is a major
national highway National highway or National Highway may refer to:
* National Highways (England)
* National Highway (Australia)
* List of National Roads in Belgium
* Brunei National Roads System
* National Highway System (Canada)
* Trans ...
in eastern
Honshū
, historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island sepa ...
, Japan. Measuring it is the longest highway in the country. When oversea routes are included, it is the second longest highway in Japan, with
National Route 58 then measuring because of its maritime sections. The highway connects
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...
and
Aomori
is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 278,964 in 136,457 households, and a population density of 340 people per square kilometer spread over the city's total are ...
via
Utsunomiya
is the prefectural capital city of Tochigi Prefecture in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 519,223, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Utsunomiya is famous for its '' gyoza' ...
,
Kōriyama
is a city in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 322,996 people in 141760 households, and a population density of 430 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Kōriyama is designated as a core city an ...
,
Sendai
is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,091,407 in 525,828 households, and is one of Japan's 20 designated cities. The city was founded in 1600 by the ''daimyō'' Date M ...
, and
Morioka
is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture located in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. On 1 February 2021, the city had an estimated population of 290,700 in 132,719 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city is .
...
.
From
Saitama Prefecture
is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 km2 (1,466 sq mi). Saitama Prefecture borders Tochigi Prefecture ...
to
Iwate Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It is the second-largest Japanese prefecture at , with a population of 1,210,534 (as of October 1, 2020). Iwate Prefecture borders Aomori Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefectu ...
, it parallels the
Tōhoku Expressway; from
Morioka
is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture located in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. On 1 February 2021, the city had an estimated population of 290,700 in 132,719 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city is .
...
to
Hachinohe
is a city located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 221,459, and a population density of 725 persons per km2 in 96,092 households, making it Aomori Prefecture's second largest city by population. The city ...
, it parallels the
Hachinohe Expressway. At its northern terminus it links with
National Route 7.
Route description
Tokyo
The southern terminus of National Route 4 lies at
Nihonbashi
is a business district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan which grew up around the bridge of the same name which has linked two sides of the Nihonbashi River at this site since the 17th century. The first wooden bridge was completed in 1603. The curre ...
, the
kilometer zero of Japan in
Chūō, Tokyo
is a special ward that forms part of the heart of Tokyo, Japan. The ward refers to itself in English as Chūō City. It was formed in 1947 as a merger of Kyobashi and Nihonbashi wards following Tokyo City's transformation into Tokyo Metrop ...
. The marker here signifies the terminus of national highways including
National Route 1,
National Route 6,
National Route 14,
National Route 15,
National Route 17, and
National Route 20. Of the mentioned highways, three travel concurrently with National Route 4 from Nihonbashi: National Routes 6, 14, and 17.
Just north of the starting point, National Route 17 leaves the concurrency continuing north while National Route 4, along with National Routes 6 and 14, turn east on to Edo-dōri. Three blocks from there Edo-dōri intersects Shōwa-dōri. National Route 4 turns on to Shōwa-dōri leaving the Edo-dōri concurrency with National Routes 6 and 14. Traveling north along Showa-dōri, National Route 4 serves as a
frontage road
A frontage road (also known as an access road, outer road, service road, feeder road, or parallel road) is a local road running parallel to a higher-speed, limited-access road. A frontage road is often used to provide access to private drive ...
to the
Ueno Route
The , signed as Route 1, is one of the tolled routes of the Shuto Expressway system serving the Greater Tokyo Area. It is one two expressways signed as Route 1 in the system, the other expressway signed as Route 1 is the Haneda Route. The route ...
of the
Shuto Expressway system between Chūō and
Taitō
is a special ward located in Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. In English, it is known as Taitō City.
As of May 1, 2015, the ward has an estimated population of 186,276, and a population density of 18,420 persons per km2. The total area is . Thi ...
. The Ueno Route merges in to National Route 4 just to the northeast of
Ueno Station
is a major railway station in Tokyo's Taitō ward. It is the station used to reach the Ueno district and Ueno Park—which contains Tokyo National Museum, The National Museum of Western Art, Ueno Zoo, Tokyo University of the Arts and othe ...
. The highway then crosses over the
Sumida River
The is a river that flows through central Tokyo, Japan. It branches from the Arakawa River at Iwabuchi (in Kita-ku) and flows into Tokyo Bay. Its tributaries include the Kanda and Shakujii rivers.
It passes through the Kita, Adachi, Ara ...
into
Adachi. From the northern side of the river to
Utsunomiya
is the prefectural capital city of Tochigi Prefecture in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 519,223, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Utsunomiya is famous for its '' gyoza' ...
, the highway is known as the
Nikkō Kaidō.
In the ward the highway crosses beneath the
Central Circular Route
The , signed as Route C2, is one of the routes of the Shuto Expressway system serving the central part of the Greater Tokyo Area. The route is a circumferential highway running through the outer wards of Tokyo. The route is the middle of four ...
of the Shuto Expressway system, with an interchange with the expressway's frontage road. National Route 4 travels north through Adachi, roughly paralleling the
Tobu Skytree Line. It then curves to the northwest, crossing over the Kena River into the city of
Sōka in
Saitama Prefecture
is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 km2 (1,466 sq mi). Saitama Prefecture borders Tochigi Prefecture ...
.
Saitama and Ibaraki prefectures
*
Sōka–
Koshigaya
is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 345,353 in 158,022 households and a population density of 5700 persons per km². The total area of the city is . It is famous for producing daruma dolls. ...
–
Kasukabe–
Sugito–
Satte–
Kuki
*
Koga
* Westernmost point:
Kuki, Saitama just west of a bridge carrying the route over the
Tone River
The is a river in the Kantō region of Japan. It is in length (the second longest in Japan after the Shinano) and has a drainage area of (the largest in Japan). It is nicknamed Bandō Tarō (); ''Bandō'' is an obsolete alias of the Kantō ...
.
Tochigi Prefecture
*
Nogi–
Oyama–
Shimotsuke–
Kaminokawa,
Shimotsuke,
Utsunomiya
is the prefectural capital city of Tochigi Prefecture in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 519,223, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Utsunomiya is famous for its '' gyoza' ...
–
Takanezawa–
Sakura
A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of genus ''Prunus'' or ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especially in Japan. They generally ...
–
Yaita–
Otawara–
Nasushiobara–
Nasu
Fukushima Prefecture
*
Nishigo–
Shirakawa–
Izumizaki–
Yabuki–
Kagamiishi–
Sukagawa
270px, Sukagawa City Hall
is a city located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 76,251 in 38824 households, and a population density of 270 persons per km2. The total area of the city was .
Geography
Sukagaw ...
–
Kōriyama
is a city in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 322,996 people in 141760 households, and a population density of 430 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Kōriyama is designated as a core city an ...
–
Motomiya–
Ōtama–
Nihonmatsu
is a city in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 54,013 in 20,179 households, and a population density of 160 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . The Adachi neighborhood of Nihonmatsu was the bi ...
–
Fukushima–
Date–
Koori
Koori (also spelt koorie, goori or goorie) is a demonym for Aboriginal Australians from a region that approximately corresponds to southern New South Wales and Victoria. The word derives from the Indigenous language Awabakal. For some people ...
–
Kunimi
Miyagi Prefecture
*
Shiroishi–
Zaō–
Ōgawara–
Murata–
Shibata–
Iwanuma
270px, Iwanuma City Hall
is a city located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 43,946 in 18,062 households, and a population density of 730 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Iwanuma is at t ...
–
Natori–
Taihaku-ku, Sendai–
Wakabayashi-ku, Sendai–
Miyagino-ku, Sendai
is the northeastern ward of the city Sendai, in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , the ward had a population of 196,086 and a population density of 3370 persons per km2 in 91322 households. The total area of the ward was .
Geography
Miyagino-ku is lo ...
–
Izumi-ku, Sendai
is the northernmost ward of the city of Sendai, in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , the ward had a population of 215,048 and a population density of 1470 persons per km2 in 90,336 households. The total area of the ward was . Izumi-ku is the twelfth- ...
–
Tomiya–
Taiwa–
Shiroishi–
Ōhira–
Ōsaki–
Kurihara
Iwate Prefecture
*
Ichinoseki–
Hiraizumi–
Ōshū–
Kanegasaki–
Kitakami–
Hanamaki
is a city in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 94,691, and a population density of 100 persons per km², in 37,773 households. The total area of the city is . Hanamaki is famous as the birthplace of Kenji Miyazaw ...
–
Shiwa–
Yahaba–
Morioka
is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture located in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. On 1 February 2021, the city had an estimated population of 290,700 in 132,719 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city is .
...
–
Takizawa–
Iwate–
Ichinohe–
Ninohe
* Highest elevation: at Jūsanbongi Pass,
Ichinohe, Iwate
is a town located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 12,053, and a population density of 40 persons per km² in 5645 households. The total area of the town is .
Geography
Ichinohe is located in far north-centr ...
Aomori Prefecture
*
Sannohe
is a town located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 9,814 in 4260 households, and a population density of 65 persons per km2. The total area of the town is .
Geography
Sannohe occupies an inland area in sout ...
–
Nanbu–
Gonohe
is a town located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 16,880, and a population density of 95 persons per km2 in 7,006 households. The total area of the town is .
Geography
Gonohe is located in the north-e ...
–
Towada
is a city in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 60,697, and a population density of 84 persons per km2 in 27,677 households. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Towada is in the foothills of the Hakkōda M ...
–
Shichinohe–
Tōhoku–
Noheji–
Hiranai–
Aomori
is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 278,964 in 136,457 households, and a population density of 340 people per square kilometer spread over the city's total are ...
* Easternmost point: south of the northern end of the route's concurrency with
National Route 104 in
Nanbu, Aomori.
* Northernmost point: Hamago, Hiranai, Aomori south of
Mutsu Bay.
* End point:
Aomori
is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 278,964 in 136,457 households, and a population density of 340 people per square kilometer spread over the city's total are ...
(ends at the eastern terminus of the
west bypass of
National Route 7)
History
National Route 4 was preceded by the
Tōsandō
is a Japanese geographical term. It means both an ancient division of the country and the main road running through it. It is part of the ''Gokishichidō'' system. It was situated along the central mountains of northern Honshu, specifically th ...
, a road initially established during the
Asuka period
The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 (or 592 to 645), although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after ...
as a road linking
Kinai
is a Japanese term denoting an ancient division of the country. ''Kinai'' is a name for the ancient provinces around the capital Nara and Heian-kyō. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Kinai''" in . The five provinces were called ''go-kinai' ...
(now
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the c ...
and
Nara
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It ...
) to what is now the vicinity of
Morioka, Iwate
is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture located in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. On 1 February 2021, the city had an estimated population of 290,700 in 132,719 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city is .
...
. The portion of the Tōsandō that was later incorporated into National Route 4 lies between Tochigi Prefecture and Iwate Prefecture. The next development of the route came along with the creation of the
Ōshū Kaidō
The was one of the five routes of the Edo period. It was built to connect Edo (modern-day Tokyo) with Mutsu Province and the present-day city of Shirakawa, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. It was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu for government offic ...
(奥州街道) and
Nikkō Kaidō (日光街道) as two of the
five routes of the
Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was character ...
. They were established by
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fello ...
for government officials traveling through the area to connect Edo (modern-day Tokyo) with
Mutsu Province
was an old province of Japan in the area of Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori Prefectures and the municipalities of Kazuno and Kosaka in Akita Prefecture.
Mutsu Province is also known as or . The term is often used to refer to the co ...
and the present-day city of Shirakawa, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. There were also many roads that connected to the Ōshū Kaidō that are included in National Route 4. One such sub-route was the
Sendaidō (仙台道), which connected Mutsu Province with Sendai. From Sendai, the
Matsumaedō The was the continuation of the Ōshū Kaidō, one of the Edo Five Routes of Japan. It connected the Sendaidō's terminus at Sendai Castle with the northern tip of modern-day Aomori Prefecture. It was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu for governmen ...
(松前道) connected Sendai with
Cape Tappi and indirectly to
Hakodate
is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of July 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 279,851 with 143,221 households, and a population density of 412.8 ...
on the southern shore of
Hokkaido
is Japan, Japan's Japanese archipelago, second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost Prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own List of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; th ...
on the
Tsugaru Strait
The is a strait between Honshu and Hokkaido in northern Japan connecting the Sea of Japan with the Pacific Ocean. It was named after the western part of Aomori Prefecture. The Seikan Tunnel passes under it at its narrowest point 12.1 miles (1 ...
. Though the Ōshū Kaidō has only 27 post stations, there were over 100 designated post stations when the subroutes are included.
[Ōshū Kaidō Map](_blank)
. Yumekaidō. Accessed 26 October 2017. Some sections and markers of the Ōshū Kaidō in their original state can still be found alongside National Route 4, the
Hachinohe Expressway, and
Tōhoku Expressway.
On 4 December 1952 First Class National Highway 4 (from Tokyo to Aomori) was established. The route was reclassified as a General National Highway on 1 April 1965.
During the 2011
Great East Japan Earthquake many sections of the route in the Tōhoku area were damaged.
List of major junctions
See also
*
Edo Five Routes, the five centrally administered routes, or
kaidō, that connected the capital of Japan at Edo (now Tokyo) with the outer provinces during the Edo period.
*
Tōhoku Expressway, an expressway managed by the
East Nippon Expressway Company that parallels Route 4 from Tokyo to Aomori.
References
External links
*
{{National Routes of Japan, 4
004
Roads in Aomori Prefecture
Roads in Fukushima Prefecture
Roads in Ibaraki Prefecture
Roads in Iwate Prefecture
Roads in Miyagi Prefecture
Roads in Saitama Prefecture
Roads in Tochigi Prefecture
Roads in Tokyo