Japan National Route 8

National Route 8 (国道8号, Kokudō hachi-gō) is a major highway in the Hokuriku and Kansai regions of central Japan. The 574.1-kilometer (356.7 mi) highway begins at an intersection with National Routes 7, 17, 49, 113, and 116 in Chūō-ku, Niigata. It travels southwest across central Honshu, connecting the prefecture capitals: Toyama, Kanazawa, Fukui, and Ōtsu. In Kyoto it travels concurrently with National Route 1 toward its endpoint at an intersection with National Routes 9, 24, and 367 in Shimogyō-ku, Kyoto.[2][3]

National Route 8 shield
National Route 8
国道8号
Route information
Length574.1 km[1] (356.7 mi)
Existed1952–present
Major junctions
North end National Route 7 / National Route 17 / National Route 49 / National Route 113 / National Route 116 in Niigata
South end National Route 1 / National Route 9 / National Route 24 / National Route 367 in Kyoto
Location
CountryJapan
Highway system
← National Route 7→ National Route 9

Route description
Oyashirazu, Itoigawa, Niigata Prefecture
Left:Hokuriku Expressway
Center:National Route 8 and JR Hokuriku Main Line
Right: Niigata Prefecture Route 525

History

The origins of the road that is now National Route 8 can be traced back to the Hokurikudō, a road that was established after the Taika Reform to link Kyoto to the capitals of the region by that went by the same name.[4]

The modern history of the highway saw its establishment by the Cabinet of Japan on 4 December 1952 as First Class National Highway 8 from Niigata to Kyoto. On 1 April 1965 it was re-designated as General National Highway 8. On 7–9 February 2018, heavy snowfall shut down the highway for over 60 hours in Fukui Prefecture before it could be removed.[5]

Intersecting routes

National Route 8 is the namesake of Hachi-ban Ramen, a chain of ramen shops in the Hokuriku region.[6]

  • Masaya-koji Street, near the origin of Route 8 in Niigata City
    Masaya-koji Street, near the origin of Route 8 in Niigata City
  • Nagaoka Bypass in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture
    Nagaoka Bypass in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture
  • Route 8 in Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture
    Route 8 in Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture
  • Route 8 in Komatsu, Ishikawa
    Route 8 in Komatsu, Ishikawa
  • Route 1 and Route 8 in Rittō, Shiga Prefecture
    Route 1 and Route 8 in Rittō, Shiga Prefecture

See also

References
  1. "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.
  2. 一般国道８号 (in Japanese). Kinki Regional Development Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
  3. 一般国道８号 (in Japanese). Kinki Regional Development Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Retrieved 27 November 2010.
  4. "北陸道／ほくりくどう" (in Japanese). Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  5. "大雪で立ち往生、ようやく解消　福井の国道8号" [Stuck with heavy snow, National Highway 8 is finally reopened in Fukui] (in Japanese). 9 February 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  6. "Hachi-ban Ramen History". Retrieved 30 January 2020.
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