It is important to understand that the Japanese system of addresses is organized around quadrants, not streets. Though some large thoroughfares do have names, such as "Ginza-dori" and "Hibiya-dori" and the Japanese people do refer to these streets in a general way, no addresses are based on them. There is no "123 Ginza-dori" and "1-2-3 Ginza" does not refer to No. 123 on Ginza Street. The hierarchical system of street numbers in most Western cities where by "even numbers on are one side and odds on the other" does not exist. This is why you cannot just give an address to a taxi driver and expect him to find it!

This is a source of much frustration for foreigners, who often take taxis and are surprised that handing the driver the complete address will be met with puzzled looks and an inability to find it! One of the most frequently heard complaints about travelling by taxi in Japan (there are few, as Japanese drivers are almost universally scrupulously honest and courteous) is, "I gave him the address - in Japanese no less! - and he still couldn't find it."

This section is designed to give some background which will explain why this is a common occurrence - even for the Japanese! If you don't speak Japanese and can't explain how to get there, it's always best to have a map of where you are going to show the taxi driver. Most businesses have maps which can be faxed or emailed specifically for this purpose.