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 ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. It is owned and operated 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

The course of the expressway takes it alongside the coastline of the

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...

(Nihonkai) in the

Tōhoku region The , Northeast region, or consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. This traditional region consists of six prefectures (''ken''): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata. Tōhoku retains a ...

of Japan. The Nihonkai-Tōhoku Expressway is the operating name for the sections of the Nihonkai Engan Tōhoku Expressway that are operated by East Nippon Expressway Company. The Nihonkai Engan Tōhoku Expressway is an official designation consisting of several routes that link Niigata with

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 area of ...

via Yamagata and

Akita is a Japanese name and may refer to: Places * 8182 Akita, a main-belt asteroid * Akita Castle, a Nara period fortified settlement in Akita, Japan * Akita Domain, also known as Kubota Domain, feudal domain in Edo period Japan * Akita, Kumamoto, ...

, reaching a total of approximately 322 km.

Overview

The first section of the expressway was opened to traffic in 2001. As of March 2008 the expressway incomplete in many areas. The next section is scheduled to open in 2009 ( Nakajō Interchange to

Arakawa Interchange may refer to: People * Arakawa (surname) Geography ; Places * Arakawa, Tokyo ** Tokyo Sakura Tram (Arakawa Line), a streetcar system * Arakawa, Niigata * Arakawa, Saitama ; Rivers * Arakawa River (Kanto), which flows from Saitama Prefecture a ...

) to coincide with the National Sports Festival which is planned to be held in Niigata that year. After this, all future sections will be built according to the New Direct Control System, whereby the burden for construction costs will be shared by the national and local governments and no tolls will be collected. Currently the section between Honjō Interchange and Iwaki Interchange operates according to this principle. The expressway is 4 lanes from Niigata-Chūō Junction to Toyosaka Service Area, and 2 lanes for all remaining sections. The route parallels the

Uetsu Main Line The is a railway line in the Tohoku and Chubu regions of Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) system, it connects Niitsu Station in the city of Niigata and Akita Station in Akita. The name "Uetsu" refers to the ancient ...

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 ...

and National Route 7 for much of its length.

List of interchanges and features

* IC - interchange, SIC -

smart interchange A is a feature of Japanese expressways that provides exclusive access to and from the expressway for vehicles equipped with electronic toll collection (ETC). The feature increases accessibility to and from the expressway in less-populated areas ...

, JCT -

junction Junction may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Junction'' (film), a 2012 American film * Jjunction, a 2002 Indian film * Junction (album), a 1976 album by Andrew Cyrille * Junction (EP), by Basement Jaxx, 2002 * Junction (manga), or ''Hot ...

, SA -

service area Service area may refer to: * Rest area A rest area is a public facility located next to a large thoroughfare such as a motorway, expressway, or highway, at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting onto secondary r ...

, PA -

parking area A parking lot (American English) or car park (British English), also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface ...

, BS -

bus stop A bus stop is a place where buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelters, seating, and possibly electronic passenger ...

, TB -

toll gate Toll Gate or Tollgate may refer to: * Toll gate, a barrier across a toll road or toll bridge that is lifted when the toll is paid Entertainment * "Tollgate" (Hale single) * ''The Toll-Gate'', a 1954 novel by Georgette Heyer * ''The Toll Gate'', ...

, BR -

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

, TN -

tunnel A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...

Niigata section

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Origin !style="border-bottom:3px solid green;", Dist. from
Terminus !style="border-bottom:3px solid green;", Bus Stop !style="border-bottom:3px solid green;", Notes !colspan="2" style="border-bottom:3px solid green;", Location
(all in Niigata) , - , colspan="8" style="text-align: center;", Through to E8 Expressway (Japan)

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 ...

, - !style="background-color: #BFB;", (42) , Niigata-Chūō JCT ,

Ban-etsu Expressway The is a national expressway in the Tōhoku region of Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company. Naming The name is a kanji acronym consisting of characters found in the former names of the provinces linked by the expr ...

, style="text-align: center;", 0.0 , style="text-align: center;", 67.5 , style="text-align: center;", , , rowspan="4" style="text-align: center;",

Kōnan-ku, Niigata is one of the eight wards of Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture, in the Hokuriku region of Japan. , the ward had an estimated population of 68,413 in 27,027 households and a population density of 913 persons per km². The total area of the ward ...

, - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 1 3, Niigata-Kameda IC , National Route 49 , style="text-align: center;", 3.2 , style="text-align: center;", 64.3 , style="text-align: center;", , , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 1-1/BS , Niigata-Higashi SIC/ Nishino Bus Stop , Pref. Route 4 (Niigata Port Yokogo Route) , style="text-align: center;", 7.4 , style="text-align: center;", 60.1 , style="text-align: center;", ○ , , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 2 4, Niigata Airport IC , Pref. Route 16 (Niigata Kameda Uchino Route) , style="text-align: center;", 9.2 , style="text-align: center;", 58.3 , style="text-align: center;", , , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 2-1/SA , Toyosaka SA/SIC , Pref. Route 27 (Niigata Yasuda Route) , style="text-align: center;", 11.7 , style="text-align: center;", 55.8 , style="text-align: center;", , SIC: Nakajō-bound exit, Niigata-bound entrance only , rowspan="3" style="text-align: center;",

Kita-ku, Niigata is one of the eight wards of Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture, in the Hokuriku region of Japan. , the ward had an estimated population of 74,559 in households and a population density of 690 persons per km². The total area of the ward was . ...

, - !style="background-color: #BFB;", BS , Kuzutsuka Bus Stop , , style="text-align: center;", 16.6 , style="text-align: center;", 50.9 , style="text-align: center;", ○ , , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 3 , Toyosaka-
Niigatahigashikō IC , Pref. Route 46 (Niigata Chūō Kanjō Route) , style="text-align: center;", 18.3 , style="text-align: center;", 49.2 , style="text-align: center;", , , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 4 , Seirō-Shibata IC , National Route 7 ( Niigata Bypass) , style="text-align: center;", 25.7 , style="text-align: center;", 41.8 , style="text-align: center;", ○ , , rowspan="1" style="text-align: center;", Seirō , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", BS , Kajikawa-Shiunji Bus Stop , , style="text-align: center;", 31.6 , style="text-align: center;", 35.9 , style="text-align: center;", ○ , , rowspan="2" style="text-align: center;", Shibata , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", , Emergency Exit , , style="text-align: center;", ↓ , style="text-align: center;", ↑ , style="text-align: center;", , style="background-color: #d3d3d3", Access for Shibata Hospital
Authorized vehicles only , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 5 , Nakajō IC , Pref. Route 591 (Nakajō Inter Route) , style="text-align: center;", 36.9 , style="text-align: center;", 30.6 , style="text-align: center;", , , rowspan="3" style="text-align: center;",

Tainai 270px, Tulip fields in Tainai is a city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 28,495 in 10,821 households, and a population density of 110 persons per km2 (288/sq mi). The total area of the city was . Ge ...

, - !style="background-color: #BFB;", TB , Nakajō Toll Gate , , style="text-align: center;", 37.0 , style="text-align: center;", 30.5 , style="text-align: center;", , , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", BS , Tainai Bus Stop , , style="text-align: center;", 41.4 , style="text-align: center;", 26.1 , style="text-align: center;", ○ , , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 6 , Arakawa-Tainai IC , National Route 113 , style="text-align: center;", 46.6 , style="text-align: center;", 20.9 , style="text-align: center;", , , rowspan="7" style="text-align: center;", Murakami , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", PA/BS , Arakawa PA/BS , , style="text-align: center;", 49.1 , style="text-align: center;", 18.4 , style="text-align: center;", X , Bus Stop closed , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 7 , Kamihayashi-Iwafunekō IC , , style="text-align: center;", 53.7 , style="text-align: center;", 13.8 , style="text-align: center;", , , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 8 , Murakami-Senamionsen IC , Pref. Route 286 (Iwafune Port Route)
Pref. Route 531 (Murakami Kamihayashi Route) , style="text-align: center;", 57.7 , style="text-align: center;", 9.8 , style="text-align: center;", , , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 9 , , Murakami-Saberi IC , , Pref. Route 207 (Ōkurida Murakami Route) , style="text-align: center;", 61.4 , style="text-align: center;", 6.1 , style="text-align: center;", , style="background-color: #ffdddd", Asahi-bound exit, Murakami-bound entrance only , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 10 , , Asahi-Miomote IC , , Pref. Route 349 (Tsuruoka Murakami Route) , style="text-align: center;", 63.7 , style="text-align: center;", 4.2 , style="text-align: center;", , style="background-color: #ffdddd", Asahi-bound exit, Murakami-bound entrance only , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 11 , , Asahi-Mahoroba IC , , Pref. Route 208 (Koage Sarusawa Route) , style="text-align: center;", 67.5 , style="text-align: center;", 0 , style="text-align: center;", , , , -

Yamagata section

{, class="wikitable" , - !style="border-bottom:3px solid green;", No. !style="border-bottom:3px solid green;", Name !style="border-bottom:3px solid green;", Connections !style="border-bottom:3px solid green;", Dist. from
Origin !style="border-bottom:3px solid green;", Dist. from
Terminus !style="border-bottom:3px solid green;", Bus Stop !style="border-bottom:3px solid green;", Notes !style="border-bottom:3px solid green;", Location
(all in Yamagata) , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 13 , Atsumi-Onsen IC , Pref. Route 348 (Atsumigawa Kinomata Oiwagawa Route) , style="text-align: center;", 104.2 , , , , rowspan="6" style="text-align: center;",

Tsuruoka is a city in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 125,389 in 49,024 households, and a population density of 95.74 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Tsuruoka is the biggest city in Tōhoku region ...

, - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 14 , Iragawa IC , Pref. Route 61 (Sugenodai Katanorizawa Route) , style="text-align: center;", 112.1 , , , style="background:#ffdddd;", Atsumi-bound exit, Tsuruoka-bound entrance only , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 15 , Sanze IC , , style="text-align: center;", 116.9 , , , style="background:#ffdddd;", Atsumi-bound exit, Tsuruoka-bound entrance only , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", PA , Yabiki PA , , style="text-align: center;", 121.5
121.6 , , , style="background:#ffdddd;", Tsuruoka-bound
Atsumi-bound
Ordinary cars only , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 16 , Tsuruoka-nishi IC , National Route 7 , style="text-align: center;", 125.4 , , , , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 17 , Tsuruoka JCT ,

Yamagata Expressway The is a national expressway in the Tōhoku region of Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company. Naming The expressway is officially referred to as the Tōhoku Ōdan Expressway Sakata Route. From Tsuruoka Junction to S ...

, style="text-align: center;", 130.1 , , , Atsumi ←→ Yamagata Expwy: No access , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 18 , Shōnai Airport IC , Pref. Route 33 (Shōnai Airport Tachikawa Route) – Shonai Airport , style="text-align: center;", 138.8 , style="text-align: center;", , style="text-align: center;", , , rowspan="4" style="text-align: center;", Sakata , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 19 , Sakata IC/Toll Gate , National Route 7
Pref. Route 40 (Sakata Matsuyama Route) , style="text-align: center;", 144.9 , style="text-align: center;", , style="text-align: center;", , , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 19-1 , Sakata-chuo IC , National Route 47 , style="text-align: center;", 149.7 , style="text-align: center;", , style="text-align: center;", , , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 20 , Sakata-Minato IC , Pref. Route 59 (Sakata Yahata Route) , style="text-align: center;", 156.4 , style="text-align: center;", , style="text-align: center;", , , - !style="background-color:#ffdead;", , style="background-color:#ffdead;", Yuza-Hiko IC , style="background-color:#ffdead;", National Route 7 , style="text-align: center; background-color:#ffdead;", , style="text-align: center; background-color:#ffdead;", , style="text-align: center; background-color:#ffdead;", , style="background-color:#ffdead;", Planned , rowspan="3" style="text-align: center;",

Yuza is a town located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 13,615 in 4956 households, and a population density of 65 persons per km². The total area of the town is . Geography Yuza is located in the extreme no ...

, - !style="background-color:#ffdead;", , style="background-color:#ffdead;", Yuza-Jurizuka IC , style="background-color:#ffdead;", National Route 7 , style="text-align: center; background-color:#ffdead;", , style="text-align: center; background-color:#ffdead;", , style="text-align: center; background-color:#ffdead;", , style="background-color:#ffdead;", Planned , - !style="background-color: #ffdead;", , style="background-color:#ffdead;", Yuza-Chokai IC , style="background-color:#ffdead;", National Route 345 , style="text-align: center; background-color:#ffdead;", , style="text-align: center; background-color:#ffdead;", , style="text-align: center; background-color:#ffdead;", , style="background-color:#ffdead;", Planned , -

Akita section

) , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 11 , Kisakata IC , Pref. Route 58 (Kisakata Yashima Route) , style="text-align: center;, 0.0 , style="text-align: center;, 64.5 , style="text-align: center;, , , rowspan="4" style="text-align: center;", Nikaho , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 12 , Konoura IC , National Route 7 , style="text-align: center;", 6.8 , style="text-align: center;", 57.7 , , , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 13 , Nikaho IC , National Route 7 , style="text-align: center;", 13.7 , style="text-align: center;", 50.8 , , , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", , style="background-color:#CCC;", (Ryōzenji temporary IC) , style="background-color:#CCC;", , style="text-align: center;background-color:#CCC;", 15.0 , style="text-align: center;background-color:#CCC;", 49.5 , style="background-color:#CCC;", , style="background-color:#CCC;", Abolished on 27 October 2012 , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", PA , Nishime PA , , style="text-align: center;", 20.0 , style="text-align: center;", 44.5 , style="text-align: center;", , , rowspan="6" style="text-align: center;",

Yurihonjō is a city located in Akita Prefecture, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 76,077 in 30,639 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Geography Yurihonjō is located in southwest corner of Akita Pre ...

, - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 14 , Honjō IC , National Route 107 , style="text-align: center;", 26.2 , style="text-align: center;", 38.3 , style="text-align: center;", , , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 14-1 , Ōuchi JCT , National Route 105 , style="text-align: center;", 35.4 , style="text-align: center;", 29.1 , style="text-align: center;", , , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 14-2 , Matsugasaki-Kameda IC , , style="text-align: center;", 40.3 , style="text-align: center;", 22.2 , style="text-align: center;", , , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", TN , Futago Tunnel , , style="text-align: center;", ↓ , style="text-align: center;", ↑ , style="text-align: center;", , , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 15 , Iwaki IC , Pref. Route 44 (Yūwa Iwaki Route) , style="text-align: center;", 45.8 , style="text-align: center;", 16.7 , style="text-align: center;", , , - !style="background-color: #ffdead;", , style="background-color:#ffdead;", Yūwa PA , style="background-color:#ffdead;", , style="text-align: center; background-color:#ffdead;", , style="text-align: center; background-color:#ffdead;", , style="text-align: center; background-color:#ffdead;", , style="background-color:#ffdead;", Open in 2020 , rowspan="4" style="text-align: center;",

, - !style="background-color: #BFB;", TB ,

Akita Airport Toll Gate is a Japanese name and may refer to: Places * 8182 Akita, a main-belt asteroid * Akita Castle, a Nara period fortified settlement in Akita, Japan * Akita Domain, also known as Kubota Domain, feudal domain in Edo period Japan * Akita, Kumamoto ...

, , style="text-align: center;", 59.7 , style="text-align: center;", 2.8 , style="text-align: center;", , , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 16 , Akita Airport IC , Pref. Route 61 (Akita Goshono Yūwa Route) , style="text-align: center;", 60.1 , style="text-align: center;", 2.4 , style="text-align: center;", , , - !style="background-color: #BFB;", 5-1 , Kawabe JCT , E7 Expressway (Japan)

Akita Expressway The is a national Expressways of Japan, expressway in the Tōhoku region of Japan. The expressway begins at an interchange with the Tōhoku Expressway in Kitakami, Iwate from where it proceeds northwest towards the capital of Akita Prefecture, ...

, style="text-align: center;", 64.5 , style="text-align: center;", 0.0 , style="text-align: center;", ,

References

External links

East Nippon Expressway Company
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nihonkai-Tohoku Expressway Expressways in Japan Proposed roads in Japan Roads in Akita Prefecture Roads in Niigata Prefecture Roads in Yamagata Prefecture