Why Japanese addresses break Western parsers
· 5 min read
In Tokyo, the address of Tokyo Tower is 〒105-0011 東京都港区芝公園4-2-8.
In English: "4-2-8 Shibakōen, Minato City, Tokyo 105-0011".
The Japanese form runs right-to-left compared to the English form. The prefecture (都道府県) comes first, then the city or ward (市区町村), then a district (丁目) and a block-number-style locator. There's no street name — just a grid.
This is why every rule-based address parser written for Western addresses breaks on Japan.