Here is various information on helping you to find places using our Japan map as well as with other tools.

Searching limitations of our Japan map

Basic information about Japanese address

If you are not familiar with Japanese address system, following basic information may be helpful (there are few misunderstandings within the article.).

Finding places in Japan on the web

We found following sites on the web are quite useful for non-Japanese to find places/address in Japan.

Get Coordinate from Google Maps for Garmin MapSource

There is a nice and elegant way of getting coordinate for making a waypoint on MapSource from the search result of Google Maps. Following code is based on a website "Get Latitude and Longitude values from Google Maps - Tech-Recipes.com". This modified code is not as elegent as the original, but works out better in conjunction with Garmin MapSource.

Enter address in the search field in Google Map or locate the place you would like to visit at the center of the map. Now, copy and paste following code into the address bar and hit enter.

javascript:void(C=new String(gApplication.getMap().getCenter()).replace('(','N').replace(', ',' E').replace(')','').replace('N-','S').replace('E-','W'),prompt('',C));

A dialog box will pop and copy this coordinate to clipboard. Open MapSource and press "Ctrl-T" to get "Go To Position"dialog. Paste from the clipboard and press OK. MapSource display the map at place you enter. You can as well press "Ctrl-W" in the MapSource and create a new Waypoint based on the coordinate.

It would be even easier if you make a bookmark the code. You just need to call this bookmark to get the coordinate.

Get Coordinate (Google Maps Tool) (Right click and add to your Bookmark)

Here is the step by step instruction.

1. Open Google Maps and enter address or landmark name in the search field (address must be typed in Japanese).
Step1

2. Paste the code into the address bar, and enter to get the pop-window. Copy the coordinate.
Step2

3. Open Garmin MapSource and press "Ctrl-T" and paste the coordinate. Press OK.
Step3

4. The same position will be displayed on MapSource.
Step4

5. By pression "Ctrl-W", you can create a Waypoint by pasting in "Position" and make appropreate Name for it.
Step5

Find places with MapSource or GPS devices loaded with our Japan map

Unfortunately, you may not use address search function to find the exact location using MapSource or GPS devices loaded with our Japan map. That's not means you cannot find places. My favorite way it to use "Find Nearest Places" within "Find" menu to look for train station. Train stations are virtually everywhere especially in metro areas, and occationally used for meeting place. For example, if you want to find "Asakusa" station, try as follows. First you need to display Japan map somewhere in Tokyo area. Choose "Place Category" to narrow down "Transportation," then type "asakusa" in the "Containing" box. Just click on the "Asakusa" in the search result box that MapSource will display around Asakusa station. You can as well perform the same thing within Garmin GPS device loaded with our Japan map.

Now, if you actually want more specific place with address in hand. Although you are unable to find pin point place, you can actually type in address corresponds to "Chome." Once you get "Chome" address correctly, the final address is usually within few hundred meters or less. For example, if you want to go to Tokyo Prince Hotel, and you know that their address is 3-3-1 Shibakoen, Minatoku, Tokyo. The corresponding "Chome" value is the first numerical value, in this case 3-Chome. Choose "Place Category" to "Cities" and type the first address after the "Chome" plus the Chome-number that is "shibakoen3." Click on "Shibakoen3" will display maps around Shibakoen 3-Chome area. Hotels or restaurants usually have close map around their location, e.g. for Tokyo Prince Hotel http://www.princehotels.co.jp/tokyo/kotu.html, so you can easily locate the exact location by comparing with it. In deed, once you get "Chome address", someone around will likely be able to point out the place you are looking.