the flap side down. Then, write the recipient’s postal code in boxes across the top, and put their name and address vertically underneath it. Put your stamp on the top left corner of that side. Next, turn the envelope flap side up and write your name and return address vertically and in English. Finally, put your postal code horizontally at the bottom of that side. To learn how to address a horizontal envelope, scroll down . . . Did this summary help you? Yes No

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

April Kiessling

Jan 18, 2017

Did this article help you?

Nov 18, 2017

Lanny Carrero

Aug 1, 2017

David Middleton

May 21, 2017

Alison Best

Jun 29, 2016

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve

How to write a Japanese postal address correctly?

If you have friends or relatives in Japan, you might have tried to send a letter or a parcel abroad. Thus, you may know that postal services can be sensitive in case of wrongly written addresses. Also, the quality of the service depends on several factors: border rules, time of the year, and the specificities of each country. It’s been three years since I left France to live in Japan, and I have often exchanged letters and deliveries with my relatives. Still, the same question comes back each time: How do I write the address in Japan? This is the question I’ll try to answer here while sharing my tips.

Should I write the address in Japanese or Romaji?

How to read a japanese postal information, how to write a japanese address in kanji, how to write a japanese address in romaji, should i choose kanji or romaji, should i write an address by hand, tips and tricks from an ex-pat living in japan.

“Romaji” is the transcription of Japanese characters in the latine alphabet. For example, 東京 would become “Tokyo,” and 大阪 would become “ Osaka .” So both are possible. But for my grandparents, who never went anywhere in Asia, it’s not easy to understand.

That said, which one is the most appropriate? We tested both with my family: I sent them my address in kanji through the internet so that they could print and stick it on the envelope and send it from France, and surprise: more than six months later, the letter came back to them with the note “address error.” In fact, it never left France, and as the country’s name was written in Kanji, French postal services didn’t know what to do with it nor what country to send it to .

On the opposite, when my family wrote my address with “Japan,” written as such, the letter could leave France and reach Japan without any problem. But instead of simply having it delivered to my mailbox, I got a delivery notice from the postman asking me to go to the nearest post office to get the precious letter. With my ID and the delivery notice, the embarrassed postman asked me if there was no mistake . This experiment made me realize that even though the letter will eventually make it to Japan, it may give difficulties to the postal services. Therefore, I would recommend writing both . You can print the address in Japanese and its transcription in romaji. And then, everyone is happy!

How to correctly write a Japanese address on a letter or a parcel

In order not to share any confidential information, I’m going to use the address of the Tokyo Tower . So, let’s just imagine that I live on top of this great red iron lady of Tokyo and see how to write my new address.

Before going any further, let’s see some kanji and vocabulary words used in Japanese addresses. In Japan, the address always starts with the postal code, then goes from the largest to the most specific, as shown below :

• e.g. 〒105-0011 (postal code 105-0011)
• e.g. 広島県 ( Hiroshima-ken , Hiroshima prefecture )
• e.g. 大坂府 ( Osaka-fu , Osaka urban prefecture )
• e.g. 東京都 ( Tokyo-to , city of Tokyo)
• e.g. 北海道 ( Hokkaido , Hokkaido prefecture)
• eg. 奈良市 ( Nara-shi , city of Nara)
• e.g. 群馬郡 ( Gunma-gun , Gunma county)
• eg. 宇治田原町 ( Ujitawara-cho , the township of Ujitawara)
• eg. 柳河村 ( Yamagawa-son , Yamagawa village)
• e.g. 渋谷区 ( Shibuya-ku , Shibuya ward)
• e.g. 四丁目 ( Yon chome , fourth district)
• e.g. 二番地 ( Ni banchi , block number 2)
• e.g. 203号 (number/room/apartment 203)

There, it’s clear, right? Now that we know the different terms used in Japanese addresses let’s see how to combine them together.

The Mobal SIM Card is the only SIM card with a Japanese phone number — perfect if you need to stay in touch on short visits or for long-term visitors living, working, or studying in Japan. Mobal pocket wifi is also great if you’re traveling with family or a group!

Like the pieces of a puzzle, the above-mentioned kanji, when put together, form an address in Japanese. Let’s see together the Japanese version of the address of my new home (Tokyo Tower):

• 〒105-0011 東京都 港区 芝公園四丁目 2番地 8号 東京タワー

Unlike Western addresses, Japanese addresses go from the most general to the most specific element and always work in this order: postal code (105-0011), prefecture, city or metropolis (東京都 Tokyo-to), district (港区 Minato-ku), ward (芝公園 四丁目 Shiba-koen yon-chome), block number (2番地 ni-banchi) and building number (8号 hachi-go). Then you can write the residence name (if there is one) as well as the name of the recipient (東京タワー Tokyo Tower).

Comparatively, when we look at the address of the Tokyo Tower indicated by Google in English, we can notice that the order has been completely reversed, and we start from the most specific to the largest:

• Tokyo Tower, 4 Chome-2-8 Shibakoen, Minato, Tokyo 105-0011

It starts with the name of the residence (Tokyo Tower), the block, building and ward numbers (4 chome 2-8), then the name of the ward (Shibakoen), then the prefecture (Minato), then the city or metropolis (Tokyo), and finally the postal code (105-0011).

Although the English version seems simpler, it can also be tricky to understand for Japanese letter carriers since it follows a completely different order from the original.

I often write both in a row while mentioning “JAPAN” in capital letters to ensure that the letter doesn’t get lost.

• 〒105-0011 東京都港区芝公園四丁目2番8号 東京タワー
• Tokyo Tower, 4 Chome-2-8 Shibakoen, Minato, Tokyo 105-0011, JAPAN

This order always worked for me, so I recommend you to ask directly to the recipient for the romaji transcription to not make any mistakes. Then you just have to print it (or copy it by hand if you feel like a calligrapher), and it’s done! Then you can decide if you prefer to write it horizontally or vertically (Japanese use both).

You can try to copy the address in kanji by hand and thus put yourself in the shoes of a great calligrapher for a moment. Even if your kanji is not perfect, the most important thing is that they are legible so that your letter or parcel arrives at its destination.

However, you should know that writing the address by hand is not mandatory and that a simple printout will work. Just stick it directly on the envelope, and that’s it! For my grandparents, who have difficulty understanding the Japanese addressing system, I sent them several copies of my address in kanji and romaji that they just have to stick directly on the envelope. Simple and efficient!

Before concluding this article, I would like to share some tips and tricks that I acquired during my three years living in Japan. Some things may seem obvious to you, but others may not so let’s increase your chances that your precious package or letter will reach you. It doesn’t matter if you send your letter from your country or Japan; the following advice applies to both:

• Tip #1: Don’t mail letters/packages directly into the mailbox. Go to the counter to ensure you have the right rate and fill out the right documents.
• Tip #2: Always write the sender’s address (yours) on the back of the envelope. If there’s a problem, the letter will be returned to you, and you can try to send it again. It’s better than having to start again from scratch.
• Tip #3: The country of destination should be written in the language of the sending country and/or in English. I recommend that you write it   in capital letters and in English . Your letter will be less likely to get lost along the way. One year, my parents sent me a letter from France to Japan, and it went through… Argentina! Mystery… Anyway, they had written “JAPAN” on the letter, and it finally reached its destination. It just took a vacation along the way.
• Tip #4: If you send a package, write the address clearly on the package and inside! Imagine the journey this little package will take, crossing seas and oceans, braving the weather… The recipient’s label could come off, in which case the postal service will open the package to try to find an address. If they can’t find an address, the package will be transferred to lost and found, and you will probably never see it again.

The Japanese address system seems to differ from Western postal address presentation standards. Street names are replaced by numbers, and the order is reversed compared to the West. However, with a few little tricks and a basic understanding of reading Japanese addresses, they are not as different as they seem at first sight. Now that Japanese addresses have no more secrets for you, you have all the keys in hand to send letters or parcels to your friends in Japan!

Manon Chauvris

Born and raised in France (Rouen), I worked as a travel agent in Paris and Kyoto. I moved to Japan in 2018. After spending 2 years in Kyoto, I decided to move to Tokyo with my husband to start a new adventure. Even if I sometimes miss France (especially French cheese) I really enjoy living in Tokyo and exploring Japan with my camera. I am particularly interested in Japanese culture, language, cinema, and photography. I am also crazy about pandas, and I may have been one in a former life. I have a strong passion for Japan and I am looking forward to sharing it with travelers from all around the world!

Recent Articles

A Guide to Flea and Antique Markets in Japan

Sakura in Osaka: Where are the Best Places to Enjoy Cherry Blossoms in 2024?

This was super helpful and detailed. Thank you!

Thank you! One question though: my house is “House B” or “Hse B” or “#B” and I’m not quite sure how or where I should list it! Help?

Hi Jen! Do you have a room number aside your house number? We’d recommend this ordering in Japanese:

1. Postal Code 2. Prefecture, City, Ward/Village, etc. 3. Apartment Building or House Name (in your case, House B), then room number (if you have one) 4. JAPAN (If posting from outside Japan)

I received an order for our product and I cannot figure out how to put the address in this order for USPS shipping:

Name: Takuya Uehira Street Address: 2nd Street Address (if applicable): City: Province: Postal Code: 634-0006 Country: Japan

What I received as an address: 634-0006 Nara SHINGACHO,KASHIHARASHI, 181 ROIYARUHAITSUNAKAGAWA 106 Takuya Uehira

I would really appreciate the help! Arigatō!

Hi Tina, Japanese addresses tend to follow a similar order to US addresses, except in reverse.

We’d suggest the following:

1. Takuya Uehira 2. ROIYARUHAITSU NAKAGAWA 106 (P.S. which is the romanization of “Royal Heights Nakagawa 106”. This is also the building name and room number. We suggest the romanized version, as it looks like the building uses the Japanese katakana characters, while “Royal Heights” may not be as easily interpreted by Japanese postal member) 3. Shinga-cho, Kashihara City (“Shinga-cho” is the area name. If this doesn’t fit into the city section, we suggest putting it in the “2nd Street Address” section) 4. Nara Prefecture (Use this for the Province section) 5. 634-0006 (Postal Code) 6. JAPAN (We recommend writing “Japan” in all caps)

Hope that helps!

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

I have read and accepted the Privacy Policy *

About Voyapon

• Privacy Policy

Affiliate Links

Some of our articles contain affiliate links. Whenever you use these links to buy something, we earn a commission to help support our work at Voyapon.  Please read our disclosure for more info .

• Sightseeing
• Accommodation
• Things to Know

Destinations

Japan travel guide.

• Transportation
• Money in Japan
• Connectivity
• Getting Help

© 2024 VOYAPON. The images and contents of this site may not be used, reprinted or reproduced without permission.

• Travel tips
• Destinations
• Food & drink

The Guide to Writing Japanese Addresses: A Detailed Walkthrough

Disclosure:.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Navigating the complexities of Japanese addresses can seem daunting at first, but with a thorough understanding and a step-by-step guide, mastering this art becomes significantly simpler.

This article is designed to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of how to accurately write and understand Japanese addresses, ensuring your mail reaches its destination without a hitch.

Key Points:

• Understand the structure of Japanese addresses
• Learn how to write Japanese addresses correctly
• Use additional information, such as building names and landmarks, to make addresses more specific
• Familiarize yourself with common abbreviations in Japanese addresses

Structure of Japanese Addresses

Japanese addresses are typically written in the following order: postal code , prefecture , city , ward , district , block number , building number .

Each component provides more specific location information, allowing mail carriers to navigate efficiently.

Writing Japanese Addresses Correctly

How to write a Japanese address?

When writing Japanese addresses, it’s important to follow certain conventions. Use full-width characters (zenkaku) and include all necessary components. Remember to include the postal code at the beginning and the building number at the end.

Additional Information and Abbreviations

To make addresses more specific, additional information such as building names or landmarks can be included. These help to further pinpoint the location.

It’s also helpful to familiarize yourself with common abbreviations that are used in Japanese addresses, such as “chome” for “block” or “banchi” for “building”.

By following these guidelines and understanding the structure of Japanese addresses, you’ll be able to write and understand them accurately, ensuring your mail is delivered to the right place.

Understanding the Structure of Japanese Addresses

Japanese addresses are structured in a hierarchical order, quite different from what many are accustomed to. Here’s a breakdown of the components:

1. Prefecture

The highest level of the address, indicating the region in which the destination is located.

Following the prefecture, this indicates the city within the region.

3. Ward/District

In larger cities, addresses are further divided into wards or districts.

4. Town or Block

Narrowing down further, this part specifies the town or block within the district.

A subdivision of towns/blocks, indicating a specific section.

These numbers are assigned to blocks within a chome, helping to pinpoint the location more precisely.

7. Building Name and Room Number

Finally, the specific building name and room number, if applicable.

Writing Japanese Addresses: A Step-by-Step Guide

Writing a Japanese address requires precision. Here’s how to do it correctly, starting from the largest geographical unit to the specific location:

• Start with the Prefecture: Always begin with the prefecture name, followed by “ken” for most regions, “to” for Tokyo , “fu” for Osaka and Kyoto, and “do” for Hokkaido.
• City: Next, include the city name, followed by “shi” if it’s a city.
• Ward/District: If the address is in a larger city with wards or districts, include this detail next, followed by “ku”.
• Town/Block: Then, specify the town or block number.
• Chome-Banchi: Include the chome number, followed by a hyphen, and then the banchi number.
• Building Name and Room Number: If delivering to a specific building, include its name and the room number, if applicable.
• Recipient’s Name: Finally, write the recipient’s name at the bottom of the address, ensuring it’s clearly stated.

Example Address:

Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Jinnan 1-15-2 Shibuya 109 Building, Room 501 Yamada Taro

Addressing Envelopes in Japanese

When addressing an envelope, the address should be written vertically from top to bottom, starting from the right side of the envelope. The recipient’s name is written last and should be underlined . If writing in English, the format is reversed, with the recipient’s name first and the prefecture last.

To improve readability and ease of scrolling, the text can be split into more paragraphs and formatted with bullet lists.

Addressing an envelope:

• Write the address vertically, from top to bottom.
• Start from the right side of the envelope.
• Underline the recipient’s name.

English format:

• Reverse the format.
• Write the recipient’s name first.
• Write the prefecture last.

Tips for Mastery

• Practice: Regularly practice writing addresses to familiarize yourself with the format.
• Local Guidance: When in doubt, consult with locals or use resources provided by Japan’s postal service.
• Double-Check: Always double-check addresses for accuracy before sending mail or parcels.

By understanding the intricate details of Japanese addresses and following this guide, you will be well-equipped to ensure your mail accurately reaches its destination in Japan, navigating this unique addressing system with confidence and ease.

Insider Tips for Ensuring Your Mail Arrives Safely in Japan

As we wrap up this guide, I’d like to pass along some invaluable advice gleaned from my three-year adventure living in Japan. While some of these insights might strike you as straightforward, others could be revelations, all aimed at ensuring your letters and parcels navigate their way successfully to you. These tips hold true whether you’re dispatching your missive from within Japan or from abroad:

Advice #1: Avoid dropping your mail directly into a mailbox. Instead, take it to a service counter. This ensures you’re applying the correct postage and completing the necessary paperwork properly.

Advice #2: Make a habit of noting down your (the sender’s) address on the reverse side of the envelope. This way, should any issues arise, your letter has a chance to be returned, allowing you another opportunity to send it off correctly, saving you from having to start over.

Advice #3: Clearly mark the destination country in the language of the originating country and/or English, preferably in uppercase letters. My recommendation? Opt for English to minimize the risk of misrouting. Case in point: a letter from my parents in France once embarked on an unexpected detour through Argentina before finally reaching me in Japan. A true postal odyssey that underscores the importance of clear, legible addressing.

Advice #4: When sending packages, it’s crucial to write the address legibly both on the outside and inside of the parcel. Consider the voyage your package undertakes, traversing continents, facing the elements… There’s a chance the external label might detach. In such cases, postal workers will open the package in search of an address. Absent this, your parcel might end up in the lost and found, potentially lost forever.

These strategies are born from personal experience and are designed to enhance the likelihood of your mail arriving safely, regardless of its point of origin.

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address

Remember Me

Tokyo's most exclusive properties

• – Minato Area
• – Shibuya Area
• – Meguro Area
• – Shinjuku Area
• – Chuo Area
• – Shinagawa Area
• – Setagaya Area
• – Bunkyo Area
• Our Services

How to Read, Write and Understand Japanese Addresses

If you are traveling to Japan, or have recently become an expat, then learning how to read, write, and understand Japanese addresses is a must.

Whether you are just using Google Maps to find your way around or you need to write your address on Japanese forms, understanding the Japanese address structure and some kanji will go a long way in making your stay more comfortable. 

When you get here, getting around might be trickier than you imagined, as most Japanese cities have very few street signs compared to other countries. Though some cities like Kyoto are laid out in a grid, making your commute a bit easier, places like Tokyo can be confusing. A good rule of thumb is that most major crossings will have street signs, and typing in the name of a crossing into your GPS will help immensely. 

If you happen to know the postal code of where you are going, that will be the most useful for plugging into Google Maps or any other mapping service. The postal code areas in Japan are smaller than in other countries, so it will go a long way in narrowing down where you need to go. 

Understanding Japanese Geography 

The next part of learning how to write a Japanese address is to learn all the words associated with places in Japan. So to understand Japanese addresses, we first need to learn some simple Japanese geography. 

“Japan” is written as “日本” in Japanese and is pronounced either nihon or nippon .

Japan is a relatively small country, but it is split into 47 prefectures. These are comparable to states in the US. Like States, each prefecture ranks below the national government and has its laws and regulations. 

The 47 prefectures are collectively referred to as the todofuken (都道府県). These four kanji represent the words used for the names of the prefectures. 

The first to 都 refers to Tokyo – Tokyo Prefecture is called Tokyo- to (東京都) in Japanese. The do (道) comes from the northernmost prefecture Hokkai do (北海道).

The fu comes from the two western prefectures of Kyoto and Osaka; their prefectures are referred to as Kyoto- fu (京都府) and Osaka- fu (大阪府), respectively.

All other 43 prefectures use the last kanji ken (県), for example, Nagasaki-ken (長崎県) or Okinawa-ken (沖縄県).

After the prefectures, most cities use the word shi (市) meaning “city” like Kyoto- shi (京都市) or Hiroshima- shi (広島市). However, some smaller towns in rural areas will use the kanji machi or (町) or mura (村) meaning  “town” or “village.” 

Bigger cities like Tokyo are usually broken up into wards or areas, and those use the word ku (区) to label them. Tokyo famously has 23 of these wards, each large enough to be its own city.

The smallest areas in cities like Tokyo are broken up into districts, which usually use the word 丁目 ( chome ). You might also see cho (町) used for the same purpose. Though this kanji is the same as we saw in “town.” Keep in mind it is pronounced differently. 

Lastly, the block number is usually followed by banchi (番地), and a building number followed by go 号. 

You would also include the building name and room number for apartment buildings or offices. For instance, if your apartment building was called Sunny Heights and your room number is 3B you would write サーニーハイツ3B. 

Important Kanji

When learning the kanji to read, write and understand the Japanese address system, there aren’t too many you need to focus on.

Of course, reading and writing all the kanji for your address will be useful; the basic kanji-to-read addresses aren’t too extensive, so you can focus on these.

Here are the ones we went over so far, and as long as you keep these in mind, you should be able to pick apart any Japanese address:

• Japan – 日本 ( nihon , or nippon )
• Prefecture – 都, 道, 府, 県 ( to , do , fu , ken )
• City – 市 ( shi )
• Town – 町 ( machi )
• Ward – 区 ( ku )
• District – 丁目 ( chome ) or 町 ( cho )
• Block – 番地( banchi )
• Building – 号 ( go )
• Room number  – 号室 ( goshitsu )

Japanese Zip and Postal Codes

Japanese zip codes are always seven numbers long and are written with three numbers, a dash, and then four numbers, like 150-0012.

The Japanese postal symbol is a T shape with a line above it that looks like this: 〒. You will not only see this in post offices and mail collection boxes, but it is also used before the zip code in a Japanese address to indicate the number.

So using our earlier example, writing the zip code would look like this: 〒150-0012

Japanese Address Structure

Now that you know how to write the zip code and the specific words for Japanese addresses, let’s put it all together and show you what a Japanese address would look like. 

Japanese addresses typically start with the zip code and then go from larger areas to smaller ones.

Here are some addresses in different parts of Japan:

• 〒105-0011 東京都港区芝公園４丁目２番地８号
• 〒248-0011 神奈川県鎌倉市扇ガ谷１丁目５−1
• 〒603-8361 京都府京都市北区金閣寺町1
• 〒606-8306 京都市左京区吉田中阿達町1番地東一条館１０１

When writing Japanese addresses in English, we would typically reverse the format. So when written with roman characters, you will see Japanese addresses with the smallest building number first and the zip code at the end.

Here are some examples-

• 4 Chome-2-8 Shibakoen, Minato City, Tokyo City, Tokyo Prefecture 105-0011
• 1 Chome-5-1 Ogigayatsu, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa-ken 248-0011
• 1 Kinkakuji-cho, Kita Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture 603-8361
• Higashi Ichijoukan 101, 1 Yoshidanakaadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8306

As you can see, there are small variations of the pattern we learned.

We will often omit the banchi (番地) and go (号) in favor of writing just the numbers with a hyphen.

Sometimes, we omit the name of the prefecture if it is the same as the city or is a well-known one, such as Yokohama or Kanazawa. 

The word for city and prefecture can be written in Japanese Roman characters like – shi and – ken . You can also write “city” or “prefecture” after the name.

A good rule of thumb is that if you are writing an address for a Japanese speaker to read, writing the Japanese Roman characters is better.

Also, remember, when you are writing a Japanese address to or from somewhere abroad, always include the word Japan (日本 in Japanese) in large print at the top, so the post office can’t miss it. 

Japanese Addressing System on Letters

When writing addresses for Japanese letters and postcards, you must consider whether the envelope or postcard is vertical or horizontal. 

Letters that use horizontal addresses will be familiar to Americans, as you write the address and name of the recipient in the middle front of the envelope and the sender on the top left.

The only real difference you need to keep in mind is the name of the addressee should go last after the full address is written. 

When the envelope or postcard is vertical, you will write the recipient’s address and name vertically from top to bottom and right to left.

There is usually a box with seven blank digits at the top for you to enter the postal code. The sender’s information is then written on the back of the envelope (the part with the flap). The postal code boxes are usually on the bottom right on the back, and your address and name will go above this in the same top-to-bottom right-to-left pattern as the front. 

Writing your address on Japanese forms

If you move to Japan, be prepared to write your address on dozens of forms, from health insurance information at the ward office to doctor’s office intake forms and job contracts. 

Most forms where you input your Japanese address will start with the postal code 〒 and then leave a blank with a dash for you to enter the seven-digit number.

Some forms will have a large blank space to write your complete address. Others will have two lines, the first where you enter your prefecture, city, and block information, and the second where you put the building name and apartment number if you have one. 

Some forms will also have individual boxes labeled 区 ( ku ), or 丁目 ( chome ), etc., where you will fill out each part of your address in the order. 

Online forms will often be similar, with the bonus of some automatically filling in most of your address information based on entering just the postal code.

These forms are the most convenient as you only have to enter the block number, building name, or room number if applicable. 

Take some time to look at the Japanese addresses above and learn some kanji or practice writing your address in Japanese to get used to it. This practice will be helpful and remove some of the fear next time you read or write a Japanese address.

Alex Shapiro, Co-Founder of Blackship Realty and Host of 'Tokyo Portfolio' on YouTube, is a seasoned expert in Tokyo's luxury real estate. Born in LA and a graduate of Boston University, he has spent over a decade in Japan, including 7 years in Tokyo. Alex offers invaluable insights for navigating the city's exclusive real estate market.

Contact Form

Tokyo portfolio newsletter.

Property Search

Tokyo areas, follow us on.

#1 Easy Guide To Japanese Addresses

• , May 20, 2022

Do you want to send someone a letter or a package in Japan, but you aren’t sure how to write Japanese addresses? It might look difficult at first, but don’t worry we’ve got you covered!

In today’s post, we will talk about how to learn Japanese addresses and be able to read and write them yourself! So, if you are ready, let’s dive right into it!

Japanese Addressing System

In Japanese, the addressing system is based on an order from the largest unit to the smallest unit. That being said, the addressing system is very different in Japan compared to that of Western countries. For example, buildings are not numbered in a consecutive way, but, instead, they are numbered based on the time they were constructed in.

What’s interesting is that the addressing system can also vary within Japan, for instance, the systems used in Kyoto and Sapporo are not the same as the other cities in Japan.

How To Read And Write A Japanese Address?

Basically, we can divide the official national address system in Japan into eight parts to make it easier. Let’s have a look at them one by one to understand the pattern of the system.

1. Postal Codes

The first part is the postal code, which is relatively easy to remember. While western countries usually put the ZIP code at the end of the address, it is the opposite in Japan. So, the address begins with the postal code which is written with the symbol 〒 .

2. Prefectures

The largest settlement type in Japan is called prefecture. In case you don’t know what a prefecture is, keep reading.

Prefectures are the administrative bodies of Japan and they are larger than cities. It is similar to the individual states in the United States, for example.

Currently, there are 47 prefectures in Japan.

3. Municipality

The third part of the address is the municipality. These municipalities may have different names based on their status, which is given to them by their prefectural administrations.

Note: Tokyo has its own special system of wards which is called ” ku.”

4. Subdivision

The fourth part of the address is subdivision or subarea. A municipality might be divided into subdivisions. Every subdivision has numbered districts called 丁目 (chome) . Each chome is made of numbered blocks known as 番 (ban). There are actual building numbers within these bans which are called 号 (go).

5. Block Number

The fifth part of the address system is block numbers. We can define a block number as a square or rectangular area surrounded by streets with a number of buildings.

If you haven’t learned Japanese numbers yet, maybe it is time to have a look at them!

6. Apartment Number And Name

Finally, we come to the apartments. Usually, every building and apartment in Japan has a name, but, if not, you can just write the building number.

7. Name Of The Person

At the end, don’t forget to write the full name of the person.

If the person has a title, such as in association with their job or to indicate seniority, then you should add that as well. The most common title is 様 (sama) which means Mr. and Mrs. You should add the title if you can.

Japanese Address Example

Here is an example of a typical Japanese address and its equivalence in English:

Japanese: 東京都文京区本駒込2丁目28番8号

Romaji: Tōkyōtobunkyōku Honkomagome 2-chōme 28-ban 8-gō

English: Tokyo Prefecture/Bunkyo-ku/Honkomagome (town name)/District 2/Block 28/House number 8

Cheatsheet To Write Down Japanese Addresses

Addressing system in kyoto.

Japanese people who live in Kyoto use a different and unofficial addressing system among themselves. This is because they have a lot of small divisions. In addition, there is oftentimes more than one chō with the same name within a single ward so when all of these come together it becomes confusing for residents.

Locals in Kyoto use a system based on street names. After some time, this system began to gain recognization by the post offices and government agencies in Kyoto.

If more than one house shares the same land number, you have to specify the name of the house or building which is usually displayed in front of the house on a 表札 (name-plate) .

The system works by looking at the intersection of two streets and then indicating whether the address is above (上ル – agaru) , below (下ル – sagaru), east (東入ル – higashi) , or west (西入ル – nishi) of the intersection point. It is like naming a nearby cross street and then specifying the address relative to the cross street.

Here are the different alternatives for the address of Kyoto Tower:

• 京都市下京区烏丸通七条下ル 東塩小路町 721-1

Kyōto-shi, Shimogyō-ku, Karasuma-Shichijō-sagaru, Higashi-Shiokōji 721-1

This address means “south of the intersection of Karasuma and Shichijō streets” – more precisely, “on Karasuma, below (south of) Shichijō” (Karasuma lies on a north-south, while Shichijō lies on an east-west cross-street).

• 京都府京都市下京区烏丸塩小路上ル

Kyōto-fu, Kyōto-shi, Shimogyō-ku, Karasuma-Shiokōji-agaru

(On) Karasuma (street), above (north of) Shiokōji (street)

Addressing System In Sapporo

Sapporo’s addressing system differs from regular Japanese addresses in terms of structure. The city center is divided into quadrants by two intersecting roads, Kita-Ichijo and Soseigawa Dori ; so blocks are named based on their distance from this point. The east-west distance is shown by chōme , while the north-south distance is shown by jō .

For example the address of Sapporo JR Tower:

• 札幌市中央区北5条西2丁目5番地

Sapporo-shi, Chūō-ku, kita-5-jō-nishi 2-chōme 5-banchi

This address shows that it is the fifth building on a block located on 5 jō north and 2 chōme west of the center, named with the actual cardinal names of kita (north), minami (south), nishi (west), and higashi (east).

Learn Japanese With Ling!

If learning Japanese is one of your goals this summer,  Ling App  is a great choice for you!

The  Ling App  is a language learning app that offers the Japanese language course as well as 60+ other language courses. 

As it’s important to all of us to have as much fun as possible during the summer, Ling can save you time while learning a new language. You can learn Japanese easily without having to study with boring textbooks! The app has practical and concise lessons guaranteed to help you learn the Japanese language in as little as 15 minutes per day!

The best part is that you can try out the first few lessons for free! Don’t wait any longer, download the app from  Google Play or the App Store  now!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Discover more​

People also read

Introduction grammar, southeast asia, east europe.

© 2024 Simya Solutions Ltd.

• Living in Tokyo
• Enamel General
• Japanese Addresses: How to Read, Write, Say & Realize Her

Japanese Addresses: Select the Read, Write, Say & Comprehend Theirs

Japan’s numbering system can be completely harder for those from Western countries, where streets are very tagged with names or numbers. While Japan does have names for streets, they are never used in addresses (except for some occasions in Kyoto). Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about addresses in Japan.

Understanding the Japanese Address Format

It’s important to understand which aforementioned overall order of a Japanese address is reversed from what is typically used in who West. Rather than starting with the house number and ending with the po code, it goes the other way. The usual order of operations is for follows: Wether you are just exploitation Google Maps to find to way around or you need in write your address on Asian forms, understanding the Nipponese address structure plus a kanji will in one long way in making respective stay more comfortable. 

Japanese postal codes are seven-digit numerical hyphenated between which third both fourth digit (000-0000), usually preceded by a postal code markup (〒). If you don't knowledge your postal id, or while you do but don't see the address and wish to search for it, please check  Japan Postal Code Directory .

ONE prefecture is the greatest division possible in Japanese landscape (similar to a us is the United States). Most prefectures are denoted through that suffix 県 pronounced “ken” (e.g., Kanagawa-ken, Ehime-ken, Gunma-ken). Notable exceptions are Tokyo with the suffix都, pronounced “to,” to denote the nation’s capital (i.e., Tokyo-to), Osaka and Kyoto with the suffix府, pronounced “fu,” to show their more essential political and economic choose (i.e., Osaka-fu additionally Kyoto-fu), real Hokkaido which has no suffix. Posted by u/froppy_supremacy - 1 votes and 2 comments

Municipality

For most Tokyo inhabitants, these is what ends in the suffix 区, marked “ku” (e.g., Minato-ku, Nerima-ku, Shibuya-ku). These 23 wards of Tokyo are considered dedicated cities unto themselves with hi populations in concentric zones.

The suffix 市, clear “shi,” is mostly used on another large cities (e.g., Kobe-shi, Sapporo-Shi, Hiroshima-shi) but see can be previously for some concentrated population areas in Kamigyo (e.g., Hachioji-shi, Arakawa-shi, Tama-shi). How to Write the Address and Name - Finnland Post

For extra rural area, Asian addresses use the suffix 郡, clear “gun,” as a district denotation, since multiple townships could be needed to reach the population quota.

Town or Village

If you get in Tokyo, this part won’t be necessary, but rural areas will have adenine further suffix of either 町, pronounced “machi” with “cho,” or 村, pronounced “son” or “mura.” This is often with the “gun” suffix go often help additional pinpoint the company. Request note that “cho” is not the same since “chome” description below.

District Name and Block Number

If you get in Tokyo, you’ll see that information on plaques lining almost every city block, typical partnered with the symbol 丁目, pronounced “chome.” This total tells you the district choose and block number. Fronts secure delivery, our recommend you to compose address also name von recipient included language often in the destination country.

Building, Apartment, and Floor Numbers

The final parts of a Japanese address is the making product press dumbfound number or the apartment name and residence number. Since the building name is most not wanted for apartments, many people skip that part both simply write the apartment number as an additional number following who district name and block number. r/royalmail on Reddit: Shipping to Japan, how do I write and address?

However, available floor numbers, you will either need to use the suffix 階, pronounced “kai,” or an abbreviated “F” following the floor number (e.g., 2F for second floor). The story number will every follow the building name. Magister whereby to write a Japanese adress so to can confidently send in forms or applications to the ward office or send greetings to our!

Understanding Block Numbers

The most difficult separate of Japanese addresses is understanding the district name and block numbering system.

Tokyo and other Japanese cities were not always builder in tidy riots. With the “chome” system, town are divided toward districts 丁目 (chome). Then, each block in the district are numbered 番地, pronounced “banchi.” Finally, each building in the block exists ordered 号, pronounced “go.” Like to Read press Write a Japanese Address - Japan Careers Program

Often, to simpler the company on writing, who suffixes (丁目, 番地, both 号) are omitted and the numbers am written in order about a hyphen in between each. For example: How to read & write one Learn network on cover in Japan

東京都港区麻布台 1丁目9番地12号 （1 chome, 9 banchi, 12 go）

is often writers like: 東京都港区麻布台 1-9-12

As to Write a Japanese Address

You can notice extra details go: How till Choose the Front and Back of into Envelope

Vertico Wallets

If you’re using an vertical envelope to adress a letter internally Japan, the deal of this recipient goes on the front in the verticad box, with the postal code on the top. Who address your written vertically, right to left, for the recipient’s name at the high end. Your address then goes on who invert select (the same side as the flap). Japanese Addresses: How to Take, Write, Say & Understand Them - PLAZA DWELLINGS

Horizontal Envelopes

If you’re using a horizontal envelope, you can write the address in Oriental button British. Be sure to place “JAPAN” in big letters at the top of the address if mailing to Japan from weltweit. The recipient’s name and address are placed in the center of the wrapper while the sender’s information has placed in the apex left kante.

If you’re addressing ampere postcard free Japan to overseas, seem for the portion of the card with and postal code symbol 〒, then address the card as it would doing sense in your home country, but with the country name first. If you’re addressing which postcard to one Japanese choose, please write as we’ve outlined above. How to Read, Write and Understand Byzantine Addresses - Tokyo Portfolio Authentic Estate

How to Place an Online Order Using a Japanese Address

It can be a bit confusing for to how to input your business on Pr shopping websites, but once you remember the formula, it’s relatively simple. Most often, your prefectures, or “ken,” will be picked with an dropdown menu, and the rest will require manual input. You will expected need to know one Japanese characters for the prefecture you are selecting.

In such example, of address below would be input as tracking:

〒106-0041 東京都港区麻布台1丁目9番地2号

Recommended Reading: Online Grocery Shopping in Japan , Amazon Japan: How to Shop and Order included English .

How to Say a Nipponese Address

Starts big, with the prefecture, then work your way down to the house number. Every zeite there’s a hyphen in the address, your can use the word “no.” So the following example would sound like like over one phone: Whether it’s with 漢字 or in romaji/English, there are a few particularities to the Japanese address your. The superior way to learn method can the first understand and pieces ensure make raise the address.

Example: 106-0041 東京都港区麻布台1丁目9番地12号

Verbalized: 106-0041 Tokyo-to, Minato-ku, Azabudai, 1 no 9 no 12.

Note: You will see need on know how to pronounce Byzantine numbers. There are many resources for learning the Japanese number system, but basic information on pronouncing numbers can remain institute here .

Tips for Finding Your Pathway in Japan

If you get lost, don’t panic! Inputting the address into Google Maps is a solid option, but is your phone is done or without signal, him can check signs around you to watch if you’re within the correct district. If you’ve just arrived at a schlepp station, strive to get ampere map and directions away the local police box, usually where near the railway. Wherewith to Record ampere Japanese Address on an Envelope | MailMate

While this may seem overwhelming at first, you will get the hang a it very quickly includes a little practice. There are pros and cons to every address system, and while the learning curve may be a bit steep for Westerners, you will see the benefits for memorizing this sys more you enjoy your time in Japan.

For more information on how to navigate Tokyo and out, we offer one wealth of transportation guides and information designed to help get you where you need to go.

She might also be interested in these articles

* Japan Post Office Pointers: Finding owner Way * Mail Relaying in Japan: Domestic and Local Available * How to register or change your deal in Japan

Related Posts

Household Electronic Appliances in Jp - On Long-term Residents

E-Money: Prepaid Cards, Debit Cards, and Mobile Payment Methods in Japan

Furniture for Expats in Japan – bringing, lease or buying

Money in Japan: Banknotes and Coins

Touching to Japanischen: 6 Helpful Tips for Getting Settled

Zoll on Japan: Filing Japanese Income Ta inside Japan

Tokyo expat scale.

Introduction to the Supreme Expat Areas in Tokyo to Live

Todai Rentals

Renting Properties in Tokyo

Buy Belongings in Tokyo

Properties for Marketing at Tokyo.

Monthly/Serviced Apartments

Monthly and serviced apartments since briefly termination (1 month+) rentals in Todai

Per Ranking

Japanese vs. Western Clothing Sizes — Finding the Right Fit

Japanese Locations: How on Read, Write, Say & Recognize Yours

School Order and Age Structured in Java

Dress Code included Japan: ONE Guide the Appropriate Japanese Attire

Polite and Useful Japanese Enterprise Phrases

Tokyo Lease Corporation

Furniture Rentals in Japan

All Japan Relocation

Change Products by Japan

Follow states on

© 2024 PLAZA HOMES, LTD.

How to Read and Write a Japanese Address

Whether it’s in 漢字 or in romaji/English , there are a few particularities to the Japanese address system. The best way to learn how is to first understand the parts that make up the address.

The Parts of a Japanese Address

Postal code.

This is the 7-digit code in the address, often found following the 〒 (postal service) symbol.

The name of the prefecture will include one of four kanji (都道府県). In romaji, these suffixes are written as -to, -do, -fu, and -ken.

東京 都 ・北海 道 ・京都 府 ・秋田 県

Tokyo -to ・Hokkai do ・Kyoto -fu ・Akita -ken

The name of the city, town, village, or ward will include one of another set of four kanji (区市町村). These suffixes are written as -ku, -shi, -chou/-machi, and -son/-mura (-machi and -mura are alternate readings of -chou and -son, respectively).

港 区 ・秋田 市 ・八峰 町 ・北山 村

Minato -ku ・Akita -shi ・Happou -chou ・Kitayama -mura

Neighborhood/Area

This is the next section of the address and varies in length, sometimes including information such as relative geographical location, or further subdivisions called 字 (aza), depending on the region.

八重洲 (Yaesu)

烏丸通七条 下ル 東塩小路町 (Karasuma-Shichijo- sagaru Higashi-Shiokoji-chou; lit. Below Karasuma-Shichijo intersection, in East Shiokoji-chou )

雄和椿川 字 奥椿岱 (Yuwa-Tsubakigawa Aza -Okutsubakidai)

District, Block, and Building numbers

These numbers — usually a set of two or three — typically refer to the district number, block number, and building number (丁目・番・号; -chome, -ban, and -go, respectively). Can be formally written out using kanji, but is more commonly written out simply as numbers, or a combination of the two.

６ 丁目 ３ 番 ２ 号

6 -chome 3 -ban 2 -go

Building Name and Floor or Room Number

This last part usually only pertains to larger buildings (ビル, or biru, in Japanese) which include multiple offices, stores, or apartments. For commercial buildings or other buildings in which each floor is a separate tenant, only a floor number will usually be used with the kanji 階 (kai), or the letter F. Apartment buildings (the large variety of which are called “mansion” in Japan) and other buildings in which there are many tenants per floor will list a room number, often with the kanji 室号 (shitsugo). Stand-alone family houses will not usually include this information.

ABC ビル ７ 階 (ABC Bldg. 7th Floor)

XYZ ビル ３８ F (XYZ Bldg. 38th Floor)

グローバルタワーマンション ３０３ 室号 (Global Tower Mansion, Rm. 303)

The Written Order of a Japanese Address

After understanding all the parts, the next step is to put them together. The order in which they are placed depends on whether the address is being written in 漢字 or romaji/English.

Kanji Addresses

A Japanese address that is written in 漢字 (kanji) will follow the order of postal code first, followed by the largest to the smallest unit of size. (Essentially, the order in which the various parts are listed above.) For example, the address of the Ghibli Museum here in Tokyo is as follows:

〒181–0013 東京都三鷹市下連雀1丁目1−83

Separated, these are the individual parts:

Postal code: 〒181–0013

Prefecture: 東京都

City/Ward: 三鷹市

Neighborhood: 下連雀

District, block, and building numbers: 1丁目1−83

Romaji/English Addresses

To help comply with international standards, Japanese addresses that are written in romaji (i.e., the romanized alphabet) follow a different order. Basically speaking, each of the blocks is reversed. The same address for the Ghibli Museum in romaji is as follows:

1–1–183 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo-to 181–0013

The address consists of the same blocks listed for the kanji version, but simply in a reversed order: district, block, and building numbers, neighborhood, city/ward, prefecture, postal code.

With the simplicity of a largest-to-smallest/smallest-to-largest address order, it can’t get much easier.

• sci.lang.japan FAQ
• 15. Miscellaneous
• Next: How do I find this Japanese word for a tattoo?

How does the Japanese addressing system work?

How the address is composed.

The Japanese addressing system is based on areas, subdivided from big to small. The largest division is called a "Prefecture" in English. There are 47 prefectures in Japan. A prefecture can be one of four things in Japanese, To ( 都 ), capital, for Tokyo only, Dō ( 道 ), territory, for Hokkaido only, Fu ( 府 ), metropolis, for Osaka and Kyoto, and 43 Ken ( 県 ), which cover the rest of the country.

The Ken are divided into counties, Gun ( 郡 ), or cities, Shi ( 市 ). Small cities are generally divided into Chō ( 町 ). This is translated as "town" or "village" in the dictionary, but corresponds to "areas" or "neighbourhoods". Big cities are divided into Ku ( 区 ), "wards".

Wards are divided into Chō ( 町 ), though sometimes the name doesn't include the word Chō . Sometimes the Chō are divided into Chōme ( 丁目 ), which are numbered divisions of a Chō . Then the blocks are numbered and, at the lowest level, the building has a number. Finally comes the room or apartment number. For an apartment, the name of the apartment building is often included. However, it is not necessary for mail. It is, however, a convenience for visitors who ask for directions.

The buildings within a block are either numbered in the order that they were built, so they jump all around, or numbered in clockwise order around the block. In this clockwise numbering there is sometimes skipping of several numbers for later assignment, where future construction between existing buildings is possible.

Diagram of the composition of the Japanese address system

Writing the address in japanese.

〒150-2345 東京都渋谷区本町2丁目4-7サニーマンション203 150-2345 Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Hommachi 2 choume, 4-7, Sunny Mansion 203.

Writing the address in English

Sunny Mansion #203 4-7 Hommachi 2-choume Shibuya-ku, TOKYO 150-2345

2-4-7-203 Hommachi Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-2345

For addresses in large cities (Yokohama, for example) many people omit the larger division (Kanagawa-ken, in the case of Yokohama).

The ken , to , etc., can always be omitted if the postal code is correct. The city name should be capable of omission then too, but that isn't ordinarily done.

There can't be a ku name directly below a fu (since Kyoto and Osaka are both shi ), but this is a technicality which the Post Office is sure to overlook. In addition to gun , there are Shichō ( 市町 ) below Tokyo which contain Chō and son (which would normally be under gun). (There are also Shichō below Hokkaido, but they contain shi and gun as would be expected.)

As far as the address after shi , ku , machi / Chō or mura / son is concerned, trying to reach a consensus on what is what may well be an exercise in hair-splitting.

There's a problem with duplicate terminology where the part about Chō (under shi , ku , machi / Chō or mura / son ) is concerned. There doesn't seem to be a consistent term for these smaller divisions (they seem to be called shigaichi ( 市外地 ) in heavily populated areas, and in the country they are often called aza ( 字 ), and sometimes an aza is divided into several division names.)

The chōme part is not present in many addresses, and in this case the address may either end in banchi ( 番地 ) or contain ban and gou . Banchi / ban may be single blocks, parts of blocks, or split into several blocks. Gou may be single buildings, complexes of several buildings, or parts of compound buildings. Some addresses contain the specification mubanchi ( 無番地 ) ("no banchi ").

Extremely detailed maps are published for all urban areas. Anyone who can read Japanese may be able to identify any address within a 2 or 3 minute walk. The most detailed bilingual ones are not as good. Of course even a bilingual map as detailed as the Japanese ones would still be very hard for foreigners to use, because the signs are in Japanese only.

Postal codes

All postal codes conform to a 7 digit format XXX-XXXX. This was introduced by Japan Post on February 2, 1998. It is theoretically possible to put the postal code followed by the address from chōme "downwards", although in some areas the postal code may go over chōme boundaries. Before the introduction of the 3-4 system country areas and large city areas had sub-codes, eg. 316-0002 or 150-0001, but now all codes comply. The large area encompassed by 100 (central Tokyo) is now split into up to 9999 sub-areas. A book was put out so people could look up the new code from the old address.

Acknowledgements

Edited from posts by JimmieJenkins, Norman Diamond, Peter Dunning and Miller to the fj.life.in-japan newsgroup. The correction concerning the new postal codes was contributed by Mike Lyford.

Copyright © 1994-2022 Ben Bullock

If you have questions, corrections, or comments, please contact Ben Bullock or use the discussion forum / Privacy policy

Read a Japanese address – find your way in Japan

While in Japan you’ll probably get some recommendations or instructions to go to a specific place or address. Finding your way there might be a bit tricky if you can’t read a Japanese address, so here’s our guide on how to do that.

Japanese addresses

First of all, let’s look at how a Japanese address is structured. You won’t see a street name in an address in Japan (Kyoto and Sapporo are exceptions to this rule). This makes reading a Western address different from how you read a Japanese address.

In Japan addresses start with the postal code, followed by the largest geographic element, and finish with the smallest- most specific element, in other words, the apartment or room number.

Writing in Rōmaji 

When typing an address in rōmaji – the Roman alphabet, the order of writing is reversed when writing in Japanese characters. That is to say, you start with the apartment or building name and finish with the prefecture and postal code. When inputting a Japanese address into Google Maps, you should write it in this order.

For example, here is how to write the address to the Go! Go! Nihon office in rōmaji and with Japanese characters:

Rōmaji:  3-13-3 3F Seiwa Ikebukuro building, Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo-to 170-0013

Kanji: 〒170-0013 東京都豊島区東池袋3-13-3 星和池袋ビル 3階

Now, let’s break the address down and explain the different parts.

1. Postal code

〒170-0013 This is the postal code. 〒 is the symbol for Japanese post (similar to katakana テ te). In Japan, postal codes consist of 7 digits. NNN-NNNN

2. Prefecture

Japan is divided into 47 prefectures (県, ken ), and this is the next part of any address. Usually it’s called and written 県 ( ken ), like Tochigi prefecture: 栃木県 (Tochigi-ken). But there are a few exceptions.

• Tokyo is not a prefecture but instead is called a metropolis (都, to ). Tokyo metropolis is written: 東京都 (Tokyo-to)
• Osaka and Kyoto are referred to as “urban prefecture” (府, fu ). Osaka urban prefecture is written: 大阪府 (Osaka-fu)
• Hokkaido is a prefecture but has its own suffix meaning circuit (道, dō ). It’s already built into the name Hokkaido: 北海道

3. Municipality (city/ward/county)

Next is the city (市, shi ), ward (区, ku ), or county (郡, gun ).

The name of a city is followed by the suffix (市), like Yokohama city (横浜市, Yokohama-shi).

Bigger cities can be divided into smaller sections as well, these are called wards. Tokyo is divided into 23 special wards (特別区, tokubetsu-ku ), commonly referred to as just wards (区, ku). For example Shinjuku ward (新宿区, Shinjuku-ku).

Smaller geographical areas, less populated than cities, are called counties or districts (郡, gun ). A county is often found in rural addresses in Japan, such as Gunma district (群馬郡, Gunma-gun) located in Gunma prefecture.

4. Town/Village

Many addresses in Japan are additionally divided into smaller geographical element: towns (町, machi / chō ) and villages (村, mura/son ). Sakuragi-chō (桜木町) in Yokohama is a good example of a town.

For example, the first part of the address to Sakuragi-chō station is: 神奈川県横浜市中区桜木町. Which translates into: Kanagawa prefecture, Yokohama city, Naka ward, Sakuragi town.

5. City district

Japanese cities are divided into city districts (丁目,  chōme ). These are often assigned based on the closeness to the city center. When you read a Japanese address, chōme follows after a number. Like ３丁目 ( san – chōme) meaning third city district.

6. City block

After the city district comes the city block number (番地, banchi ). Like chōme the banchi is preceded by the number. The city blocks are often irregular in shape and can be located in a scattered order. This is because they are numbered after the order they were registered.

7. House number

Houses and buildings are ordered using house numbers (号, gō ). The order of the numbers depends on when the house was built, which means that a number doesn’t have to follow the previous one in a linear order. Gō can also be assigned in a clockwise order around the city block.

These three parts (district, block, and house number) are usually written using the numbers only, like this: 3-3-13, instead of 3丁目3番地13号. Which means third city district, third block, and house number 13.

8. Building name and number

If the house or building has an established name, this will sometimes follow after the house number.

For example, Ichiran ramen in Shibuya is located at 東京都渋谷区神南１丁目22−7 岩本ビルB1F (Tokyo-to, Shibuya-shi, Jinnan, 1-chōme−22−7 岩本ビルB1F) which means it’s located on the B1 floor in the Iwamoto building.

For apartments, the house number (or building name) is followed by an apartment number. This is usually just added on after the number combination of the city district, block, and house number. For example, if one of the previously mentioned addresses was an apartment building the address could be 3丁目3番地13号502 (or 3-3-13-502). In other words, the apartment number here is 502.

Lastly, there are a few exceptions to these rules. In Kyoto and Sapporo, the way you read a Japanese address differs from the official national address system. In this Wikipedia article  there is a very detailed guide to address these areas.

We hope that this guide will help you the next time you need to look at a Japanese map. And that finding your way around Japan will be a lot easier now that you know how to read a Japanese address.

For more useful tips about life in Japan keep following our Go! Go! Nihon blog .

Share this article

Go! Go! Nihon

Related articles, the ultimate guide to traveling in the japanese countryside, passing the jlpt n1: what you need to know, passing the jlpt n2: what you need to know, passing the jlpt n3: what you need to know.

Ready to Live & Study in Japan?

Office hours: Monday-Friday 10:00-13:00 & 14:00-18:00 JST Telephone: +81 50 5357 5357

Normally, it takes us between 1 – 3 business days to respond to your email. Sometimes it takes us a bit longer, but don’t worry we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!

Subscribe to our newsletter

© 2024 株式会社GoGo World

🎌 Join our next Webinar!

Next session → Live Student Visa Consultation

• Location guides
• Travel tips
• Things to do
• Food and drinks
• How To Read A Japanese Address – A Detailed Guide

At the first time you see a Japanese address, you may be shocked as it is as long as an essay and reading it can be a challenge. However, Japanese addresses also have their own format. If you follow this format, reading them will become easy and there will be no difficulty in finding places based on those addresses when you are in Japan. Now, let’s check this blog out to know the format of a Japanese address and find out how to read a Japanese address !

1. The First Thing About Japanese Addresses

The first thing you’d better know before figuring out how to read a Japanese address is that the Japanese address system is based on geographic entities and areas instead of a building’s location on a specific street like in many western countries. In fact, except for Kyoto and Sapporo, you will not see a street name in an address in Japan.

Unlike many western countries, Japan has an addressing system based on geographic entities and areas

When written in Japanese characters, addresses are written out from the largest geographical entity to the most specific one. It’s a lot like a funnel. Then, the order of writing is reversed when the addresses are written in rōmaji – the roman alphabet.

You know, a Japanese address has different parts that form it. So, now let’s break the address down and explain the different parts.

2. Different Parts Of A Japanese Address

Part 1: postal code.

At the beginning of any Japanese address , you’ll see a symbol like this 〒 followed by a series of 7 digits (for example: 〒103-0065). The symbol 〒 stands for “postal code”. So, postal codes in Japan are in this format: 〒NNN-NNNN (three digits hyphen four digits).

Postal code in Japan includes 7 digits in the format: 〒NNN-NNNN

Part 2: Prefecture

The next part in the Japanese address format is the prefecture. Japan has 47 prefectures and they are usually called and written 県 (ken). For example, Miyagi prefecture is written 宮城県 and called Miyagi-ken. However, there are a few exceptions:

• Tokyo is not a prefecture, but a metropolis (都, to). Tokyo metropolis is written 東京都 (Tokyo-to).
• Osaka and Kyoto are given the special suffix of -Fu (府), which means “urban prefecture”.
• Hokkaido is a prefecture but has its own suffix meaning circuit (道, dō).

Prefecture is the next part in a Japanese address

Part 3: Municipality (city/ward/county)

Next is the municipality, which can be the city (市, shi), ward (区, ku) or county (郡, gun).

The suffix (市, shi) comes after the name of a city and it also means “city”. It is a designation that is given to a geographic entity that has sufficient population to earn it, for instance, Akita city (秋田市 – Akita shi).

Bigger cities can be divided into smaller sections called wards. There are 23 special wards (特別区) in Tokyo. They are called special wards for administrative purposes, but in common usage we refer to them as wards (区, ku). For example, Shinjuku ward (新宿区, Shinjuku-ku).

Smaller geographical areas, which are less populated than cities, are counties or districts (郡, gun). Many rural areas have addresses that contain -gun in the address.

Following after the prefecture is the municipality, which can be the city (市, shi), ward (区, ku) or county (郡, gun)

• Best Places To Live In Japan
• Cost Of Living In Japan

Part 4: Village/Town

After municipality, many addresses in Japan are divided into smaller geographical elements which are towns (町, machi/chō) and villages (村, mura/son). Nevertheless, not all addresses contain this designation.

Many but not all addresses in Japan contain towns and villages

Part 5: City District

The next part of an address in Japan is the city district (丁目, chōme). Japanese city districts are resulted from the division of Japanese cities and they are often assigned based on the closeness to the city center. In a Japanese address , chōme goes after a number. For example, ３丁目 (san–chōme) means third city district.

In a Japanese address, the city district (chōme) goes after a number

Part 6: City Block

After the city district comes the city block number (番地, banchi). Preceding the banchi is also a number. The city blocks are often irregular in shape and scattered in order. This is because they are numbered after the order they were registered.

Preceding the city district is the city block number

Part 7: House Number

House numbers (号, gō) decide the order of houses and buildings . The order of the numbers depend on the time of building the house, which means that a number doesn’t have to follow the previous one in a linear order. Gō can also be assigned in a clockwise order around the city block.

When writing the three parts (district, block and house number), we usually use the numbers only. We write 3-3-13 instead of 3丁目3番地13号, which means third city district, third block and house number 13.

House numbers are also included in the Japanese address

Part 8: Building Name And Number

Following after the house number is the name of the house or building.

For apartments, the apartment number goes after the house number or building name. This is an addition to the number combination of city district, city block and house number. For example, we have a number combination like 3丁目3番地13号502 (or 3-3-13-502), we understand that the apartment number here is 502.

The name of the house or building is the last part in a Japanese address

3. Exceptions

There are a few exceptions to the address rules mentioned above. In Kyoto and Sapporo, the way how to read a Japanese address is different from the official national address system. Unlike most Japanese cities, Kyoto and Sapporo have addresses based on their streets being laid out in a grid plan.

The addressing syste in Kyoto and Sapporo is different from that of the country

In Kyoto, the the official national addressing system is in use with ward (区, ku), district (丁目, chōme), and city block (番地, banchi), but there are numerous small chō divisions. Besides, within a single ward there is even more than one chō with the same name, making the system extremely confusing. Therefore, most residents of Kyoto use an unofficial address system based instead on street names.

For more precision, the chō and city block can follow after the street-based address. In the case that many houses share a given city block, the name (either just family name or full name of resident) must also be specified and displayed in front of the house on a name plate (表札, hyōsatsu).

The system works by naming the intersection of two streets and then indicating if the address is north (上ル agaru, “above”), south (下ル sagaru, “below”), east (東入ル higashi-iru, “enter east”), or west (西入ル nishi-iru, “enter west”) of the intersection. More precisely, the two streets of the intersection are not treated symmetrically. One names the street that the address is on, then gives a nearby cross street, and finally specifies the address relative to the cross street. This means a building can have more than one address depending on which cross street intersection is chosen.

Though Sapporo’s addressing system is official, it differs in structure from regular Japanese addresses. The two intersecting roads, Kita-Ichijo and Soseigawa Dori, divide the city center into quadrants. Then, blocks are named based on their distance from this point, and farther from the city center, multiple blocks are included in each. The east-west distance is indicated by chōme, while the north-south distance is indicated by jō, which has been incorporated into the chō name.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. how do you write a japanese address, using vertical envelopes.

• Address the letter to the recipient: The address of the recipient goes on the side of the envelope without a flap. At the top of the envelope are boxes where you write the postal code. Beneath the postal code boxes, you should write the mailing address top to bottom and right to left. Remember to organize the address information from largest to smallest. After the address is the name of the recipient.
• Double check the Japanese address: If you don’t want your envelope to be sent to the wrong place, you’d better search for the address online to ensure that you have written everything correctly. If you are worried that you may make a mistake when writing the address, you can cut and paste the address written out in Japanese from an online map.
• Include your return address: Turn your envelope over flap side up. Then, fill in your postal code numbers in the boxes at the bottom of the envelope. Next, write your address in the rightmost box in the same top to bottom, right to left pattern as before. Finally, write your name after the address.
• Add a stamp and send your envelope: After checking everything on the envelope, turn it over to the side with the recipient’s address and put a stamp in the upper left corner.

Using Horizontal Envelopes

• Write the recipient’s address: Write the postal code and the recipient’s address from the largest to the smallest unit of information at about the center on the flapless side of the envelope. If you are sending the letter from overseas, make sure you clearly write “JAPAN” in big letters before the address.
• Fill in your return address information: As you write on a normal envelope, you fill in your return address into the upper left corner of the flapless side. If you’re sending the letter from outside of Japan, clearly indicate your home country in English at the top of your address.
• Flip the envelope to make a horizontal envelope vertical: Turn a horizontal envelope on its side to make it into a vertical one with the recipient’s address going on the flapless side and the return address on the flap side.

2. How Do You Break Down A Japanese Address?

A Japanese address starts with the postal code, followed by the largest geographic element and finishes with the smallest or most specific element, which is the apartment or room number.

3. How Do I Write My Japanese Address On Amazon?

It can be confusing for you to input your address on Japanese shopping websites like Amazon at first, but once you remember the formula, this becomes quite simple. You can often select your prefecture or “ken” from a dropdown menu; however, you need to input the rest of your address manually. You will likely need to know the Japanese characters for the prefecture you are selecting.

Please take a look at the example below and you’ll know how to input your address.

〒106-0041 東京都港区麻布台1丁目9番地2号

4. What Is A Prefecture In Japan Address?

Japan’s 43 prefectures or “ken”, the Tokyo metropolis, Osaka, Kyoto, and Hokkaido are referred to as 都道府県 (To-Dou-Fu-Ken) in Japanese.

When you look at a fully written out address in Japanese, the first section after the postal code always starts with the name of one of the prefectures, Tokyo, Osaka, or Kyoto and ends with one of these kanji: 都, 道, 府, 県 (To-Dou-Fu-Ken).

For instance, in this address 〒100-2345東京都港区東麻布1-7-1 東麻布ISビル3F, the prefecture would be 東京都 (Tokyo-to).

Watch this video for a great explanation of the Japanese addresses and how they work.

Hoping that this blog has provided you a detailed guide on how to read a Japanese address . From now on, looking at a Japanese map can be a lot easier and finding your way around Japan may no longer a struggle. For more useful tips about life in Japan, keep following Question Japan!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

Tokyo Tower Vs Eiffel Tower: What are the main differences between them?

Shin-Fuji Station: Travel Tips And Transportation Guide

Discover The Relaxation: Best Onsen Towns in Japan

2 responses.

My son lives and works in Japan I would like to know if this address is a proper one, he doesn’t answer the phone or email, His name is Nicholas John Lawrence

1362 Nakatajima-Cho, Minami-Ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 430-0845

Please help

that should read Thankyou!

Leave a Reply

You can use these tags:

Popular posts

The Best Japanese Rice Cookers for 2023 That You Must Have in Your Kitchen

Knight vs Samurai: Are They Similar Or Different?

8 Highest Paying Jobs In Japan For Foreigners [2022 Update]

Types Of Japanese Swords – A Way To Japanese Art Culture

Among The Most Popular Sushi Rolls, Best Taste Goes To …

© Question Japan's 2019

How To Write Letters In Japanese: An Introduction Pen Pal Besties for Life

June 4, 2013 • words written by Koichi • Art by Aya Francisco

Writing a letter in Japanese is quite the epic topic. It's sadly not as easy as writing something, stuffing it in an envelope, stamping it, and sending it. Japanese letters require you to think about certain formalities, set expressions, styles of writing, and even relationships between you and the person you're writing to. It's so complicated and convoluted that even Japanese people will buy books on the subject so that they can "read up on" and study the latest letter writing rules. Don't feel bad if you feel lost.

The goal of this article is to help you to understand Japanese letters. It will take a little more research and studying to be able to write a letter in Japanese, but I think I'll be covering the difficult part. After reading this article, I want you to understand things like the relationship between you and the person you're writing to, the format of a Japanese letter (both vertical and horizontal), how to write the address on the envelope, as well as the concept of "set expressions." This will give you the tools to write a letter, make things less confusing, and eventually get you to the point where you should be able to piece together a Japanese letter on your own (resources included in the last section of this article).

Let's get straight into the first thing you must think about even before you pick up that pen and paper. Wait, I mean, go to your keyboard and monitor, relationships .

Relationships: AKA Who Are You Writing To?

In Japanese, hierarchy is much more important than in many other countries. You have the senpai-kohai relationship. Then you have teacher vs. student, boss vs. minion, older people vs. younger people, and the list goes on and on. On top of this, relationship statuses change when you're asking for a request, but this (and many other things) will depend on how close you are to the other person. Relationships, your closeness, and where you stand in the hierarchy of said relationship dictate how you act and speak with that other person. Of course, this carries over to letters as well.

I am going to simplify it a bit for you though. In general, there's going to be three types of letters. They are:

Informal: Friends, Senpai, People below you

Neutral: Teachers, Friends you are requesting something of, Superiors

Formal: People you don't know, Superiors you are requesting something of

You may have noticed some patterns here. Informal relationships are people of a similar age, aka people who are on the same hierarchy level as you. Then, there's neutral (which is really just regular-polite level) which has teachers and other superiors whom you have at least a moderately close relationship with, though friends that you are requesting something of get bumped up to this rung (because you have to be nice if you're asking for something). Lastly, there's formal, which includes people you don't have a close relationship with (people you don't know), as well as superiors that you're asking something of. Asking something of someone automatically bumps them up to the next rung, as a rule of thumb.

Of course, as long as you stay in the Neutral or Formal levels, you'll probably always be okay, so that's what I'll be sticking with in these articles as well. Informal is informal, and doesn't really need to follow so many of the rules that I'll be laying out here during this series.

The Materials

Now that you know who you're writing to, it's time to figure out what materials you need to use. I think a lot of this is just common sense, but just in case it isn't, I've summarized and simplified a list provided by the (excellent) textbook, Writing Letters In Japanese .

• In general, white stationary without any pictures is most preferred.
• Business letters are usually written horizontally via a word processor.
• Personal letters to superiors should be written vertically on white stationary (hand written).
• For superiors, use a white envelope.
• Write in pen, using black or blue ink.
• Don't write with pencils or markers.
• Postcards should only be used in informal occasions, or occasions in that call for postcards (like New Years).

Once you've figured out your materials (based on who you're writing to), it's time to learn how to use these materials. Sadly, not all of it is as simple as you might think. There are rules, Smokey!

Japanese Letter Formatting Rules

I will cover two types of letter: Vertical and Horizontal. This refers to how you're writing your text. Does it go up to down or does it go right to left? Depending on which one you choose, there are a few differences you need to take note of.

Vertical Letters

These are the most personal. I suppose you're putting a lot more work into this kind, because in general you're writing them out by hand. Horizontal rule letters feel a little colder and less personal, though I think that's changing. Usually, though, you can't go wrong with a vertical letter, as it's the standard style for letter writing in Japan.

As you can see there are various parts, and the positioning of each is important.

Opening: The opening word consists of a set word, kind of like the word "Dear…" that goes at the beginning of English letters. In Japanese, this would be haikei 拝啓 （ はいけい ） or zenryaku 前略 （ ぜんりゃく ） . These actually pair with the closing section, so be careful!

Set Expression #1: Right at the beginning of the letter there should be a set expression. This could be one of many predetermined topics or phrases, which are usually about weather, the season, health of the addressee, and so on and so forth. Certain topics will have certain opening set expressions as well, but we'll go more into that later.

Content: This is where you actually write your letter and say the things you want to say. Notice how this is the only non-predetermined section out of so many? It's weird.

Set Expression #2: After you finish saying what you want to say, it's time for another set expression. This will usually be about the addressee's health or good wishes for them.

Closing: This is like "sincerely…" in English letters. Unlike that, however, it is paired with the opening. 拝啓 goes with the closing greeting keigu 敬具 （ けいぐ ） . 前略 goes with the closing sousou 草々 （ そうそう ） . No mixing and matching.

Date: This is written a little lower than the text to its right. Use the Japanese numeral system for vertical letters.

Your Name: This is where you write your name. Put it down to the bottom of the column.

Addressee's Name: This goes to the left of the date and your name, but higher than the date, and lower than all the text to the right.

PostScript (Optional): This is the P.S. portion of the letter. In Japanese, this is tsuishin 追伸 （ ついしん ） or nishin 二伸 （ にしん ） , and is written to the left of the addressee's name, lined up with the main text. This is a little informal, though, so don't use it if you can help yourself.

As you can see, there's a lot to consider even before you write any content. Luckily, horizontal letters are a lot simpler.

Horizontal Letters

Generally used in business sorts of situations, horizontal letters are mostly typed out and a lot simpler.

Date: Goes in the top right. It's written using Arabic numerals since it's being written horizontally. １２月２５日, for example.

Addressee's Name: This is where you put the name of the person you're writing to. As with all letters, don't forget their name honorific!

Set Expression #1: Here's where the first set expression will go.

Content: This is where the content of your letter will go.

Set Expression #2: One more set expression for the addressee's well being and health.

Your Name: This is where you sign your name, horizontally. Might be good to sign it with a pen instead of with the word processor, just to be a little more polite.

Horizontal letters are easier, but they can be considered rude if you send them in the wrong situations. Of course, email is a whole other thing (it's all horizontal there), and I think it's causing the mindset to shift a bit on this. Still, though, vertical is the default go-to for writing letters (especially by hand), so be sure learn about it even though this one is easier.

Envelopes And Addresses

The address system in Japan is quite different from America and much of the rest of the world. You'll want to know about that before sending a letter, otherwise it may not get to the desired location (that being said, the Japanese postal system is baller). Once you know the address, though, there are some rules as to where you should be putting the mailing address, return address, and stamp.

Vertical Envelopes

This is the tall type envelope which you will often see in Japan. It's good for vertically written letters, as you can crease your letter parallel to the lines you're writing.

As you can see there are a few different things compared to the envelopes you might be used to. First off, you'll want to put the postal code in boxes provided. Then, on the front of the envelope, you'll want to put the address on the right side (written vertically) and the addressee's name on the left, written in slightly bigger letters than the address to help differentiate. On the flap side of the envelope you should write the return address. Your name and address should go on the left side in the same format as the addressee's name and address (though size isn't going to matter as much), and your postal code should go in the boxes if they're provided.

Horizontal Envelopes

With horizontal envelopes, there are a couple ways to do it.

• You can turn the envelope sideways so it's taller, and write the address in the same way you'd write it with a vertical envelope.
• You can write things horizontally. Just like the vertical envelope, the addressee's address goes on the front, with their address on top and their name written bigger below. If the boxes for the postal code are posted vertically, turn the envelope and write it in the direction they're printed (horizontally). On the back of the envelope (flap side) you can put your address and name at the bottom.

A lot of the rules carry over from vertical envelopes, so this should be a little easier. So what about when you're sending a letter to Japan?

Sending Letters To Japan From Overseas

When you are sending a letter to Japan from outside of Japan, you can write the address in romaji (though Japanese is preferred, if you can), and write it in the format that's normally accepted in your country. Just be sure to write "JAPAN" at the bottom of the addressee's address so they know to send it there!

Opening Set Expressions

This is perhaps the most difficult section of all when it comes to writing letters in Japanese. Luckily, these are set expressions, meaning you can just look them up, use them, and gone on with your life. The tricky part comes when you have to come up with some of your own (in certain specific situations), though we're going to just ignore that for now.

The first set of set expressions is the one that comes before the start of your actual content. It generally has to do with weather, the season, or health of the addressee. There are expressions for each month, season, as well as different opening greetings for various inquisitions on the addressee's health. Here are some examples, though there are many more set expressions worth knowing (or knowing where to find, which I'll go over at the end).

• 寒 （ さむ ） さひとしお 身 （ み ） にしみる 今日 （ きょう ） このごろ…
• In this time of piercing cold…
• 新春 （ しんしゅん ） とは 申 （ も ） しながら、まだまだ 寒 （ さむ ） さが 続 （ つづ ） いておりますが…
• While it is the New Year, the cold continues.
• 春 （ はる ） の 日 （ ひ ） うららかな 今日 （ きょう ） このごろ…
• In this time of beautiful spring days…
• 日本 （ にほん ） はあたたかくなっているころでしょう…
• I guess it must be getting warmer in Japan…
• 厳 （ きび ） しい 残暑 （ ざんしょ ） が 続 （ つづ ） いておりますが…
• The oppressive heat continues to linger…
• 今年 （ ことし ） も 押 （ お ） し 迫 （ せま ） りましたが…
• This year is drawing to a close… (used after Dec 20)

Health Related:

• いかがお 過 （ す ） ごしていらしゃいますか？
• How have you been?
• 私 （ わたし ） もおかげさまで 元気 （ げんき ） にしております…
• Fortunately I am doing well (thanks to your help)…

Writing A Reply To A Letter

• お 手紙 （ てがみ ） ありがとうございました…
• Thank you for your letter…

These set expressions are only a drop in the bucket. There are at least several set expressions for each month, season, and situation, and there are probably more out there. The thing about set expressions is you are expected to write with said set expressions, otherwise your letter isn't going to come off as polite. While creativity is encouraged in Western letters, using some set expression rules is more important in Japanese, which makes things both harder and easier.

Closing Set Expressions

After your main content you have to go back into set expressions. There are fewer of these, but it's still basically the same thing as the opening ones. Here are some examples:

Making A Request

• どうかよろしくお 願 （ ねが ） い 致 （ いた ） します。
• Kindly look after this matter for me.

Give My regards

• 奥様 （ おくさま ） に 宜 （ よろ ） しくお 願 （ ねが ） いします
• Please give my regards to your wife.

Good Health

• お 寒 （ さむ ） さの 折 （ おり ） からお 体 （ からだ ） をお 大切 （ たいせつ ） に
• Please take care of yourself since it's cold.

Request A Reply

• お 返事 （ へんじ ） を 待 （ ま ） ちしております
• I look forward to your reply.

I think closing set expressions are a little simpler than the opening ones, but they're all basically the same thing and you'll see the same ones over and over a lot.

Where To Go From Here?

So as you can see, writing letters in Japanese is a big ordeal, though once you learn all the rules and do a little practice it's not all that bad. In fact, it's very set in stone, meaning that as long as you follow the rules you'll be able to write a great letter in Japanese.

The next step, I think, is to take a look at examples. Writing letters in Japanese definitely takes an intermediate or advanced knowledge of the language, so if you possess said knowledge and want an English textbook, I'd recommend Writing Letters In Japanese . It contains plenty of example letters as well as lessons going over all of them to help you get your letter writing skills up to snuff. Alternatively, if you're fairly advanced in Japanese, the Japanese website Midori-Japan's 手紙の書き方 will do the trick. This site includes many example letters for many different and often specific situations as well as a list of set expressions that you can pull from. Basically, everything you need to template out a proper Japanese letter.

I hope this article and those sources help you to get started writing letters in Japanese! It's a crazy letter writing world over there, but once you get your foot in the proverbial letter-writing door it become easier. I want to write more on this topic soon, including examples for plenty of different letter-writing situations, but we'll see if it's next week or a week in the future to come. Writing letters in Japanese is a huge topic, as I think everyone has come to understand so long as you've read to this point.

Real Estate Japan

How to read a japanese address.

The Japanese address system is based on geographic entities and areas, rather than on a building’s location on a specific street, which is the case in many western countries. In fact, except for Kyoto and Sapporo, an address in Japan will not even include the name of a street.

When written in Japanese characters, addresses are written out in a funnel going from largest geographic entity to the most specific. This rule is reversed when writing the address in the roman alphabet.

For example, Real Estate Japan Co. Ltd.’s address in Japanese is written:

〒106-0044東京都港区東麻布1-8-1 東麻布ISビル4F

Written in romanized form it is:

Higashi Azabu IS Bldg 4F, Higashi Azabu 1-8-1, Minato-ku Tokyo 106-0044

Let’s break this down into the different parts!

Part 1: Postal Code

The first part is the postal code. The symbol 〒 stands for “postal code”. Postal codes in Japan are in this format: NNN-NNNN (three digits hyphen four digits).

Part 2: Prefecture

The next part of any address is the municipality. There are 47 different possibilities here because there are 47 so-called prefectures in the country, but more simply, there are only five main combinations:

• Any prefecture (other than Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto or Hokkaido) followed by -県 (ken) . For example, 青森県 ( Aomori-ken or Aomori Prefecture). So, forty-three of the prefectures would be written this way in an address.
• Tokyo-To (東京都)   As the capital, Tokyo is given its own special suffix of -To (都) , which means “metropolis”.
• Osaka-Fu (大坂府)  Osaka is given the special suffix of -Fu (府) , which means “urban prefecture”.
• Kyoto-Fu (京都府)  Kyoto is also given the special suffix of -Fu (府) , which means “urban prefecture”.

In Japanese, Japan’s 43 prefectures (which are actually called -ken ), the Tokyo metropolis, Osaka, Kyoto, and Hokkaido are collectively referred to as 都道府県 (To-Dou-Fu-Ken) .

When you are looking at a fully written out address in Japanese, the first section after the postal code always starts with the name of one of the prefectures, Tokyo, Osaka, or Kyoto and ends with one of these kanji:  都, 道, 府, 県 (To-Dou-Fu-Ken) .

Real Estate Japan is located in Tokyo. In our address: 〒106-0044 東京都 港区東麻布1-8-1 東麻布ISビル4F, the prefecture would be  東京都 (Tokyo-to) .

Part 3: Municipality

This is the next division after prefecture. Generally speaking, there are three main possibilities here:

• [Name] -Shi (市) . Shi means “city”. It is a designation that is given to a geographic entity that has sufficient population to earn it. For example, Sapporo, Chiba, Yokohama, Kobe, and Hiroshima are given the -shi suffix. Tokyo-to has 26 -shi within its administrative borders, for example, Chōfu and Hachiōji.

• [Name] – Gun (郡).  Gun means “county”. This is a designation given to geographic areas that don’t have a sufficiently large population to be designated a -shi . Many rural areas have addresses that contain -gun in the address.

In Real Estate Japan’s address: 〒106-0044東京都 港区 東麻布1-8-1 東麻布ISビル4F, the municipality would be  港区  (Minato Ward) .

Part 4: Machi or Cho (町) or Son (村)

After municipality, some addresses are then broken into “towns” ( machi or cho , 町 ) or “villages” ( son , 村 ), but not all addresses contain this designation.

Real Estate Japan’s address does not contain this sub-division.

Here’s an address that does: 〒160-0017東京都新宿区 左門町 21-2. 左門町 is read “Samon-Cho”

Part 5: City District Name (C hōme , 丁目) and Block ( Banchi , 番地)

The next part of a typical Japanese address contains

• City district (C hōme ,丁目) name and number
• City block ( Banchi , 番地) number and
• House number (G ō , 号)

These three designations are usually separated by hyphens.

In Real Estate Japan’s address 〒106-0044東京都港区東麻布1-8-1 東麻布ISビル4F, this would be:  東麻布1-8-1 , which is read Higashi Azabu ichi-no-hachi-no-ichi.

This means we are located in the first district of Higashi Azabu, block 8, house (building) number 1. Hyphens are read “ no “. Ichi means “one” and hachi means “eight”.

This part of the address could also be written 東麻布１丁目８番地１号, but the hyphens are understood to mean that the first part refers to the district name and number, the second to the block, and the third to the house or building number.

It’s also much easier to read and write hyphens than all the kanji, and it is not uncommon to omit, c hōme, b anchi,  and g ō when writing addresses or addressing mail.

This part of a Japanese address is often the most difficult to deal with when reading a map and trying to find the corresponding points to a written address.

Start by finding the name of the district, then find the district number ( c hōme ), then the block number ( banchi) .

Here are some general guidelines for finding these designations on a map:

• C hōme are usually assigned based on the proximity to the center of the municipality and were originally assigned in the order they were registered.
• Banchi blocks are often irregularly shaped. Since  banchi numbers were assigned in the order they were registered, in older parts of a city, they will not be in linear order and proximate numbers may not even be geographically adjacent.
• G ō (house numbers) were assigned based on when they were built or were assigned in clockwise order around the block.

Part 6: Apartment Numbers

If the address contains an apartment number, it may be added with a hyphen immediately after the building number.

For example, in this made-up address: 〒106-0044東京都港区東麻布1-8-1-801, the apartment number would be 801.

Town Block Indicator Plates ( 街区表示板 gaiku-hyōjiban )

In larger cities and towns, you’ll see metal town block indicator plates attached to buildings and utility poles. These tell you the block ( banchi ) you are in. Some even have the romanized reading of the address.

Here’s an example:

Exceptions: Kyoto and Sapporo

The address system used in Kyoto and Sapporo differ from the official national address system we outlined above.

Please refer to Wikipedia’s  very thorough explanation of the address systems used in these two cities.

Top Photo: Taken at Dogenzaka 2 Chome, Tokyo

Tokyo Apartments

Browse our comprehensive listings and find your ideal apartment in Tokyo and Japan!

2 thoughts on " How to Read a Japanese Address "

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Postal services

Post offices provide a range of postal services including the shipping of post cards, letters, parcels and registered mail as well as savings and insurance services. Door-to-door delivery services, known as takuhaibin , are also provided by various companies besides Japan Post.

Small post offices are open Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 17:00 and are closed on weekends and national holidays . Larger offices are opened on weekdays until 19:00 and may also open on Saturdays and Sundays. Most post offices are equipped with ATMs . Mailboxes are red.

Japanese addresses

With the exception of major roads, Japanese streets are not named. Instead, cities and towns are subdivided into areas, subareas and blocks, similar to the insulae system of the Roman empire. To complicate the matter, houses within each subarea were formerly not numbered in geographical sequence but in the temporal order in which they were constructed.

If addresses are written in Japanese , they start with the postal code, followed by the prefecture , city and subarea(s), and end with the recipient's name . If addresses are written in English, they start with the recipient's name and end with the prefecture and postal code. A typical Japanese address looks as follows:

Explanations:

1 - postal symbol: it precedes the postal code.

2 - postal code: it consists of seven digits.

3 - prefecture name: in this case, it is Tokyo.

4 - city, town, village or city ward: in this case, it is Chuo ward.

5 - subarea: in this case, it is Ginza.

6 - further subarea number, block number and house number: in this case, it is subarea 5, block 2, building 1.

7 - last name: in Japan, the last name precedes the first name . In this case, it is Tanaka.

8 - first name: in this case, it is Taro.

9 - title: "sama" is the polite form of "san" and corresponds to "Mr.", "Ms.", etc.

Note that, like all Japanese texts, addresses can also be written in vertical columns from the right to the left instead of in horizontal rows.

Questions? Ask in our forum .

Links and Resources

Jp holdings.

How to Read a Japanese Address

• chintai_detail.php
• company_detail.php
• company_list.php
• index_logged.php
• chintai_list.php

Announcements & Events(9)

Japanese Culture & Customs(49)

Housing in Japan(59)

Tourism & Entertainment(27)

Japanese Food & Cuisine(17)

Town & Local Area Info(99)

Thông báo, thông tin sự kiện(5)

Real Estate Investment in Japan(22)

2019/11(15)

2019/10(15)

2019/09(14)

2019/08(14)

2019/07(11)

2019/06(14)

2018/12(17)

• Japanese Culture & Customs

Foreign residents in Japan are required to have a residence card that indicates their address. However, Japanese addresses can be difficult to read for foreigners, especially since there are no street names (except in some cases like Kyoto and Sapporo). In this article, we explain how to read Japanese addresses.

・What is an address?

An address is a collection of information that gives the location of a building or the residence of a person. For example, the address of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building is as follows:

〒163-8001 東京都新宿区西新宿２丁目８−１

The same address written in its romanized form is as follows:

Nishi-shinjuku 2-chome 8-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 163-8001

An address is a very important piece of information that is usually written on personal identification cards, including the residence cards of foreign residents. You need to be able to write down your address in many situations in Japan, such as when filling out application forms.

・Parts of a Japanese address

Let’s break down a typical Japanese address and explain its different parts.

① Postal code

The first part of a Japanese address is the postal code. It is indicated by the symbol “〒” followed by a 7-digit number written as three digits hyphen four digits (e.g. 〒123-4567).

② Prefecture

The next part is the prefecture, known in Japanese as都道府県 (Todofuken). In Japan, there are 47 prefectures that consist of 1 都 “To” (Tokyo-to), 1 道 “Do” (Hokkaido), 2 府 “Fu” (Osaka-fu and Kyoto-fu), 43 県 “Ken” (Aomori-ken, etc).

③ Municipality

After the prefecture comes the municipality, known in Japanese as市区町村 (Shi-ku-cho-son)”. 市 “Shi” refers to cities, 町 “Cho” refers to towns, and 村 “Son” refers to villages.

区 “Ku” refers to wards which is a designation given to subsections of cities with sufficiently large populations (known as Designated Cities). The Tokyo metropolitan area is also divided into 23 wards that are known as Special Wards for administrative purposes, but are commonly referred to simply as “wards”.

The smaller municipalities of 町 “Cho” (towns) and村 “Son” (villages) are often preceded by a郡 “Gun” (district).

While it is not crucial to understand the differences between the types of municipalities when reading an address, understanding them can give you an idea of the kind of place the address is in.

④ Subdivision

A municipality can be divided into subdivisions known as町 “Cho”, 大字 “Oaza”, or 字 “Aza”. In the address of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building mentioned above, the subdivision is “Nishi-Shinjuku”.

⑤ City District/Block/Number

The next part is the city district丁目 “chome”, block 番地 “banchi”, and number. In the address of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building mentioned above, this part is “2-chome 8-1”. If written formally, this part should be written as “N-chome N-banchi N-go,” but this is commonly abbreviated to three numbers (or fewer in some cases) separated by hyphens, e.g. “N-N-N.” This kind of abbreviated address is sufficient when writing addresses for postal items.

⑥ Building/Apartment name and number

The last part of the address is the building or apartment name and room number. This only applies to residential apartments and not to solitary houses. Normally, you spell out the apartment name and room number when writing the address, but this can also be abbreviated to numbers separated by hyphens. For example, if the latter part of an address is as follows:

1丁目2番地3号ハイツ東京501号室

1-chome 2-banchi 3-go Heights Tokyo 501-goshitsu

It can be abbreviated to the following:

・Special cases

The explanation above applies to typical Japanese addresses, but there are special cases in some areas, such as the following:

Although the official addressing system explained above also applies to Kyoto, most local residents make use of an unofficial system that uses street names. This use of street names probably gives it a bit of familiarity with many foreign residents, but for the most part, it is similar to a typical Japanese address (starting with the postal code up to the block and number).

Addresses in Sapporo differ in structure from the official system after the ward name. The city center is divided into quadrants by two intersecting roads, and blocks are named based on their distance from this point. The north-south distance is indicated by条 “jo”, and the east-west distance is indicated by丁目 “chome”.

In this article, we explained how to read a Japanese address, which can be a bit difficult to understand for foreigners new to Japan. However, knowing how to read addresses is an important part of life in Japan. In particular, it is a good idea to remember how to read and write the address of your residence and workplace.

More articles recommend for you

WAGAYAで素晴らしい街と物件を見つけられたお客様からの声をご紹介します。

Methods for Foreigners to Find Employment in Japan - Full-time Employment Edition

wagaya Staff

Continue...

Websites to Access During a Disaster in Japan

why is it to cheap to live in Tokyo?

How to Fill Out A Postcard in Japan

• Related Lessons

Table of Contents

• Japanese Postcard Video Lesson
• How to Win a Personal Postcard from Risa
• The Japanese Address System
• How to Write a Japanese Address
• Risa’s Previous Postcard Event Videos
• How to Send a Postcard When Living in Japan

1. Japanese Postcard Video Lesson

What better way to get started than with learning basic vocabulary Risa! In this video she teaches you how to fill out a Japanese postcard with the proper names and address. You won’t have to worry ever again about where to write the different elements.

Here are some Japanese words you will find in Risa’s video:

• 住所 (jūsho): address, residence
• 頑張ってください。 (Ganbatte kudasai.): Good luck.
• お元気ですか。 (O-genki desu ka.): How are you?
• お名前 (o-namae): name
• お元気で。 (O-genki de.): Take care.
• 暑中見舞い (shochū mimai): summer postcard
• なめる (nameru): to lick; V2
• 郵便物 (yūbinbutsu): mail
• ずらす (zurasu): to shift, to slide
• 勉強 (benkyō): study
• 郵便局 (yūbinkyoku): post office
• 年賀状 (nengajō): New Year’s greeting postcard
• 切手 (kitte): stamp

2. How to Win a Personal Postcard from Risa

• Rules: 10 lucky winners will be chosen to get the postcard.
• Act fast! The contest ends on May 10th, 2017!

How can you enter? First, log in to JapanesePod101. Then, simply fill out the submission form below and press that “submit” button.

3. The Japanese Address System

4. How to Write a Japanese Address

When writing a Japanese address, you need to start with the postal code, then the prefecture followed by city, subarea number, block number, building/house number, and you finish with the recipient’s name. In English it would be the opposite, you would start with the name and finish with the prefecture and postal code.

• 〒 - Postal symbol, preceding postal code
• 107-0052 - Postal code, composed of 7 numbers
• 東京都 - Prefecture (県, ken), with the exception of Tokyo (都, to), Hokkaido (道, do) and Osaka/Kyoto (府, fu)
• 港区 - Municipality, city (市, shi), village (村, mura) or ward (区, ku). Here it is Minato ward.
• 赤坂 - Area. Here it is Akasaka.
• 3丁目4-4 - City district (丁目, chome), city block (番地, banchi), bldg/house number (号, go)
• ジョン シナ - Recipient’s name. In Japan the last name precedes the first name and is often followed by a honorific suffix like San (さん) or Sama (様), corresponding to Mr. or Ms.

Now you know how to write an address in the best Japanese tradition! But if you absolutely want to stick it to the western style, which would still be delivered, here is the same example as above but in Japanese Romaji or English:

John Cena 3-4-4 Akasaka, Minato-ku Tokyo 107-0052

If you are an absolute beginner but want to get started in order to write your postcard in Japanese, you can learn how in the Introduction to Japanese Writing lesson.

5. Risa’s Previous Postcard Event Videos

6. how to send a postcard when living in japan.

Once you hand over the postcard or any other mail, they will weigh the letter and then tell you the price, the flat rate being ‎¥60 for surface mail and ¥70 for airmail all over the world. After paying, you’ll get the stamps and the choice for the post office to take the letter then or for you to post it later. It’s not complicated, except for the communication aspect. So for you Japanese learners, here are 5 survival phrases to successfully post your card:

• 郵便局はどこですか 。 ゆうびんきょく は どこ です か。 Yūbinkyoku wa doko desu ka. Where is the post office?
• 切手をください。 きって を ください。 Kitte o kudasai. Please give me a stamp.
• 航空便でお願いします。 こうくうびん で おねがい します。 Kōkū-bin de onegai shimasu. By air mail please.
• アメリカまでお願いします。 アメリカ まで おねがい します。 Amerika made onegai shimasu. Please send to America.
• いつ届きますか。 いつ とどきます か。 Itsu todokimasu ka. When will it arrive?

Now you are ready to send a Japanese New Year’s Greeting Card or Summer Greeting Card . Those popular events will be the perfect opportunity to test yourself and please your friends! Not only you can send postcards, but also business letters or packages, as they follows the same process. Just check your shipping options. You can choose the EMS package tracking (Express) or a cheaper and longer option…You will find all the information you need on the English page of the Japan Post official website.

Understanding Japanese culture and customs will definitely help you on your way to reaching fluency!

7. Related Lessons