National highways of Japan
This article is about national highways in Japan. For expressways, see Expressways of Japan. National Highways of Japan A structure of a blank national route shield. System information Maintained by Ministry of Land and Prefectures Length 55,222.3 km [1] (34,313.5 mi) Formed 1952 Highway names System links National highways of Japan Expressways of Japan Japan has a nationwide system of national highways ( 一般国道 , Ippan Kokudō ) distinct from the expressways. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and other government agencies administer the national highways. Beginning in 1952, Japan classified these as Class 1 or Class 2. Class 1 highways had one- or two-digit numbers, while Class 2 highways had three-digit numbers. For example, Routes 1 and 58 were Class 1 highways while 507 (the one with the highest number) was a Class 2 highway. A 1964 amendment to the governing law resulted in a unification of the classes, which too...