Multi-level road system was established in 1989 to allow an integral development of road and building in a designated area for multi-level road. The background of the introduction of this system included: -Increase of land price was inhibiting acquisition of right of way, resulting in slow progress in arterial road development -It was increasingly necessary to develop arterial roads and the surrounding areas in an integrated manner to promote appropriate and reasonable land use. At the beginning, the multi-level road system applied to new or reconstructed roads only. After the Road Act was amended in 2014, however, the multi-level road system expanded its coverage to include existing roads.

Case Study (Station square in front of the west exit of the Shinagawa Station adjoining National Highway No. 15)

Shinagawa Station in Tokyo serves as a starting point to access Haneda Airport. Since a new terminal station “Shinagawa New Station” (provisional name) of the maglev Chuo Shinkansen (scheduled to be open in 2027) is going to start operation (in a provisional manner) in 2020, there is an increasing development need involving private entity.