Confusing Address System

In Japan, streets often do not have names, making it impossible to navigate without Google Maps.

What confuses many foreign tourists traveling in Japan is the "confusing addresses." In many countries, streets have names, and directions like "turn right on XX Street" are common, but in Japan, there are very many areas where street names are not used. Instead, addresses are composed of "chome," "banchi," and "go," which finely divide the area, making it feel quite complicated for those who are not used to it.

Furthermore, Japanese addresses are sometimes numbered based on the order in which buildings were built, so the numbers are not necessarily in sequential order. Therefore, it is difficult to picture the location just by looking at the address, and it is not uncommon to experience situations where "you have come close but cannot find it."

Especially in large cities, underground shopping malls and complex building structures add to the difficulty, making it quite hard to head to a destination without a map. Nowadays, many travelers use map apps like Google Maps to get around. They even display station exit numbers, making them an almost essential presence for traveling in Japan.