Yamaguchitown Narai Nishinomiyacity Hyogopref Chugoku Expressway

The (part of Asian Highway Network ) is an expressway in Japan, which extends from

Suita, Osaka is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 381,238 in 182,636 households, and a population density of 11,000 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . It is a suburban city of Osaka City and a p ...

to Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi. It connects

Kansai The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropoli ...

and

Chūgoku region The , also known as the region, is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi. As of the 2020 census, it has a population of 7,328,339 ...

s in western

Honshu , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the list of islands by area, seventh-largest island in the world, and the list of islands by ...

, Japan's main island. Other major cities along the expressway are

Tsuyama is a city in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. In February 2023, the city had an estimated population of 97,507 in 45,653 households and a population density of 190 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Tsuyama is located in nort ...

Kobe Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...

, and

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...

. It was opened in 1970, and has a total length of . It is connected with many other expressways, including the Meishin Expressway at Suita Junction and Kanmon Bridge at Shimonoseki Interchange through to the Kyushu Expressway.

List of interchanges and features

* IC - interchange, SIC - smart interchange, JCT - junction, SA - service area, PA -

parking area A parking lot 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. In most jurisdic ...

, BS -

bus stop A bus stop is a place where Public transport bus service, 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 shelter (building), shelters ...

, TN -

tunnel A tunnel is an underground or undersea passageway. It is dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, or laid under water, and is usually completely enclosed except for the two portals common at each end, though there may be access and ve ...

, 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), "Tollgate" (Hale single) * ''The Toll-Gate'', a 1954 novel by Georgette Heye ...

, BR -

bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

* Bus stops labeled "○" are currently in use; those marked "◆" are closed.

Accidents

On 5 October 2013, comedian and singer Yakkun Sakurazuka died in an accident on the Chugoku Expressway in

Mine, Yamaguchi file:Mine city office.jpg, 270px, Mine city hall is a Cities of Japan, city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 21,919 in 10661 households and a population density of 46 persons per km2. The total ar ...

, while en route to a concert in

Kumamoto Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Kumamoto Prefecture has a population of 1,748,134 () and has a geographic area of . Kumamoto Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the north, Ōita Prefecture t ...

. He was hit by another car and killed after exiting his car following a crash.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chugoku Expressway AH1 Expressways in Japan Roads in Hiroshima Prefecture Roads in Hyōgo Prefecture Roads in Okayama Prefecture Roads in Osaka Prefecture Roads in Shimane Prefecture Roads in Yamaguchi Prefecture 1970 establishments in Japan