Japan Address Guide

Japanese Address Structure

Japanese addresses are written from the largest area to the smallest — the opposite of Western addresses.

Example Address

〒150-0001
東京都渋谷区神宮前1-2-3
グランドメゾン 301号室

Room 301, Grand Maison
1-2-3 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku
Tokyo 150-0001, Japan

Postal Code Format

Reading Tips

• 💡Japanese addresses go from large → small (country → room)
• 💡English addresses go from small → large (room → country)
• 💡The 〒 mark means postal code — just like ZIP in the US
• 💡丁目 (chōme), 番 (ban), 号 (gō) are block-lot-unit numbers
• 💡マンション or アパート means apartment building

Writing Mail & Package Addresses

When sending mail or packages to Japan, write the address in this order:

1. 1Recipient name (with 様/さま honorific)
2. 2Building name + room number
3. 3Block number (丁目-番-号)
4. 4City/Ward/Town
5. 5Prefecture
6. 6Postal code (〒XXX-XXXX)
7. 7JAPAN (for international mail)

Hotel & Airbnb Address Tips

• 🏨Hotels often provide their address in both Japanese and English on their website
• 🏨Save the Japanese address on your phone to show taxi drivers
• 🏨Google Maps works well in Japan — search by Japanese address for exact location
• 🏨Convenience store (コンビニ) addresses can be useful landmarks
• 🏨Airbnb hosts usually provide detailed directions in the listing

47 Prefectures of Japan

Japan is divided into 47 prefectures across 8 regions.

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