Navigating in Tokyo

Unlike some classic cities laid out on grids (cough Chicago), Tokyo's addressing system has no rhyme or reason. Well, the addresses are given in terms of wards, chome (city district), block and building number. And the building numbers were given in the order of their constructions, so they are generally not consecutive (a lot of things were razed in the 1940s...). Wait, what? How the hell to the Japanese find anything around here? As it turns out, they do a fair amount of bumbling around too, but at least they speak and read Japanese. So, what's it like for a nearly illiterate gaijin (foreigner) to navigate the city? For an exercise in masochism, I decided to go to Kanda Soba Noodle (it was recommended by an article in Metropolis) armed with nothing but the address: 2-10 Kanda Awaji-cho and the recommended subway station (Ogawamachi). No maps, no directions, nada.

I stepped out of the Ogawamachi station on the Ginza line and immediately regretted my decision. Street signage was in Japanese and I had no idea which direction I was headed. Spotting a koban (police station), I waltzed in and asked, "Eigo o hanashimasu ka?" The two officers sitting behind the desk announced resolutely, "No Engrish." My heart sank. I gave them the address I was looking for and they managed to convey the general direction I should head. (Giving directions via charades is surprisingly difficult.) I walked off and soon found myself lost in another part of town. By this time, I'd started noticing the small green signs that denote chome on street light poles. Ok, I can just follow those because they're numbered consecutively right? 2-16, 2-20, 2-7, 2-8, 2-13...dammit. An hour or so passed and my frustration was rising.

As I stood on a corner with furrowed eyebrows, a woman approached me and asked if I needed help. I quickly explained that I was American and was a bit lost. "Ah, I thought you were Japanese!" "No, just Chinese and American," I said. "Do you know where Kanda Yabu Soba is?"
Her eyes immediately lit up and she grinned. "Ohh, Yabu Soba!!" she exclaimed, as she made eating motions with her hands. Within a few minutes, she walked me a couple blocks away, where she pointed to a sign with directions to the restaurant. I was pretty much kissing my knees bowing to thank her.

Following the signage on the street light poles, I soon came across a wooden fence and a woman vigorously hosing down the sidewalk. "Kanda Yabu Soba desu ka?" I asked. "Hai," the woman answered. However, the restaurant was closed for another hour. I groaned.

Conclusion: Print out maps of the places you're trying to find. Make sure major streets are marked in both Japanese and English. Learn how to understand directions in Japanese. And finally, check the hours of the business you are trying to find.