Getting to your job: Japanese addresses explained
Working in Japan · Navigation
Japanese addresses work very differently from Western ones — and copying only part of an address into Maps is one of the most common reasons babysitters get lost. Here's what you need to know before your first job.
How Japanese addresses are structured
In most Western countries, addresses go from small to large (street number → street → city). In Japan, it's the opposite — from largest area down to the specific unit.
| Level | Japanese | Romaji | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prefecture | 東京都 | Tōkyō-to | The prefecture — like a state or county. Tokyo uses 都 (to); most others use 県 (ken). |
| Ward / City | 渋谷区 | Shibuya-ku | The ward (-ku), city (-shi), or town (-cho). This is the part most often missing when copy-pasting. |
| Neighborhood | 神南 | Jinnan | The neighborhood or district name within the ward. |
| Block / Number | 1-23-4 | 1-chome 23-ban 4-go | Block, lot, and unit number. This is the short numeric part — not enough on its own to navigate. |
| Building | 〇〇マンション 502号室 | 〇〇 Mansion, Room 502 | Building name and room/floor number (if in an apartment building). |
⚠ The copy-paste problem
When parents share their address in a message, you might accidentally copy only the block number portion — something like 神南 1-23-4 (Jinnan 1-23-4). That looks complete, but without the ward or city name (e.g. 渋谷区 / Shibuya-ku), Google Maps can return the wrong location or no result at all.
Incomplete vs. complete address
✗ Incomplete — don't navigate with just this
神南 1-23-4
Jinnan 1-23-4
Missing the prefecture and ward. Maps may guess incorrectly or show a location in a completely different city.
✓ Complete — this is what you need
東京都 渋谷区 神南 1-23-4
Tōkyō-to Shibuya-ku Jinnan 1-23-4
Includes the prefecture (東京都 / Tōkyō-to) and ward (渋谷区 / Shibuya-ku). Maps will pinpoint the right location.
Before you leave for every job
- Copy the full address the parent provided — scroll up in the chat to find the original message if needed.
- Paste it into Google Maps or Apple Maps and check that the pin lands in the correct area (right neighborhood and city).
- Confirm the ward or city name (-ku, -shi, or -cho) appears in the Maps search bar. If only numbers are shown, you're likely missing part of the address.
- If the address looks short or Maps shows a vague result, message the parent to confirm the full address when you accept the offer.
- If you are unsure, please ask the parent to send you a Google Map link of their address.
- Allow extra buffer time on your first visit to a new address — Japanese block numbering is not always sequential, so the building may take a few minutes to locate once you're in the right area.
Useful Japanese address terms
| Kanji | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 都 / 道 / 府 / 県 | to / dō / fu / ken | Prefecture level — Tokyo (都), Hokkaido (道), Osaka & Kyoto (府), all others (県) |
| 区 | -ku | Ward — used in major cities like Tokyo and Osaka |
| 市 | -shi | City — used for most cities outside the ward system |
| 町 | -cho / -machi | Town or smaller neighborhood area |
| 村 | -mura / -son | Village — rare, but you may see it in rural areas |
| 丁目 | -chome | Sub-district within a neighborhood — e.g. 神南1丁目 is the first block of Jinnan |
| 番地 / 番 | -banchi / -ban | Lot or block number within a chome |
| 号 | -go | Unit or building number within a lot |
| 号室 | -gōshitsu | Room number — e.g. 502号室 = Room 502 |
When in doubt, ask
It's always better to confirm the full address with the parent when you accept the offer from the parent — not after you're already lost. If you are unsure, ask the parent for a URL for the Google Map location and confirm the address. A quick message takes seconds and avoids getting lost on the way to a job.
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