History of Japanese Roads

1.Age of People and Nature
(Ancient times until the Meiji Restoration in1867)

"Hanamichi", the narrow and long sub-stage unique to Kabuki that stretches from the left side of the stage through the audience to the rear of the hall. It is often the site of scenes as important as those performed on the main stage.

1) The Ancient Foundations of Modern Japan

The oldest written record of road conditions in Japan appears in a Chinese history book compiled in the 3rd Century called Gishi-wajin-den. During this period, Japan was in the process of being unified by the Yamato Dynasty. Until the Meiji Restoration when Japan opened its doors to the modern nations of the West (latter part of 19th century), people traveled mainly on foot or horseback. Why wheeled traffic failed to develop in Japan as it did in Europe and China probably relates to the topography. It is a land covered by mountainous area, surrounded by sea and crisscrossed by rivers.
For this reason, in addition to overland routes (roads), sea routes (waterways) played a prominent role in the Japanese traffic network, each complimenting the other in later periods of history.
Land routes served as passages for people, horses and cargo transported on the backs of people or horses. Sea routes were used for the transportation of bulk goods that could not be transported overland. Thus came about the division of roles between roads and waterways.
The history of overland routes reveals that the names of some of these roads were recorded in the Nihon Shoki or the "Chronicles of Japan", which are considered to be the oldest written records in Japan. Notable examples are the "Kuga-no-michi" (Northland Road), "Umitsu-michi" (East Sea Road), "Nishi-no-michi" (West Road), and "Higashi-no-yamamichi" (East Mountain road). Among them, the most important road was "Nishi-no-michi" or the West Road which linked the Yamato Region (present-day Nara prefecture) with Chikushi (present Fukuoka prefecture) and played a role in commerce and travel with foreign countries. This road was later referred to as the San-yodo. After the Reformation of the Taika Era (645) and the establishment of an elaborate central government system with administrative and judicial institutions modeled after the Tang Dynasty in China, a road network covering all of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu was established. This public road network system on a nationwide scale is the system of Seven Roads, and it included the famous Tokaido, Tosando, Hokurikudo, San-indo, San-yodo, Nankaido, and Saikaido.
They were built by adapting to and overcoming the restrictions of Japan's complex topography, and became the prototype of highways and roads in later periods. Arterial railways constructed after the Meiji Era and the expressways that have successively opened since 1964 roughly follow the same routes taken by these roads. In short, the Seven Roads established during this age are the backbone of todayÕs traffic routes in Japan.

This photo shows the Imperial Palace, formerly Edo Castle. The surrounding moat is structured to the melt into the natural circumstances by utilizing the topography.

2) User-friendly Roads Can Be Traced Back to Early Times

With the establishment of the Seven Roads came another system called "Ekiba, Tenma" (Post Horse System) which is the origin of the word "Ekiden" (relay marathon), now an international word. The Ekiba was modeled on a system used by the Chinese Tang dynasty (7th~10th century).
"Stations" which provided various services for traveling nobles and officials were established along roads at intervals of about 30-ri (approximately 16 km). About 400 of these stations were established nationwide. Also in the mid 8th century, Japan's first roadside tree system was initiated with the systematic planting of fruit trees on both sides of the Seven Roads. "Ichirizuka" (mileposts), the equivalent of the milestones of ancient Rome, served as "road signs," and their origin can be found in ancient China. The milepost system was popularized in Japan in the latter half of the 16th century.
In the middle of the Edo Era (1690), Engelbert Kaempfer, a German who came to Japan as a doctor for a Dutch trading house, mentioned mileposts in his book "(Geschichte und Beschreibung von Japan)",
"On both sides of the highway, there are two hills on which one or more trees are planted facing each other (note: The hills to which the doctor is referring were mileposts). They serve as useful milestones." *1
The trunk road improvement policy of the Edo Shogunate, even for those early days, was rather complete. The Shogunate specified that the five major highways must be about 11 m wide and secondary roads 5.5 m. The road surface was covered with gravel and small stones to a depth of 3 cm, trodden down and covered with sand. Furthermore, planting of Japanese cedar along the Nikko highway was started in 1625.
Sir Rutherford Alcock who came to Japan as the first British minister in Japan at the end of the shogunate age wrote,
"Their highway, the Tokaido, the imperial road throughout the kingdom, may challenge comparison with the finest in Europe. Broad, level, carefully kept and well macadamized, with magnificent avenues of timber to give shade from the scorching heat of sun, it is difficult to exaggerate their merit."

*1 Original German quotation:"Zu einem Meilenzeichen dienen zween gegen einander stehende Hugel, welche zu beiden Seiten des Weges aufge worfen und mit einem oder mehr Baumen bepflanzt sind"

3)Road Construction of our Ancestors
----Consideration for People and Scenery

Foreigners were also astounded at how much people in that age traveled, made possible only because of the complete road facilities and services.
Kaempfer, who was mentioned above, wrote:
"An unbelievable number of people travel the highways of this country every day. The reason is the high population of this country, but another is, unlike other nations, the Japanese travel extremely often." *2
The Hakone Road was already paved by 1680. Ernest Satow, a British diplomat who came to Japan at the end of the Edo Shogunate (mid 19th century), expressed great surprise at the stone pavement and wrote his impressions in A Diplomat in Japan.
"the pass which climbs the range of mountains by an excellent road paved with huge stones after the manner of the Via Appia where it leaves Rome at the Forum,"
Land routes were made exclusively for people and horses. Horse-drawn carriages were a rare sight until the Meiji Restoration. For this reason, roads were always in well-kept condition: they did not suffer from the wear and tear of use by wheeled vehicles and maintenance was relatively easy.
Road cleaning and other regular maintenance was not performed by the Shogunate or the government of feudal clans, but by residents alongside roads. This is probably rooted in the commonly-held concept of the Japanese people that roads are not the exclusive property of the lords, but are the "public property of the state" and belong to society at large.
Another fact especially noted by overseas visitors is that highways and post towns harmonized well with the scenery.
The origin of this observation may be found in the differences in design philosophy between Japanese and European people. Large differences can be noted between Japanese ways of constructing castles and gardens and those of Europeans. For example, Japanese castles were designed to melt into the natural scenery as much as possible, making the most of the topography and natural environment. On the other hand, European castles were surrounded by geometrically laid out castle walls. Such differences in approaches to public works may also be seen in road construction.
Another characteristic of road construction in Japan is the recognition of values other than mere function.
Actually, the Japanese word for road, "michi" is also read "do", and is used not only to define physical roads but also spiritual paths. Japanese culture has various traditional arts such as "Sa-do" (The Way of Tea or the tea ceremony), "Ken-do"(The Way of the Sword or Japanese fencing), and "Sho-do" (The Way of the Brush or calligraphy). In these "do" or "way", there is a tendency to place value in the spirit and efforts made in the process of reaching a certain goal rather than reaching the goal itself.
This attitude is also apparent in construction. For example, the "approach" to shrines and temples is a space which must be passed to reach the main building, the primary sanctuary where prayers may be given. Usually a good deal of length is given to this "approach", and people who come to worship can only reach the main building by walking this distance. Churches in the west do not have an equivalent. Another example of the Japanese tendency to emphasize "approach" can be found in the performing arts in Japan: the space called the "Hashigakari" (bridge passage) or "Hanamichi" (flower way), an elevated passageway running from the stage to the rear of the theater through the audience. Actors pass the theater on the "hanamichi" to reach the stage. It is also where important acts are often performed.
As stated above the Japanese place strong emphasis and value on the process of reaching the destination. This philosophy seems to have been strongly reflected in road facilities of the past such as post towns, roadside trees and mileposts which, as parts of the approach to reach a destination, provide added value to the journey itself, even though the primary function of a road is to simply connect one point with another.

*2 Original German quotation : "Die Heerstrasen des landes sind taglich mit einer unglaublichen Menge Menschen und... Dieses verursachen, theils die starke Anzahl der Einwohner des Reichs, theils die vielen Reisen, die sie, wider die Gewohnheit andrer Nationen, anstellen".

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Road Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Japan