LIVING IN JAPAN
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Japanese letterboxes are red. | The small Japanese post offices are open from Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 17.00 and closed on saturdays, sundays and holidays. Larger offices are also open on saturdays and some even on sundays, and they are longer open on weekdays. |
The Japanese address system is different from the systems in Western countries:
The most obvious difference is that streets do not have names, and, therefore, the system of house numbers also differs.
Instead, cities and towns are subdivided in small areas, similar to the insulae system of the Roman empire.
EXAMPLE OF AN ADDRESS:
Note that as all Japanese texts, also addresses can be written in vertical columns from the right to the left instead in horizontal rows.
- In the first line of a Japanese address comes the postal code.
- In the second line comes the prefecture. (-ken, -to, -fu)
- In the third line comes the city name.*
- The next line(s) are for further divisions of the city.*
- At last the personal name: As usual in Japan, the last name preceeds the first name. It is also very important not to forget sama after the name. It corresponds to Mr. or Ms. and is more polite than san.
* Depending on the prefecture, city or town there are more or fewer area divisions like -ku, -mura, -machi, -cho or -chome.
For information about telephone matters, please visit our telephone information page.
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