is a

highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-acces ...

on the island of

Honshu , 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 se ...

in Japan. It originates at Nihonbashi in Chūō, Tokyo, and terminates in the city of Niigata (the capital of

Niigata Prefecture is a prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,227,496 (1 July 2019) and is the fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area at . Niigata Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture and ...

), where it meets National Routes 7, 8, 49, 113 and 116). National Route 17 measures 350.3 km in length. It incorporates parts of two ancient highways, the

Nakasendō The , also called the ,Richard Lane, ''Images from the Floating World'' (1978) Chartwell, Secaucus ; pg. 285 was one of the five routes of the Edo period, and one of the two that connected Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to Kyoto in Japan. There were 69 ...

and

Mikuni Kaidō was an ancient highway in Japan that stretched from Takasaki-juku (present day Gunma Prefecture) on the Nakasendō to Teradomari-juku (present day Niigata Prefecture) on the Hokurikudō. History The Mikuni Pass separated the Kantō region from Ech ...

. The newer

Kan-Etsu Expressway The is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and managed by East Nippon Expressway Company. Naming is the ''kanji'' acronym of and the old comprising modern-day Niigata Prefecture. Officially, the Kan-Etsu consists of two routes. Bot ...

parallels National Route 17. In addition to Chūō, National Route 17 passes through Itabashi. It links the prefectural capitals of Saitama ( Saitama Prefecture) and

Maebashi is the capital city of Gunma Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 335,352 in 151,171 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . It ...

(

Gunma Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, 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 Square kilometre, km2 (2,456 Square mile, sq mi). Gunma P ...

Route data

* Length: 351.1 km (217.7 mi) * Origin: Nihonbashi, Chūō, Tokyo (originates at junction with Routes 1, 4, 6, 14, 15 and 20) * Terminus: Chuo-ku, Niigata (ends at Junction with Routes 7, 8, 49, 113 and 116) * Major cities: Saitama,

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 larges ...

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 ...

, Shibukawa, Numata, Minami-Uonuma, Nagaoka, Sanjo

Other names

* 4 December 1952: First Class National Highway 17 (Tokyo to Niigata) * 1 April 1965: General National Highway 17 (Tokyo to Niigata)

Gallery

Shin-Omiya bypass,Mihashi5.JPG, Shin-Omiya bypass in Saitama City 国道17号と国道50号分岐 (前橋市).jpg, Route 17 in

, Gunma Prefecture Route 17 at Mikuni, Yuzawa, Niigata.JPG, Route 17 in Yuzawa, Niigata Prefecture

References

017 Roads in Gunma Prefecture Roads in Niigata Prefecture Roads in Saitama Prefecture Roads in Tokyo {{National Routes of Japan, 17