(Tokyo) Welcome to the largest city in Japan! Youll see Tokyos first kanji below.

(Shibuya) Youll have seen Shibuyas famous pedestrian crossing in almost any urban footage of Japan.
(Shinjuku) Shinjuku is one of the most important business centers in Tokyo.
(Harajuku) Youll know Harajuku for its outlandish and experimental fashion.
(Akihabara) Anime geek? Akihabara is the place for you!
(Roppongi) This is probably the largest concentration of foreigners youve seen enjoying nightlife in Tokyo.
(Ueno) The wholesome family tourist spot Ueno is home to a great park for viewing cherry blossoms.
Up () and Down ()
If youve started elementary Japanese already, then youre already aware that the kun-yomi for these characters are (ue) and (shita). Quite simple.
However, when paired with neighborhood names, the readings change to (kami) and (shimo),
The hipster neighborhood of (Shimo-Kitazawa), located in Tokyos Setagaya Ward.
The famous Ueno Zoo, or (Ueno Doubutsuen) doesnt follow the neighborhood rule, but is located in Uenoa classic tourist spot.
North (), South (), East () and West ()
These are the four cardinal directions.
The kun-yomi for them are (kita), (minami), (higashi) and (nishi).
on-yomi (meaning original Chinese readings) are (hoku), (nan), (tou) and / (sei/sai).
Tokyo Metros Touzai Line ( touzai-sen), which literally means east-west line and Namboku Line ( nanboku-sen), which means south-north line.
(Nishi-Ogikubo) is located in Tokyos Suginami Ward. A quaint residential neighborhood of antique stores, second-hand bookshops and live houses (music
venues). Similar to the aforementioned Shimo-Kitazawa, its very popular with college students.
Before ()
The kun-yomi for this is (mae) which means before. When you see this in the context of a station name, however, it means near. As such, when you see
this suffix, you will most likely be near a famous area or landmark.
Where youll find it:
(Meiji-jingumae) is located in Shibuya Ward, and is near Meiji Shrine where Emperor Meiji and his wife Emperor Shoukens spirits are deified.
Another usage of is (dai mae). An abbreviation of (daigaku mae), it means before university. (toudai mae), for example, is located near the
prestigious University of Tokyo ( toukyou daigaku) in Bunkyo Ward.
Block ()
The reading for this is (choume), which means block. Most Japanese addresses are denoted by neighborhoods and blocks, rather than street names.
As such, when these blocks are numbered, they tell you your exact location in the respective neighborhood. So (icchoume) is Block 1, (nichoume) is
Block 2, etc.
Where youll find it:
(Shinjuku-sanchoume), or Shinjuku 3, is one block away fromShinjuku-nichoume, Tokyos famous gay district.
(Aoyama-icchoume) or Aoyama 1, is located in Tokyos Minato Ward and borders on the upscale neighborhoods
of Omotesando, Gaienmaeand Harajuku. This area serves as a hub for Tokyos fashion scene.
Station ()
As you can guess, this is a crucial kanji to memorize. It combines the radicals for horse ( uma) and flag ( shi), and is used as a common suffix or noun
by itself. Whenever you think of station, think of a horse waving you in with a flag.
Where youll find it: Every station in Japan ever.
Lodging/Post ()
In an older Japan, this was an indicator of the kind of town an area was classified as. Read as (juku), this used to represent a sort of rest stop or a post
on a highway. You might recognize this one as the stand-alone kanji read as (yado lodge), which might help you remember it.
Where youll find it: The famous (Harajuku) is on the borders of (Yoyogi kouen) or Yoyogi Park.
Also, the ever-popular (Shinjuku) is a hub for businesspeople and university students alike for a night on the town. Which brings us to
New ()
Though present in neighborhood names such as Shinjuku (which means new lodging and boasts the busiest train station in the world, by the way), new or
(shin), takes on an additional meaning when used as a prefix.
If youre in a station called shin-somewhere, it means that its a new or additional station that is able to accommodate more passengers or something even
greater, like a (shinkansen) or bullet train. (Shin-Osaka) serves as a latter example, but as far as the former goes
Where youll find it:
(Shin-Urayasu). Located in the city of Urayasu, Chiba, this station is near the Tokyo Disneyland Resort.
Origin ()
This kanji has two meanings and multiple readings (moto), which means origin or base, and (hon) which means book. In the case of a
neighborhood, it means that this is the original area of a town.
Where youll find it: (Hongou-sanchoume) or Hongou 3, is located in the Hongou district of Tokyos Bunkyo Ward. A former ward during the shortlived Tokyo City era, Hongou is currently the home of the aforementioned University of Tokyo, as well as numerous universities and schools, making it a major
school zone since the Meiji era.
Field/Fundamental ()
The most common readings for this kanji are (hara), meaning field or wilderness, and (gen), meaning original or fundamental.
Fun fact: you might even see this kanji on your new friends drivers license, as (hara) is also a very common Japanese last name.
Where youll find it: Youve probably already noticed that this one appears in (Harajuku), but you may also find this useful when traveling to Tokyos most
famous nerd culture mecca of (Akihabara). Check outAkihabara for its electronic goods and other adventures.
Rice Paddy ()
This delightfully simple kanji can be found in a lot of place names not only in Tokyo, but all around Japan. Even better, youll find it usually has one of the
four pronunciations: (ta), (da), (ten) or (den).

Where youll find it: If you keep up with your Japanese politics, you may have heard of (Nagata-chou), where youll find the National Diet Building as well as
the Prime Ministers house.
Its also home to (Hie Jinja) or Hie Shrine, where youll find people in old Japanese costumes parading through at the Sanno Festival in mid-June.
River ()
This is the simple three-stroke kanji for river, the kun-yomi being (kawa). When used as a suffix, the reading usually becomes (gawa).
Where youll find it:
(Futako-Tamagawa) Located in Tokyos Setagaya Ward and also known as Nikotama (an alternate reading of the first three kanji), its an upscale
neighborhood that lies on the Tama River ( Tamagawa), a natural border between Tokyo Metropolis and Kanagawa Prefecture. Its home to Tokyos firstever department store, Takashimaya, which was built in 1969.
As another example, if youre headed outside of Tokyo, youll most likely pass by the major shinkansen station of (Shinagawa) on your way to awesome
places like Kyoto ( kyouto).
Mountain ()
Usually read as (yama), but can also change to (san) when used as a suffix (Fuji-san, anyone?) The kanji itself is pretty straightforward, but dont expect
there to be mountains every time you see this in a station name.
Where youll find it:
(Daikanyama), located in Tokyos Shibuya Ward. Similar to Futako-Tamagawa, there are many upscale boutiques and coffee shops, giving it a relaxed
atmosphere. Its also home to many embassies, such as the Royal Danish Embassy. Its a short walk from Shibuya Station, for those who want to get away from
the hustle and bustle of that area.
The JR Yamanote Line ( Yamanote-sen) is one of the busiest lines in the country, as its a loop line around the metropolis 23 wards, connecting to major
stations such as Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Ueno and Shinagawa.
Temple (
The kun-yomi for temple is (tera), but when used as a suffix, the on-yomi reading is ( ji). This kanji usually suggests that theres a temple nearby or that
there was a temple in the neighborhood at some point.
Where youll find it:
(kichijouji), Kichijoji, located in Tokyos Musashino City. A relaxed neighborhood for both trendy moms and college students, Kichijouji is home to Inokashira
Park, its complimentary zoo, and the Studio Ghibli Museum in nearby Mitaka.
(kouenji), Koenji, located in Tokyos Suginami Ward. Similar to neighboring Nishi-Ogikubo, its a hub for second-hand clothing stores and live houses, but
its also the birthplace of Tokyos punk scene.