Cool Japan: Roads

■Cool Japan: Roads

NHK Cool Japan "The Road" edition.

Japan is surrounded by the sea, its land area is small and mountainous, and unlike countries like Europe, the United States, and China which have large land masses and well-developed land routes, it is not blessed with many roads.

However, many people say that Japanese roads are interesting.

"Expressway"

The Shuto Expressway is a 20th century, Showa era infrastructure built in preparation for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

It was modeled after highways in New York and Boston.

While highways in Europe and the United States run around city centers, in both Tokyo and Osaka they run through the center of the city.

Run like you're flying through the skyscrapers.

It is a realization of the vision of the future of the 20th century/Showa era.

Nihonbashi was built as a Showa-era road over Edo's waterway.

Now there is a movement to restore the landscape and bury it underground.

I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of infrastructure and roads will be built in the 21st century and Reiwa era.

"Horn"

From the 1960s when I was young until the bubble era, Japan had some of the worst traffic congestion in Asia and the honking was loud.

Traffic congestion has improved considerably now and you don't hear many honks.

Drivers are becoming cooler, technology to alleviate traffic congestion is becoming more widespread, and both software and hardware are evolving.

From now on, sensors and cameras will be embedded in the roads and artificial intelligence and data will be used to make the hardware even more high-tech.

Using technology to improve infrastructure is Japan's specialty.

I hope they will continue to create roads that are safe, fast, and fun to drive on.

"Kumano Kodo"

Pilgrimages to European holy sites are often thought of as paved roads, but Kumano is a deep, deserted rural mountain path.

Yet it continues to receive high praise, including being featured in Lonely Planet, a well-known travel magazine in the West.

In Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture, where the Kumano Kodo trail is located, the number of foreign overnight guests increased 35-fold, from 1,200 in 2011 to 44,000 in 2018.

The reason for this is the story and history.

There is a story that gods live here, and a history of over 1000 years of emperors, samurai, and common people walking along the path.

It is a mixture of the mystique of being the birthplace of Japan, yet the commonality of being a place where anyone can walk around easily.

The local people are making a great effort to maintain this environment. I hope they will cherish it.