Japan address format & examples

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."

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