Page 379 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Japan

PR A C TIC AL INFORM A TION  377

Addresses Japan’s Prefectures
In Japan, only the main Japan’s main islands, Honshu,
thoroughfares have names, and Hokkaido, Shikoku, Kyushu,
there is no consistent numbering and Okinawa are divided
system for addresses. The into 47 administrative units
numbering of buildings in a called prefectures, 43 of Hokkaido
block is often dictated by the which are referred to as ken.
order in which they were built, The other four are different 1
so locating an address can be types of prefectures. Tokyo,
a puzzle, even for the Japanese. for example, is called Tokyo-
It is slightly easier in a few to, “to” meaning metropolis.
cities, such as Nara, Kyoto, and Each prefecture is governed
Sapporo, which were built on independently under the
a grid pattern, since at least overall control of the central
the blocks are numbered se- government. The prefectural 2
quentially. There is, however, office is usually located in
no such order in most cities, the largest urban center, 3 4
such as Tokyo and Osaka. (All which also has its own city
Tokyo sights, hotels, and or town office. Tokyo has Tohoku
restaurants listed in this guide its own metropolitan
are marked on the Street Finder.) govern ment; each of 5 6
To reach a particular destination, the capital’s wards
it is best to ask at the hotel, has its own
where staff should be able to adminis trative 15 7
provide maps and directions. office. Chubu
8
16 14
17 19 9
10
18 11
23 20 13 Kanto
Chugoku 31 25 26 12
33 32 24 22 21
34 27
35 36 28 29
37 30 Kansai/ 0 kilometers 300
40 38 39 Kinki
41 0 miles 300
42 43 Shikoku
44
45 Key to the Prefectures
46 Kyushu
Hokkaido 20 Yamanashi Kyushu
1 Hokkaido 21 Shizuoka 40 Fukuoka
22 Aichi 41 Saga
Tohoku 23 Gifu 42 Nagasaki
2 Aomori 43 Oita
3 Akita Kansai/Kinki 44 Kumamoto
Okinawa Archipelago 46 4 Iwate 24 Hyogo 45 Miyazaki
46 Kagoshima
25 Kyoto
5 Yamagata
KAGOSHIMA
6 Miyagi 26 Shiga
7 Fukushima 27 Osaka Okinawa
28 Nara 47 Okinawa
Kanto 29 Mie
0 kilometers 300
8 Tochigi 30 Wakayama
0 miles 300 9 Ibaraki
10 Saitama Chugoku
11 Tokyo 31 Tottori
12 Chiba 32 Okayama
OKINAWA 47 13 Kanagawa 33 Shimane
14 Gunma 34 Hiroshima
35 Yamaguchi
Chubu
15 Niigata Shikoku
16 Toyama 36 Kagawa
17 Ishikawa 37 Tokushima
18 Fukui 38 Ehime
19 Nagano 39 Kochi
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