is a
Japanese highway from
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 ...
to
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 ...
that goes through the cities
Mito
Mito may refer to:
Places
*Mito, Ibaraki, capital city of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
*Mito, Aichi, a Japanese town
*Mito, Shimane, a Japanese town
* Mitō, Yamaguchi, a Japanese town
* Mito District, a district in the province of Concepción, Per ...
,
Iwaki and
Sōma. It traces the old
Mito Kaidō route from Tokyo to Mito,
[Chiba Kokaidō Rekishi Sanpo](_blank)
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Accessed 28 December 2007. and, for much of its route, it runs parallel to the
Jōban railway line and the
Jōban Expressway.
Route description
Originating 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 ...
(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 ...
, which also marks the origins of Routes
1,
4,
14,
15,
17 and
20), it ends in
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 ...
(at the Nigatake interchange, junction with
Route 45, also the origin of
Route 47)
Major cities and villages it passes through include:
Kashiwa
is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 433,436 in 194,216 households and a population density of 3800 persons per km². The total area of the city is .
The name of the city is written with a si ...
,
Toride,
Tsuchiura,
Ishioka,
Mito
Mito may refer to:
Places
*Mito, Ibaraki, capital city of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
*Mito, Aichi, a Japanese town
*Mito, Shimane, a Japanese town
* Mitō, Yamaguchi, a Japanese town
* Mito District, a district in the province of Concepción, Per ...
,
Hitachi
() is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Nissan ''zaibatsu'' and later DKB Group and Fuyo G ...
,
Iwaki,
Tomioka,
Ōkuma,
Sōma,
Watari,
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 ...
The actual terminus is
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 ...
in
Miyagi (at the Fujinami intersection) which is the junction of Routes 4 and 6. In the areas north of Iwanuma which overlap with the Route 4, signboards for Route 6 are not posted. The distance from Tokyo to Iwanuma is . This is equivalent to the distance from Mito to
Kakegawa /
Ichinoseki
is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. , the city had a population of 114,476 and a population density of 91 persons per km² in 46,375 households. It is currently the second largest city by population in ...
.
Overlapping sections
The following sections of Route 6 overlap with other routes:
*In
Chuo, Tokyo, from the origin point to Muromachi intersection:
Route 17
*In Chuo, Tokyo, from the origin point to Honchō 3-chōme intersection:
Route 4
Route 4, or Highway 4, may refer to several highways in the following countries:
International
* AH4, Asian Highway 4
* European route E04
* European route E004
* Cairo – Cape Town Highway
Albania
* SH-4 road in Albania from Durres to Kakav ...
*In Chuo, Tokyo, from the origin point to Asakusa-bashi intersection:
Route 14
*From
Kashiwa, Chiba
is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 433,436 in 194,216 households and a population density of 3800 persons per km². The total area of the city is .
The name of the city is written with ...
to
Toride:
Route 294
*In
Tsuchiura:
Route 125 and
Route 354
*In
Ishioka:
Route 355
Effects of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
One side of National Route 6 is known as the "nuclear dense zone".
Tōkaimura (the first
nuclear power plant of Japan),
Ōkuma (center of the
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
The was a nuclear accident in 2011 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan. The proximate cause of the disaster was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which occurred on the afternoon of 11 March 2011 ...
) and
Naraha (location of the
Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant
The is a nuclear power plant located on a site in the town of Naraha and Tomioka in the Futaba District of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) runs the plant.
After the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, ...
) are located on adjacent of Route 6.
Due to the nuclear disaster, access is prohibited to a zone of radius from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. National Route 6 was blocked for non-authorized traffic between
Hirono (the
Iwaki side) and
Haranomachi (the
Sōma side). The ban was lifted in September 2014 after the road decontamination, and vehicles (with exception of motorcycles and bicycles) are now allowed on the stretch of road.
History
National Route 6 is a part of the lengthened
Tōkaidō which connects the
Kansai region (Kinai), or
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 ...
and
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 ...
in particular, and the Pacific coast of Tōhoku (called the
Tagajō
is a city located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 62,869 in 27,869 households, and a population density of 3,200 people per km². The total area of the city is . The city was named after Taga Castle, the c ...
). During the
Ritsuryō
, , is the historical law system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Chinese Legalism in Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei" (律令制). ''Kyaku'' (格) are amendments of Ritsuryō, ''Shiki' ...
period, roads from Kinai to the Tagajō were divided into two: the ''
Tōkaidō'' eastern sea road (via
Nagoya
is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most po ...
,
Hamamatsu
is a city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. the city had an estimated population of 791,707 in 340,591 households, making it the prefecture's largest city, and a population density of . The total area of the site was .
Overview
H ...
,
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
Mito
Mito may refer to:
Places
*Mito, Ibaraki, capital city of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
*Mito, Aichi, a Japanese town
*Mito, Shimane, a Japanese town
* Mitō, Yamaguchi, a Japanese town
* Mito District, a district in the province of Concepción, Per ...
) and 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 ...
'' eastern mountain road (via
Gifu
is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku p ...
,
Shiojiri,
Takasaki
is a city located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 372,369 in 167,345 households, and a population density of 810 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Takasaki is famous as the hometown of th ...
and
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' ...
). During the foundation of Kamakura Kanagawa, Ritsiryō Tōkaidō was divided into two roads: the ''westward Tōkaidō'' which connects southern
Kantō (Kamakura,
Edo
Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo.
Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...
, Tokyo) and Kyoto, and the ''northward Tōkaidō'' which connects southern Kantō and Pacific coasts of Tōhoku. Since the foundation of Edo, Tōkaidō was narrowed by the
Tokugawa Shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
, the ''westward Tōkaidō'' functioned as a seaside road to Kyoto and the ''northward Tōkaidō'' functioned as one to the Pacific coasts of Tōhoku.
On 4 December 1952 the Ritsuryō Tōkaidō north of Tokyo was designated First Class National Highway 6, while the other section was designated as
National Route 1. On 1 April 1965 the route was re-designated as General National Highway 6. On 12 March 2011, access to a large section of National Route 6 was restricted due to the
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
The was a nuclear accident in 2011 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan. The proximate cause of the disaster was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which occurred on the afternoon of 11 March 2011 ...
between
Hirono and
Haranomachi.
List of major junctions
*
Route 16 in
Kashiwa
is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 433,436 in 194,216 households and a population density of 3800 persons per km². The total area of the city is .
The name of the city is written with a si ...
:
Ōmiya, Saitama (west) and
Chiba (southeast)
*
Route 125 in
Tsuchiura:
Koga, Ibaraki and
Kumagaya
is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 195,277 in 87,827 households and a population density of 1200 persons per km². The total area of the city is .
Geography
Kumagaya is one of the large ...
(west) and
Kashima, Ibaraki
is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 67,197 in 28,873 households and a population density of 634 persons per km2. The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 31.5%. The total area of th ...
and
Katori, Chiba
is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 74,469 in 31,113 households and a population density of 280 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Katori Shrine is in the city of Katori, as i ...
(east)
*
Route 50 in
Mito, Ibaraki
is the capital city of Ibaraki Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 269,330 in 123,282 households and a population density of 1239 persons per km2. The percentage of the population aged o ...
:
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' ...
,
Oyama, Tochigi
is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 167,647 in 70,928 households, and a population density of 980 persons per km². The total area of the city is . In 2006, Oyama became the second mos ...
, and
Takasaki
is a city located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 372,369 in 167,345 households, and a population density of 810 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Takasaki is famous as the hometown of th ...
*
Route 51 in Mito: Kashima and
Narita
*
Route 461 in
Takahagi:
Ōtawara
270px, View from the ruins of Ōtawara Castle
is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 72,189 in 30,136 households, and a population density of 210 persons per km2. The total area of the city is ...
,
Nikkō, and
Numata, Gunma
is a city located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 46,908 in 20,589 households, and a population density of 110 persons per km². The total area of the city is , making it the largest city in terms of area wi ...
*
Route 289 in
Nakoso (southern Iwaki):
Shirakawa,
Tajima, and
Tadami, Fukushima
*
Route 49 in
Iwaki, Fukushima
is a city located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , Iwaki had a population of 337,765 in 143,500 households, and population density of 270 persons per km2. The total area of the city is , making it the largest city in the prefecture and the 10th ...
:
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 ...
,
Aizuwakamatsu
is a city in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 118,159 in 50,365 households, and a population density of 310 persons per km2. The total area of the city was .
Geography
Aizuwakamatsu is located in the west ...
, and
Niigata
*
Route 288 in
Ōkuma, Fukushima: Kōriyama, Aizuwakamatsu, and Niigata
*
Route 115 in
Sōma, Fukushima
is a city located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 34,631, and a population density of 180 persons per km2 in 14,358 households. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Sōma is located in northeas ...
:
Fukushima (Nakadōri),
Inawashiro, and
Yonezawa,
Murakami
*
Route 113 in
Shinchi, Fukushima :
Shiroishi, Miyagi
is a city in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 33,330 and a population density of 120 persons per km2 in 14,242 households. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Shiroishi is in southern Miyagi Prefectu ...
,
Nanyō, Yamagata, and
Murakami
See also
*
*
References
External links
*
{{National Routes of Japan, 6
006
Alec Trevelyan (006) is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1995 James Bond film '' GoldenEye'', the first film to feature actor Pierce Brosnan as Bond. Trevelyan is portrayed by actor Sean Bean. The likeness of Bean as Ale ...
Roads in Chiba Prefecture
Roads in Ibaraki Prefecture
Roads in Fukushima Prefecture
Roads in Miyagi Prefecture
Roads in Tokyo