History of Japanese Roads

A nationwide highway network was established during the Edo era based on five major highways. The hustle and bustle of Nihonbashi in Edo, a key point in this network, was captured in this wood print by the master Ukiyoe artist Hiroshige Ando.

The Japanese archipelago, comprised of four major islands and numerous minor islands, lies in a crescent shape to the east of the Asian continent in the northwestern Pacific ocean. Of the 378,000 sq-km of land, a substantial 70% is mountainous. Here, traditional culture from ancient eras co-exists with a modern society based on advanced technology. Japan is endowed with beautiful natural scenery that transforms with the four seasons. More than 120 million people live in a society with one of the highest population densities in the world.
The history of land transportation in Japan over the last two thousand years can be roughly categorized into the following three periods:

1. Age of People and Nature (ancient times until the Meiji Restoration in 1867),
2. Age of Modernization (from the Meiji Restoration until the 1950s), and
3. Age of High Efficiency Networks (from the 1950s to present day).

In the following, the characteristics of each of these periods will be introduced.

Index

1. Age of People and Nature (ancient times until the Meiji Restoration in 1867),
2. Age of Modernization (from the Meiji Restoration until the 1950s)
3. Age of High Efficiency Networks (from the 1950s to present day)
4. Improving the Roads of 21st Century (The Age of "Super-Infrastructure" in Safe and Comfort)

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