National highways 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 took effect in April of the following year. Highways numbered since that time have had three-digit numbers, so the numbers 58–100, which had so far been unused, remained unused. However, when Okinawa Prefecture was reverted to Japanese control in 1972, Route 58, with its southern endpoint in Okinawa's capital city of Naha, was established. The numbers from 59 to 100 remain unused. Some other numbers have been vacated by the joining or changing of routes: 109 (joined with 108), 110 (renumbered as 48), 111 (renumbered as 45), 214–216 (joined to form 57).

Initially established as "Class 1 highways", except Route 58

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58

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