Even though U2's song "Where the streets have no name" is about Africa, it applies just as well to Japan. Everyone who has lived here has had the experience of trying to find a location from an address, and going round and round in circles trying to find that particular building. The reason for this is Japan's peculiar addressing system.
An address in Japan often looks something like this:
〒810-0041
福岡県 (Fukuokaken, Fukuoka Prefecture)
福岡市 (Fukuokashi, Fukuoka City)
中央区 (Chuuouku, Central Ward)
大名二丁目九番地五番 (Daimyou nichoume kyuubanchi goban)

(For those interested, this is the school address.)

First, addresses are generally written in the reverse order of English, from most vague location to most precise.

1) First comes the zip code. 7-digit zip codes have been used in Japan since 1968, but they are still not mandatory, and many people leave them off when writing addresses on envelopes.
2) Next is the prefecture, followed by the city (or, in rural areas, the 郡 (gun, district).
3) Next is the ward. Each city or town is divided into several of these wards, and they are often named based on their position. For example, Fukuoka has a 中央区, 西区 (Nishiku, West Ward), 東区 (Higashiku, East Ward), and 南区 (Minamiku, South Ward), among others.
4) Finally comes the specific address part. This breaks down like this:

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