Shibuya → Ebisu → Daikanyama
Reading Tokyo Addresses
¥6,5003 hoursMax 6 people
Decoding chome-ban-go on the fly. Why "2-15-1" makes perfect sense once you know the grid. Hands-on: navigate to 3 hidden spots using only address.
What you'll learn
- 01How to read the chome-ban-go system — chome (district), ban (block), go (building) — and why buildings are numbered by construction date, not street position
- 02How to use utility pole numbers and neighborhood maps (machi-kuzu) as backup navigation aids
- 03How to navigate to any Tokyo address without GPS, using only the logical grid pattern
Schedule
0:00Meet at Shibuya Hachiko exit. Overview of address system with printed diagram.
0:30First challenge: find a back-street coffee shop using only "1-23-8 Jinnan".
1:15Walk to Ebisu, decoding address plates on the way. Spot the machi-kuzu maps.
2:00Second challenge: navigate to a hidden garden in Daikanyama from address alone.
2:45Debrief with tea. Everyone shares their navigation strategy.
Your Guide
Tom Fletcher leads this walk. He has spent three years mapping Tokyo address anomalies for OpenStreetMap.
What's included
- ✓Printed map handout with chome-ban-go decoder
- ✓Compass
- ✓Traditional address decoder card
- ✓Post-walk PDF guide
- ✓Tea stop
Not included
- −Transport between walk end and your next destination
DUR3 hoursMAX6 peopleRTShibuya → Ebisu → Daikanyama
REFreading-tokyo-addresses