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Japan address format & examples

How to write a Japanese address

Futons, bento boxes, and karaoke machines are all some amazing things we know came from Japan. But now you’re wondering how to send something back to them! You can feel zen browsing our Japanese address examples here and try our suite of address validation tools for addresses in Japan below. Just enter an address, and we'll format, standardize, and validate the address faster than you can eat some mochi.

Let’s explore some of the basics. Japan’s address format for shipping or mailing messages should be written with a few things in mind. First, normally, addresses in Japan are written all in one line beginning with the largest spatial area and ending with the smallest. Automatic sorting machines have a difficult time reading this, so for the Japanese Post to be able to deliver your mail, it must be written in kanji, hiragana, or katakana characters in the smallest to the largest geographical area order.

  1. Addressee line - The recipient's full name, using appropriate titles, typically including the honorific "様" (sama) for formal letters.
  2. Locality and dependent locality and administrative area and postal code - Order is highly important here, and none of these sections should be separated by commas. Begin with the locality, followed by the dependent locality if applicable, and then continue with the administrative area. Without any separating punctuation, include the ZIP Code.
  3. Country - In all capital letters, write "JPN."
Japan address example

Japan address examples

Postal box example

PO Box 9388-Chiyoda-Ku

Tokyo 100-0001

JPN

Smarty address validation tools

Smarty™ has a suite of address validation tools that can format, standardize, and validate Japan addresses, plus addresses in 240+ other countries and territories worldwide. Validate your Japanese address with our tools.
Use the Single Address Verification Tool to verify and format 1 address at a time, the Bulk Address Validation Tool to verify and format a list addresses simultaneously, or use the International Street Address API to integrate address validation and formatting programmatically into your software systems and workflows.

Postal information

Japan's national postal system, "Japan Post," was established in 1871. As of recent data, Japan Post services approximately 364,555 addresses, reflecting its extensive reach throughout Japan. The organization manages a substantial network, indicative of its role as a major postal service provider in the region.
Administrative area types and count
47 prefectures
Administration area names and abbreviations

Hokkaido (北海道) - JP-01

Aomori (青森県) - JP-02

Iwate (岩手県) - JP-03

Miyagi (宮城県) - JP-04

Akita (秋田県) - JP-05

Yamagata (山形県) - JP-06

Fukushima (福島県) - JP-07

Ibaraki (茨城県) - JP-08

Tochigi (栃木県) - JP-09

Gunma (群馬県) - JP-10

Saitama (埼玉県) - JP-11

Chiba (千葉県) - JP-12

Tokyo (東京都) - JP-13

Kanagawa (神奈川県) - JP-14

Niigata (新潟県) - JP-15

Toyama (富山県) - JP-16

Ishikawa (石川県) - JP-17

Fukui (福井県) - JP-18

Yamanashi (山梨県) - JP-19

Nagano (長野県) - JP-20

Gifu (岐阜県) - JP-21

Shizuoka (静岡県) - JP-22

Aichi (愛知県) - JP-23

Mie (三重県) - JP-24

Shiga (滋賀県) - JP-25

Kyoto (京都府) - JP-26

Osaka (大阪府) - JP-27

Hyogo (兵庫県) - JP-28

Nara (奈良県) - JP-29

Wakayama (和歌山県) - JP-30

Tottori (鳥取県) - JP-31

Shimane (島根県) - JP-32

Okayama (岡山県) - JP-33

Hiroshima (広島県) - JP-34

Yamaguchi (山口県) - JP-35

Tokushima (徳島県) - JP-36

Kagawa (香川県) - JP-37

Ehime (愛媛県) - JP-38

Kochi (高知県) - JP-39

Fukuoka (福岡県) - JP-40

Saga (佐賀県) - JP-41

Nagasaki (長崎県) - JP-42

Kumamoto (熊本県) - JP-43

Oita (大分県) - JP-44

Miyazaki (宮崎県) - JP-45

Kagoshima (鹿児島県) - JP-46

Okinawa (沖縄県) - JP-47

Term to describe postal codes
postal code
Postal code in language
郵便番号
Postal code format
999-9999
Postal service provider and website

Country information

Don’t lose your kimono as we glide through Japan’s address letter format.

Country/territory name
Japan
ISO3
JPN
ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code
JP
ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 country code
JPN
ISO 3166-1 numeric country code
392
Endonym
日本 (Nihon)
Total land area
364,555 KM²
Capital
Tokyo
Other major cities
Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya

Population information

Total population
124,516,650 (2023)
Urban / rural distribution
92% / 8%
Urban population
114,555,318
Rural population
9,961,332
Official language
Japanese
All languages spoken
Japanese
Most commonly used postal language
Japanese
CC-BY 4.0 from worldbank.org
Now that you've seen our Japan address examples and have become as wizard at Japanese address formats, why not expand your expertise even further? Visit the international address formats page for information on other countries and territories we cover.

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