National Route 103 (Japan)

National Route 103
国道103号 (Japanese)
Japan National Route 103 highlighted in red
Route information
Length	130.0 km (80.8 mi)
Existed	18 May 1953–present
Major junctions
North end	National Route 4 in Aomori, Aomori
Major intersections	National Route 394 National Route 102 National Route 454 National Route 104 National Route 282 Tōhoku Expressway National Route 285 Akita Expressway
South end	National Route 7 in Ōdate, Akita
Location
Country	Japan
Highway system
National highways of Japan Expressways of Japan
← National Route 102 → National Route 104

National Route 103 (国道103号, Kokudō Hyakusangō) is a national highway of Japan connecting the capital of Aomori Prefecture, Aomori to Ōdate in northeastern Akita Prefecture. It has a total length of 130.0 km (80.8 mi).

Route description

Traveling out of Aomori city

The route's northern terminus is an intersection with Japan National Route 4 in the center of the city of Aomori. From here it begins its journey south through the city. Within the urbanized parts of the city it is known as Kankō Dori (Tourism Road). After passing by the headquarters of Michinoku Bank, the highway crosses over the Aoimori Railway Line. It then travels through a heavily commercialized area of the city before reaching an intersection with the Aomori Belt Highway (National Route 7) and the Aomori Expressway. Route 7 serves as a frontage road to the expressway and as an eventual access point to it at Aomori-chūō Interchange.

The Hakkōda Gold Line snow corridor near Sukayu Onsen.

Continuing out of the commercial area, the highway passes Aomori Chuo Gakuin University. After passing the institution the road divides with the western route serving as a bypass to the main highway to the east. At this point the highway is known as the Hakkōda Gold Line. After passing through a residential area, the main highway and bypass begin the ascent of the Hakkōda Mountains. The highways merge near Aomori Public University, now known solely as the Hakkōda Gold Line. Continuing its ascent up the mountain, the route meets Aomori Prefecture Route 40, a route that provides access to the nearby memorial of the Hakkōda Mountains incident and then travels southeast to Towada, Aomori. Route 103 winds its way up the mountain where it reaches the Hakkōda Ropeway, a cable car that takes skiers and hikers to the peak of Mount Tamoyachi of the Hakkōda Mountains. After a short descent, the road meets Japan National Route 394 at a signaled intersection. Just a couple of kilometers from here is Sukayu Onsen, the snowiest inhabited place on earth famous for its 1,000 person mixed-use bath. The road continues winding down the mountain in southeasterly path, passing other onsen and resorts along the way. This section of road is closed during the winter, but is reopened in early spring as a "snow corridor" where visitors are allowed to walk. It meets Japan National Route 102 at a junction near the Oirase River. Route 103 begins a concurrency with Route 102 here, traveling to southwest towards Lake Towada, while Route 102's eastbound traffic continues following the river's flow towards the city of Towada.

Lake Towada

The concurrency follows the Oirase River upstream until it reaches Lake Towada. At the shore of the lake, the concurrency ends with Route 102 forming the northeast and northern parts of a road that circles the lake, while Route 103 forms the eastern and southern part of the road. As the road begins to travel along the southern shore of the lake it meets Japan National Route 454 where the routes form a concurrency. Along the southern part of this circular road, Routes 103 and 454 cross into Akita Prefecture. Continuing along the lake's southern shore, the road meets the western end of the concurrency, Route 454 continues toward Route 102 as the remaining portion of the road to circle the lake while Route 103 begins traveling to the southeast.

Akita Prefecture

The road meets Japan National Route 104 and turns to the southwest towards Kazuno, Akita. In Kazuno it passes by the Ōyu Stone Circles a Jōmon period site. It continues into the city of Kazuno. In the city it passes under the Tōhoku Expressway and then crosses over the Yoneshiro River where it has a junction with the expressway. The road again crosses the Yoneshiro River several times as it crosses into Ōdate. In Ōdate the road first meets Japan National Route 285, it later has a junction with the Akita Expressway, shortly after the route again meets National Route 7 at Route 103's southern terminus.

Route 103 entrance to Towada-Hachimantai National Park with the Hakkōda Mountains in the background.

History

National Route 103 was established by the Cabinet of Japan between Towadako, Aomori and Ōdate, Akita in 1953. In 1993, the northern terminus of the highway was moved north from Towada to its current location in Aomori city.

List of major junctions

All junctions listed are at-grade intersections unless noted otherwise.

Prefecture	Location	km	mi	Destinations	Notes
Aomori	Aomori	0.0	0.0	National Route 4 / National Route 45 –Hirosaki, Shin-Aomori Station, Towada, Noheji	Northern terminus, road continues north as Zeimusho-dori
		3.2	2.0	National Route 7 (Aomori Belt Highway) – Hirosaki, Aomori-chūō, Towada, Noheji
		5.4	3.4	Aomori Prefecture Route 44 – Fujisaki, Aomori Airport, Towada, Michinoku Toll Road
		18.0	11.2	Aomori Prefecture Route 40 east – Tashirotai
		24.9	15.5	National Route 394 south – Jogakura Bridge, Kuroishi,	Northern end of National Route 394 concurrency
	Towada	35.3	21.9	National Route 394 north – Tashirotai, Shichinohe	Southern end of National Route 394 concurrency
		46.6	29.0	National Route 102 east – Towada, National Route 4, Lake Towada, Oirase Gorge	Northern end of National Route 102 concurrency
		50.4	31.3	National Route 102 south (Oirase Bypass) – Hirosaki, Kuroishi
		60.3	37.5	National Route 102 west – Hirosaki, Kuroishi, Tōhoku Expressway	Southern end of National Route 102 concurrency
		64.2	39.9	National Route 454 east – Gonohe, Mayogatai	Northern end of National Route 454 concurrency
Akita	Kazuno	73.5	45.7	National Route 454 west – Hirosaki, Kuroishi, Okawatai	Southern end of National Route 454 concurrency
		77.0	47.8	Akita Prefecture Route 2 (Jyukai Line) west – Kosaka
		81.8	50.8	National Route 104 east (Shirahagi Line) – Sannohe	Northern end of unsigned National Route 104 concurrency
		94.3	58.6	Akita Prefecture Route 66 south – Hanawa, Ōyu Stone Circle
		100.9	62.7	National Route 282 / National Route 285 west – Yuze, Hanawa, Hirakawa, Kosaka,	Eastern terminus of unsigned National Route 285; northern end of unsigned National Route 285 concurrency
		102.0	63.4	Tōhoku Expressway – Aomori, Morioka, Sendai, Hachinohe Expressway	E4 exit 49 (Towada Interchange)
	Ōdate	110.4	68.6	Akita Prefecture Route 66 south – Osarizawa	Interchange
		119.1	74.0	National Route 285 west – Akita, Kitaakita, Odate–Noshiro Airport	Southern end of unsigned National Route 285 concurrency
		126.2	78.4	Akita Prefecture Route 102 – Hinai, Central Ōdate
		127.5	79.2	Akita Expressway – Kitaakita, Hirosaki, Odate–Noshiro Airport	E7 exit 26 (Ōdate-minami Interchange)
		130.0	80.8	National Route 7 – Noshiro, Kitaakita, Odate–Noshiro Airport, Central Ōdate	Southern terminus; western terminus of unsigned National Route 104
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

References

• http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/ir/ir-data/tokei-nen/2015/pdf/d_genkyou26.pdf