How to Distinguish
- Language is Japanese
- Domain is .jp
Signs you can find
The area code is a gradation from Sapporo (011) to Tokyo (03) to Osaka (06) to Kagoshima (099), so you can roughly find the location(Image source, CC0).
Expressway exit numbers (IC/JCT) follow a consistent system. The numbering shifts when you cross prefectural borders, which helps you narrow down the region(参考文献 Japan Expressway Numbering).
Use the interactive map for a quick overview of prefecture-specific tips.
A short playlist of Japanese music to set the mood.
Narrow down state/region
- Hokkaido
- There is a Seicomart convenience store
- There are snow poles on the road.
- Houses with flat roofs, cascading garages, and home tanks are characteristic of Hokkaido.
- Chugoku region
- If the guardrails are the color of summer oranges, you're in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
- Okinawa
- Many one-story buildings.
- Many buildings are flat, white structures.
- There is a water tank on the roof.
- Walls often have Japanese warning text painted on them (e.g., no dumping).