Japan National Route 101
 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 国道101号 | ||||
 National Route 101 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Length | 241.6 km[1] (150.1 mi) | |||
| Existed | 18 May 1953–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| North end |   National Route 4 / National Route 45 in Aomori, Aomori | |||
| South end |   National Route 7 / National Route 13 in Akita, Akita | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | Japan | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
National Route 101 (国道101号, Kokudō Hyakuichigō) is a national highway of Japan connecting the capitals of Aomori and Akita prefectures, Aomori and Akita in northern Japan, with a total length of 241.6 kilometers (150.1 mi). The majority of the highway travels along the coast of the Sea of Japan, paralleling the more inland National Route 7. The present-day highway largely follows the path of the Ōmagoe-kaidō, an Edo period road that linked the Kubota and Hirosaki feudal domains.
Route description
National Route 101 begins in central Aomori at the northern terminus of National Route 7 in front of Aoimori Park. The two national highways run parallel or concurrently all the way from Aomori to National Route 101's southern terminus in the city of Akita; however in the former town of Namioka, National Route 101 leaves National Route 7. It heads west, passing through the cities of Goshogawara and Tsugaru, until it meets the Sea of Japan coastline in the town of Ajigasawa. From there it travels along the western coast of Aomori and Akita prefectures, paralleling the more inland National Route 7. Overall, the highway has a total length of 241.6 kilometers (150.1 mi).[1]
The JR Gonō Line closely parallels the highway for much of its route. Also known as the Ōmagoe-kaidō,[2] there are several attractions along the winding coastal portion of the highway including Furofushi Onsen and the World Heritage Site, Shirakami-Sanchi around the border between Aomori and Akita prefectures.[3] The registration of Shirakami-Sanchi as a World Heritage Site has resulted in an increase in the average daily traffic levels along the highway.[4]
History
Much of what is presently National Route 101 was preceded by the Ōmagoe-kaidō (大間越街道), a road established by the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period as a branch of the longer Ushū Kaidō (now known as national routes 7 and 13).[5][6] It traveled between Hiyama-shukuba on the Ushū Kaidō in present-day Noshiro through the Kubota Domain to Hirosaki Castle in the Hirosaki Domain. A gate was set up between the two domains in 1618 to collect tolls and exchange goods.[7] The highway was dubbed the Ōmagoe-kaidō during the Meiji period when the gate between the domains was abolished.[6]
National Route 101 was established by the Cabinet of Japan between the city of Aomori and Noshiro, Akita in 1953 along pre-existing roads including most of the Ōmagoe-kaidō.[8] By 1965, National Route 101 was certified to have been completed by the national government; however, in 1967 a 20.7-kilometer-long (12.9 mi) section of the highway at the border between Aomori and Akita prefectures was deemed to be to curvy and dangerous. The Noshiro Construction Office rebuilt the section with full funding from the national government. Upon the completion of the renovated section in March 1975, the highway's maintenance was handed back over to regional authorities.[9] The highway and National Route 339 were routed along one-way streets in central Goshogawara from August 1977 to 30 August 1989, when the restrictions were lifted.[10] In 1993, the southern terminus of the highway was moved further south from Noshiro to its current location in the city of Akita.[11]
Incidents and closures
On 8 June 2018, Oibanasaki Tunnel in Oga, Akita was closed because the risk of a landslide was deemed too high following the collapse of a portion of the hillside adjacent to the entrance of the tunnel during heavy rains in May.[12] The tunnel was reopened on 15 December 2020 following the completion of work to reinforce the tunnel as well as the slope alongside the tunnel entrance.[13]
On 22 September 2018, a drunk driver that was traveling on the highway in the city of Tsugaru at a speed of 163 kilometers per hour (101 mph) caused an incident that involved four cars. As a result of the incident, four people were killed and three were injured. The driver who caused the accident was given a 20-year prison sentence for vehicular homicide on 8 June 2020.[14]
Major intersections
| Prefecture | Location | km[15] | mi | Destinations | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aomori | Aomori | 0.0 | 0.0 | National Route 4 / National Route 45 south – to Noheji, Towada, Morioka | Northern terminus; northern end of National Route 7 concurrency (National Route 101 is unsigned) | ||
| 0.2 | 0.12 | Aomori Prefecture Route 120 north | Southern end of Aomori Route 120 concurrency | ||||
| 0.4 | 0.25 | Aomori Prefecture Route 44 east (Aomori–Nonai Loop Road) | |||||
| 0.9 | 0.56 |  National Route 280 north | |||||
| 1.4 | 0.87 | Aomori Prefecture Route 247 west | Interchange | ||||
| 4.4 | 2.7 | National Route 280 north (Yomogita Bypass) | |||||
| 5.4 | 3.4 | Aomori Prefecture Route 234 | Interchange | ||||
| 7.5 | 4.7 |   National Route 7 north (Aomori Belt Highway) – to Towada, Noheji, Lake Towada, Aomori Airport, Tōhoku Expressway | |||||
| 9.3 | 5.8 | Aomori Prefecture Route 247 | |||||
| 14.9 | 9.3 | Aomori Prefecture Route 247 east | |||||
| 16.6 | 10.3 | National Route 7 | Southern end of National Route 7 concurrency | ||||
| 18.3 | 11.4 | Aomori Prefecture Route 285 south | |||||
| 18.8 | 11.7 | National Route 7 | |||||
| 19.5 | 12.1 | Aomori Prefecture Route 231 east | |||||
| Goshogawara | 21.7 | 13.5 | Aomori Prefecture Route 35 south | ||||
| 24.8 | 15.4 | Aomori Prefecture Route 34 south | |||||
| 25.5 | 15.8 | Aomori Prefecture Route 36 north | |||||
| 27.2 | 16.9 |  Tsugaru Expressway – to Aomori, Hirosaki, Nakadomari, Cape Tappi | Goshogawara-higashi Interchange | ||||
| 27.4 | 17.0 | Aomori Prefecture Route 156 north | |||||
| 29.4 | 18.3 | Aomori Prefecture Route 38 south | |||||
| 31.8 | 19.8 |  National Route 339 (Goshogawara-kita Bypass) | |||||
| 32.7 | 20.3 | National Route 339 | |||||
| 33.1 | 20.6 | Aomori Prefecture Route 154 west / Aomori Prefecture Route 156 east | |||||
| 34.2 | 21.3 | Aomori Prefecture Route 151 north | |||||
| 35.2 | 21.9 | Aomori Prefecture Route 43 north | |||||
| Tsugaru | 36.1 | 22.4 | Tsugaru Expressway east – to Aomori, Tōhoku Expressway | Tsugaru Kashiwa Interchange | |||
| 36.7 | 22.8 | Aomori Prefecture Route 245 west | |||||
| 38.0 | 23.6 | Aomori Prefecture Route 37 south / Aomori Prefecture Route 241 north | |||||
| 39.7 | 24.7 | Aomori Prefecture Route 186 | |||||
| 42.0 | 26.1 | Aomori Prefecture Route 245 east / Aomori Prefecture Route 267 west | |||||
| 44.1 | 27.4 | Aomori Prefecture Route 188 | |||||
| 45.3 | 28.1 | Aomori Prefecture Route 39 south | |||||
| 47.5 | 29.5 | Aomori Prefecture Route 12 north | |||||
| 49.0 | 30.4 | Tsugaru Expressway west – Hirosaki, Shichirinagahama Port | |||||
| Ajigasawa | 49.4 | 30.7 | Aomori Prefecture Route 267 east | ||||
| 52.6 | 32.7 | Aomori Prefecture Route 31 south | |||||
| 53.3 | 33.1 | Tsugaru Expressway east – Goshogawara, Tsugaru | Current western terminus of the Tsugaru Expressway | ||||
| 55.5 | 34.5 | Aomori Prefecture Route 3 | |||||
| 60.1 | 37.3 | Aomori Prefecture Route 3 east | |||||
| Fukaura | 65.0 | 40.4 | Aomori Prefecture Route 191 south | ||||
| 93.9 | 58.3 | Aomori Prefecture Route 192 south | |||||
| 107.3 | 66.7 | Aomori Prefecture Route 192 north | |||||
| 108.5 | 67.4 | Aomori Prefecture Route 28 east | |||||
| 112.2 | 69.7 | Aomori Prefecture Route 280 east | |||||
| Akita | Happō | 134.1 | 83.3 | Akita Prefecture Route 154 south | |||
| 137.9 | 85.7 | Akita Prefecture Route 154 north | |||||
| 142.3 | 88.4 | Akita Prefecture Route 63 south | |||||
| Noshiro | 150.6 | 93.6 | Akita Prefecture Route 209 north | ||||
| 152.8 | 94.9 | Akita Prefecture Route 143 east | |||||
| 157.6 | 97.9 | National Route 7 north | Northern end of National Route 7 concurrency | ||||
| 162.2 | 100.8 |  Akita Expressway – to Ōdate, Aomori, Akita, Kitakami | Continuous green T interchange; Akita Expressway exit 13 (Noshiro-minami Interchange) | ||||
| Mitane | 166.9 | 103.7 | Akita Expressway – to Noshiro, Ōdate, Akita, Kitakami | Continuous green T interchange; Akita Expressway exit 12 (Hachiryū Interchange) | |||
| 167.9 | 104.3 | National Route 7 south | Southern end of National Route 7 concurrency | ||||
| 169.3 | 105.2 | Akita Prefecture Route 42 south | |||||
| Oga | 190.5 | 118.4 | Akita Prefecture Route 304 east | ||||
| 195.7 | 121.6 | Akita Prefecture Route 55 west | Northern end of Akita Prefecture Route 55 concurrency | ||||
| 199.2 | 123.8 | Akita Prefecture Route 55 east | Southern end of Akita Prefecture Route 55 concurrency | ||||
| 204.6 | 127.1 | Akita Prefecture Route 59 | |||||
| 208.0 | 129.2 | Akita Prefecture Route 226 | |||||
| 210.4 | 130.7 | Akita Prefecture Route 42 north | |||||
| 212.0 | 131.7 | Akita Prefecture Route 159 north | |||||
| Katagami | 219.2 | 136.2 | Akita Prefecture Route 56 south | ||||
| Akita | 224.7 | 139.6 | National Route 7 north – Noshiro Akita Expressway – Akita, Kitakami, Noshiro, Ōdate | Northern end of National Route 7 concurrency; Continuous green T interchange; Akita Expressway exit 9 (Shōwa-Ogahantō Interchange) | |||
| Katagami | 225.2 | 139.9 | Akita Prefecture Route 41 south | ||||
| 229.4 | 142.5 | Akita Prefecture Route 124 east | |||||
| Akita | 234.1 | 145.5 | Akita Prefecture Route 112 north | ||||
| 234.3 | 145.6 | Akita Prefecture Route 56 north (Ohama Street) | Northern end of Akita Prefecture Route 56 concurrency | ||||
| 235.8 | 146.5 | Akita Prefecture Route 231 east | |||||
| 237.5 | 147.6 | Akita Prefecture Route 56 south | Southern end of Akita Prefecture Route 56 concurrency | ||||
| 240.1 | 149.2 | Akita Prefecture Route 65 south | |||||
| 241.6 | 150.1 |  National Route 7 south / National Route 13 south / Akita Prefecture Route 26 east – to Yokote, Daisen, Sakata, Yamagata, Yurihonjō, Akita Station | Southern terminus; southern end of National Route 7 concurrency | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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Auxiliary routes
Tsugaru Expressway
The Tsugaru Expressway is an incomplete two-lane national expressway in Aomori Prefecture that is signed as an auxiliary route of National Route 101. Its first section was established in 2002 and the expressway has been extended in stages since then.[16] The expressway travels west from Aomori through the cities of Goshogawara and Tsugaru, where the main section of the expressway currently ends at an interchange with the main routing of National Route 101. A short expressway stub opened in Ajigasawa in 2016.[17] The expressway is planned to be extended south through Fukaura to Happō in Akita Prefecture.[18]
See also
References
- ^ a b "一般国道の路線別、都道府県別道路現況" [Road statistics by General National Highway route and prefecture] (PDF) (in Japanese). Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
- ^ "Sunset and Sea Squids Ride" (PDF). Aomori Cycling. January 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ Combe, Clarissa (29 September 2020). "Aomori Road Trip: Down the West Coast of Aomori". Stay Japan Media. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ 平成27年度全国道路・街路交通情勢調査 一般交通量調査 箇所別基本表 [2015 Traffic Report by intersection] (PDF) (Report). Washington State Department of Transportation. 2015. p. 5. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ "大間越街道" [Ōmagoe-kaidō] (PDF) (in Japanese). Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
- ^ a b "県北の脇街道" [Waki-kaidō in the north of the prefecture] (in Japanese). Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ "大間越街道" [Ōmagoe-kaidō] (in Japanese). Akita Prefecture Tourism Association. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ "一般国道の路線を指定する政令" (in Japanese). Retrieved 18 October 2019 – via Wikisource.
- ^ "県北の直轄権限代行工事（国道101・103号）" [Directly-controlled agency work in the north of the prefecture (National routes 101 and 103)] (in Japanese). Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ "一方通行規制解除" [One-way traffic regulation lifted] (PDF) (in Japanese). City of Goshogawara. September 1988. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ "一般国道の路線を指定する政令の一部を改正する政令". 3 April 1992. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ "国道１０１号生鼻崎トンネルの通行規制関係" (in Japanese). 28 December 2018. Archived from the original on 16 April 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ "土砂崩れの生鼻崎トンネル ２年半ぶりに開通" [Conclusion of landslide work on Oibanasaki Tunnel. Opening for the first time in two and a half years.] (in Japanese). Nippon News Network. 15 December 2020. Archived from the original on 15 December 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ "４人死亡事故で懲役２０年 青森地裁" [20 years in prison for incident that caused four fatalities. Aomori District Court]. Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). 8 June 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ Google (26 February 2021). "National Route 101" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
- ^ "一般国道１０１号 浪岡五所川原道路" [General National Route 101 Namioka–Goshogawara Road] (PDF) (in Japanese). Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ "E64 平成３１年 ３月１４日 青森河川国道事務所 鰺ヶ沢道路 夜間通行止めのお知らせ" (PDF). Aomori Office of River and National Highway (in Japanese). 14 March 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
- ^ "津軽自動車道 柏～浮田計画段階評価" [Tsugaru Expressway Kashiwa-Uchida Planning stage evaluation] (PDF). www.thr.mlit.go.jp (in Japanese). 29 August 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
External links
Media related to Category:Route 101 (Japan) at Wikimedia Commons
