Michael Cash <mikecash@buggerallspammers.com> wrote in message news:<7ia3e0ldil4jfucls0pbnr6qupp855occf@4ax.com>...
> On Tue, 29 Jun 2004 16:49:22 GMT, "Musashi" <Miyamoto@Hosokawa.co.jp>
> brought down from the Mount tablets inscribed:
> 
> >
> >"Tony" <poipoipoi@poipoipoi.com> wrote in message
> >news:cbs44f$jr5$1@titan.btinternet.com...
> >> >I have been told that without the family name it will not be delivered
> >>
> >> Not true....
> >>
> >> Sure the last name's important, considering Japanese address madness, but
> >> it'll get there.
> >>
> >>
> >Are you speaking from experience? Such as having received mail addressed
> >only
> >to Tony-San or Tony-Kun? Or have you sent mail like that?
> >I ask from curiosity since I have never received or sent such mail.
> 
> I don't know how it is for Japanese folks, but for gaigins it hardly
> matters. Anyone with a gaigin name is likely to find in his mailbox
> the mail addressed to any and every gaigin on the mailman's route,
> regardless of address.

Perhaps I live in a place with too many gaigins, but my experience was
that if the name on the envelope is new for the address, the post
office will deliver a postcard that essentially says "We have a letter
for Mr. John Smith at this address.  Should we deliver it?"  From then
on, any mail for Mr. John Smith will be delivered to the address. 
However, if a letter then comes addressed to "Jack Smith," another
postcard will be delivered.

I think this is reset when the post office hears that the most recent
residents have moved out.

> I remember sending a letter to a friend in the US several years ago, a
> friend whose address I couldn't remember. So I just put his name on it
> and a description of where he lived, thusly:
> 
> Larry XXXXXXXXXX
> Elm Street, across from the old yellow fever cemetery
> Big white house with lots of Volkswagens in the yard
> City Name, State ZIP
> 
> He got it just fine.
> 

I've received mail (from the US, no less) addressed to:

Jonathan Levine
Tokyo

I kid you not.