The is a national
expressway
Expressway may refer to:
* Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic.
* Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road.
*Expressway, the fictional s ...
in Japan. It is owned and managed by
East Nippon Expressway Company
The , abbreviated as , is one of the main operators of expressways and toll roads in Japan. It is headquartered in Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda, Tokyo.
The company was established on October 1, 2005 as a result of the privatization of Japan Highway Pub ...
.
Naming
is the ''
kanji
are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...
'' acronym of and the old comprising modern-day
Niigata Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,227,496 (1 July 2019) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area ...
.
Officially, the Kan-Etsu consists of two routes. Both begin in
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 37.468 ...
and end in Niigata Prefecture. The Kan-Etsu Expressway Niigata Route consists of the entire Kan-Etsu Expressway from Nerima to Nagaoka, as well as the
Hokuriku Expressway
The ,
(abbreviated as , is a 4-laned national expressway in Japan. It is owned and managed by East Nippon Expressway Company and Central Nippon Expressway Company.
Overview
The first section was opened in 1972 by Japan Highway Public Corpo ...
beyond Nagaoka to its terminus in the city of
Niigata. The Kan-Etsu Expressway Jōetsu Route is concurrent with the Niigata Route until Fujioka Junction, where it branches off as the
Jōshin-etsu Expressway
The is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.
Naming
is a kanji acronym consisting of 3 characters, each representing the former names of the prefectures that the route traverses. consist ...
and traverses
Nagano Prefecture
is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,052,493 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture to the north, Gunma Prefecture to the ...
to its terminus in
Jōetsu, Niigata
is a city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 189,430, in 76,461 households with a population density of 190 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Jōetsu borders the Sea of Japan and ...
.
Route description
![Kan-Etsu_Tunnel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Kan-Etsu_Tunnel.jpg)
The expressway begins in
Nerima
is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in Tokyo, Japan. The ward refers to itself as Nerima City.
, the ward has an estimated population of 721,858, with 323,296 households and a population density of 15,013 persons per km2, while 15,326 f ...
Ward in the north of
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 37.468 ...
; the Kan-etsu is the only national expressway linking Tokyo that does not have a direct connection with the urban
Shuto Expressway
is a network of toll expressways in the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is operated and maintained by the .
Most routes are grade-separated (elevated roads or tunnels) and central routes have many sharp curves and multi-lane merges that requi ...
network. A junction with the
Tokyo Gaikan Expressway
The is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.
Overview
The name Gaikan refers to the route's status as an outer ring road (beltway) for Tokyo. The expressway is also referred to simply as Ga ...
near the origin links the Kan-etsu with other expressways serving northern parts of the Tokyo urban area. From here the expressway follows a roughly northwesterly course to its terminus in Niigata Prefecture, passing through central areas of
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 ...
and
Gunma Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,937,626 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,362 km2 (2,456 sq mi). Gunma Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture and Fukushima ...
. In Gunma the Kan-etsu Expressway provides access to Nagano Prefecture by way of the Jōshin-etsu Expressway at Fujioka Junction, and the completion of the
Kita-Kantō Expressway
The (lit. North Kantō Expressway) is a 4-laned national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.
Overview
The route connects the capitals of the three northern prefectures in the Kantō region: Maebash ...
in 2011 facilitated access to
Tochigi Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Tochigi Prefecture has a population of 1,943,886 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,408 Square kilometre, km2 (2,474 Square mile, sq mi). Tochigi ...
and
Ibaraki Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,871,199 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...
. The mountainous area separating Gunma and Niigata Prefectures is traversed by the
Kan-Etsu Tunnel
The is a tunnel on the Kan-Etsu Expressway in Japan that runs through Mt. Tanigawa from Minakami, Gunma
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,937,626 (1 October 2019) and h ...
, the second longest road tunnel in Japan. The expressway then passes through southern Niigata Prefecture before terminating at a junction with the
Hokuriku Expressway
The ,
(abbreviated as , is a 4-laned national expressway in Japan. It is owned and managed by East Nippon Expressway Company and Central Nippon Expressway Company.
Overview
The first section was opened in 1972 by Japan Highway Public Corpo ...
in
Nagaoka. The route is six lanes from
Ōizumi Junction
is a road Interchange (road), interchange located in Nerima, Tokyo, Japan.
Expressway
*East Nippon Expressway Company
**
**
Adjacent Interchanges
, -
, colspan=5 style="text-align:center;" , East Expressway Company
Roads in Tok ...
to Shibukawa-Ikaho Interchange, and all other sections are four lanes. The expressway parallels
National Route 17 and the
Jōetsu Shinkansen
The is a high-speed shinkansen railway line connecting Tokyo and Niigata, Japan, via the Tōhoku Shinkansen, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Despite its name, the line does not pass through the city of Joetsu or the hist ...
of
East Japan Railway Company
The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are ...
for most of its length.
History
The first section opened in 1971 and the entire route was opened to traffic in 1985. On the night of 16 December 2020, about 1,000 vehicles were trapped on the expressway after a trailer blocked it off due to it becoming stuck in the snow. In response, the company that manages the route supplied drivers who were stuck on the road until the next morning. The
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...
was also deployed to the expressway to aid in the distribution of supplies to the stranded drivers.
List of interchanges and features
![Tokorozawa_IC_3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Tokorozawa_IC_3.JPG)
* IC - interchange, SIC - smart interchange, JCT - junction, SA - service area, PA - parking area, TB - toll gate, BS - bus stop, CB - snow chains, TN - tunnel, BR - bridge
References
External links
East Nippon Expressway Company
{{Expressways of Japan
Expressways in Japan
Roads in Gunma Prefecture
Roads in Niigata Prefecture
Roads in Saitama Prefecture
Roads in Tokyo