Zip codes for Japan

Postal Addresses in Japan

The Japanese postal address system (in Japanese: 住所, Jūsho) has no similarities with the European system. In Japan, the system is not based on streets and house numbers, but on administrative units derived from the historical subdivision for taxation of self-governing areas.

The Structure of a Japanese Address

• Postal code, Prefecture + 都/to, 道/dō, 府/fu or 県/ken
• City + 市/shi or Tokyo ward + 区/ku or county + 郡/gun
• City district + 区/ku (only in shi)
• City district 町/chō or county city + 町/machi/chō or village + 村/mura/son
• Number of the district section + 丁目/chōme (in shi, chō, and machi)
  Block number + 番/ban or parcel number 番地/banchi (or simply: 番/ban)
• Building number + 号/gō or sub-parcel number
  Building name (optional)
• Optional apartment number + 号/gō or room number + 号室/gōshitsu
• Person's name + 様 (honorific)

Japanese postal codes consist of seven digits with a hyphen between the third and fourth digits. The address often includes the symbol for the Japanese post 〒.

Japanese streets do not have names and houses do not have numbers, so an address like in Europe does not work.

Therefore, areas are defined by landmarks, such as rivers. Within a city district, there are parcels and building blocks. The parcel system dates back to 1871, during the Meiji period. It was introduced for taxation purposes. In the parcel system, the parcels of a city district are listed. Each parcel has a sequential number. If a parcel is divided, another number is added to the parcel number.

Example of a Japanese Address

The address of the Fudai town hall is:

〒028-8392 岩手県下閉伊郡普代村第9地割字銅屋13番地2
13-2, Aza Dōya, Dai-9-chiwari, Fudai-mura, Shimohei-gun, Iwate 028-8392

and it represents the second house in the 13th block of the sub-area Dōya of the 9th district (Ōaza) of Fudai in the Shimohei district.

To find the desired Japanese postal code, please use our postal code search tool.

Sending a Package to Japan

On this page, you will not only find the correct postal code but you can also directly send your package. Go to www.europacco.com, fill out the form, and the next business day or on a desired date, the package will be picked up from your home. The best service for sending a package to Japan!

The state of Japan日本国 (Nippon-koku) consists of 6852 islands in the Pacific. The largest urban settlement is Tokyo. Japan borders Russia, North Korea, South Korea, China, and Taiwan.