Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
JAPANESE ADDRESSES
Japanese
addresses
are, frankly, a little bit ridiculous - when it's impossible to find the
building you're looking for even when you're standing right in front of it, it's clear that there
are some major system failures. This stems from the fact that in many places, including Tokyo,
few roads have names
; instead, city districts are split into numbered blocks, on which the
numbers themselves are usually not visible.
A typical address starts with the largest
administrative district
- in Tokyo's case it's Tōkyo-
to
(metropolis), but elsewhere most commonly it's the
ken
(prefecture) accompanied by a
seven-digit postcode - for example, Saitama-ken 850-0072. Next comes the
ku
(ward; for
example Shinjuku-ku), followed by the
chō
(district), then the
chōme
(local neighbourhood),
the block and the individual building. Finally might come the building name and the floor on
which the business or person is located.
Japanese addresses are therefore written in
reverse order
from the Western system.
However, when written in English, they usually follow the Western order; this is the system we
adopt in this guide. For example, the address 2-12-7 Roppongi, Minato-ku identifies building
number 7, somewhere on block 12 of number 2
chōme
in Roppongi district, in the Minato
ward of Tokyo. Note that this address can also be written 12-7 Roppongi, 2-chōme, Minato-ku.
Where the block is entirely taken up by one building, the address will have only two numbers,
while a few addresses might contain four numbers, the first one being for a separate business
within a certain part of the block.
Some buildings bear a small
metal tag
with their number (eg 2-12-7, or just 12-7), while
lampposts often have a bigger plaque with the district name in
kanji
and the block reference
(eg 2-12). The Japanese number
floors
using the American system, hence 1F is the ground
floor, 2F the first floor above ground, B1F the first floor below ground.
Actually
locating an address
on the ground can be frustrating. The consolation is that even
Japanese people find it tough. The best strategy is to have the address written down,
preferably in Japanese, and then get to the nearest train or bus station. Once in the
neighbourhood,
start asking
; local police boxes (
kōban
) are a good bet and have detailed
maps of their own areas. If all else fails, don't be afraid to phone - often someone will come to
meet you.
JR East offers its own cheaper versions of the pass,
covering its network in the Tokyo region and
northern Japan. For more details, see
W
www.jreast
.co.jp/e/eastpass_sp.
recognizing
kanji
place names or memorize the
numbers of useful bus routes. The final destination
is on the front of the bus, along with the route
number. You pay on entry, by dropping the flat
rate (usually ¥200) into the fare box by the driver
(there's a machine in the box for changing notes). A
recorded voice announces the next stop in advance.
The Transport Bureau of Tokyo Metropolitan Govern-
ment issues a useful English pamphlet and map
of all the bus routes; pick one up from one of the
tourist information centres (see p.38).
By monorail
Tokyo has a couple of monorail systems - the
Tokyo monorail
, which runs from Hamamatsuchō
to Haneda Airport, and the
Yurikamome monorail
,
which connects Shinbashi with Toyosu via Odaiba.
These services operate like the city's private rail
lines - you buy separate tickets for journeys on
them or travel using the various stored-value cards,
such as Pasmo and Suica.
By bicycle
Avoid the busy main roads and Tokyo can be a joy
to
cycle
. Rental outfits are listed on
W
cycle-tokyo
.cycling.jp, which also has lots of useful information
about cycling in the city. The cheapest option is
Sumida Park bicycle park
underground beside
the bridge in Asakusa (daily 6am-8pm; ¥200 for
24hr, ¥500 for 7 days;
T
03 5246 1305), although
they only have a limited number of bikes available.
By bus
Buses
are a good way of cutting across the few
areas of Tokyo not served by a subway or train line.
Only a small number of the buses or routes are
labelled in English, so you'll have to get used to
