Japanese Address Format (Largest to Smallest)
A Japanese address starts at the country and prefecture level and narrows down to a specific building or apartment. The order is reversed from Western convention. This page explains the format and the number-related parts (chōme, banchi, gō) that confuse most learners.
The address layers
| Element | English | Format / examples |
|---|---|---|
| 〒 | postal code | 100-0001 (3 digits + hyphen + 4 digits) |
| 都道府県 (todōfuken) | prefecture | 東京都 Tōkyō-to, 大阪府 Ōsaka-fu, 北海道 Hokkai-dō, 鹿児島県 Kagoshima-ken |
| 市 / 区 | city or ward | 新宿区 Shinjuku-ku, 横浜市 Yokohama-shi |
| 町 / 大字 | neighbourhood | often unnumbered, named |
| 丁目 (chōme) | block district | 1-chōme, 2-chōme |
| 番地 (banchi) | sub-block number | a sub-block within the chōme |
| 号 (gō) | building number | a specific building within the banchi |
| 建物名 | building name | often a brand or developer name |
| 部屋番号 | room / apartment number | 101, 502, etc. |
An example dissected
〒100-0001 東京都千代田区千代田1-1
Postal 100-0001, Tokyo metropolis (東京都), Chiyoda ward (千代田区), Chiyoda neighbourhood (千代田), 1-chōme 1-banchi. This is the address of the Imperial Palace.
Chōme, banchi, gō
- 丁目 (chōme): a numbered block district. Pronounced ic-chōme, ni-chōme, san-chōme. Tokyo street signs often show only the chōme number on a coloured plaque.
- 番地 (banchi) or 番 (ban): a sub-block within the chōme.
- 号 (gō): a specific building or address point within the banchi.
- Combined: 千代田1-2-3 reads "Chiyoda ic-chōme ni-banchi san-gō", or casually "Chiyoda ichi no ni no san".
Postal code format
〒XXX-XXXX. The 〒 symbol is the postal mark. Example: 〒100-0001 (3 digits + hyphen + 4 digits). Read as individual digits, optionally prefixed by 郵便番号 (yūbin-bangō, "postal code"). Each digit follows the phone-number convention: yon for 4, nana for 7, kyū for 9.
Vertical versus horizontal
Traditional letters and forms write addresses vertically, large to small, top to bottom. Modern web forms and business cards generally use horizontal Western order, especially when the address must double as an international shipping label.
Frequently asked questions
Why are Japanese addresses written backwards from Western addresses?
Japanese addresses follow the local convention of going from largest to smallest. Country, prefecture, city, ward, neighbourhood, block, building, room. The convention reflects an older system of identifying locations by descending administrative units. Western addresses (which start with the building and broaden outward) reflect a different historical pattern.
What is a chōme?
丁目 (chōme) is a numbered "block district" within a neighbourhood. A neighbourhood typically has multiple chōme: 1-chōme, 2-chōme, 3-chōme. Tokyo street signs often show only the chōme number on coloured plaques. Pronounced ic-chōme (1), ni-chōme (2), san-chōme (3).
What does "1-2-3" in a Japanese address mean?
It is shorthand for chōme-banchi-gō: ic-chōme ni-banchi san-gō, or "1 of chōme, 2 of banchi, 3 of gō". Casually it is read "ichi no ni no san". So 千代田1-2-3 reads "Chiyoda ichi no ni no san", identifying a specific building within Chiyoda neighbourhood.
How do I read a Japanese postal code?
The format is 〒XXX-XXXX (3 digits + hyphen + 4 digits). Example: 〒100-0001 reads "yūbin-bangō hyaku no zero-zero-zero-ichi" (formal) or just "ichi-zero-zero, zero-zero-zero-ichi" (casual). The 〒 mark is the Japanese postal symbol.
Do Japanese streets have names?
Most do not. Japanese addresses identify by block (chōme) and number, not by street + house number. This is why GPS navigation in Japan typically points to a specific banchi rather than a "street + number". Major thoroughfares (avenues like Aoyama-dōri) do have names, but residential streets usually do not.
Continue: numbers 1 to 100 · counters hub.