# Japan National Route 39

National Route 39 (国道39号, Kokudō Sanjūkyū-gō) is a Japanese national highway connecting the two cities of Asahikawa and Abashiri in northeastern Hokkaido. The 215.7-kilometer-long (134.0 mi) highway begins at an intersection with National Routes 12 and 40 in Asahikawa. It travels northeast across the northern side of Hokkaido to Abashiri where it ends at an intersection with the paired National Route 244 and National Route 391.

## Route description

National Route 39 is a 215.7-kilometer-long (134.0 mi) highway in northern Hokkaido that runs north from Asahikawa to Abashiri. Its southern terminus lies at an intersection in central Asahikawa where it meets National Routes 12 and 40. Along the way from Asahikawa to Abashiri, it passes through the town of Kamikawa and the city of Kitami. Its northern terminus in Abashiri is at an intersection where it meets National Route 244 and National Route 391.

## History

National Route 39 was preceded by the Abashiri Road, a Meiji period road built to link the current cities of Asahikawa and Abashiri. Ordered by Genrōin secretary Kaneko Kentarō, construction on the road began in April 1886. It was completed by making use of prison labor from the prisoners that were to be incarcerated at Abashiri Prison in northeastern Hokkaido. The prison laborers were mainly political dissidents that Kaneko viewed as morally deficient. Construction of the Abashiri Road and the others leading from the more-developed southern part of Hokkaido to the prison were of strategic importance to Japan, which viewed Hokkaido as being vulnerable to an invasion from their neighbor, the Russian Empire.
On 4 December 1952 the highway was designated by the Cabinet of Japan as Primary National Highway 39 between Asahikawa and Abashiri. On 1 April 1965 it was reclassified as General National Highway 39 without any changes being made to its routing.

## Major junctions

The route lies entirely within Hokkaido.
| Location | km | mi | Destinations | Notes |
| Asahikawa | 0.0 | 0.0 | National Route 12 south (Yonjō-dōri) – Sapporo, Fukagawa National Route 40 north (Shōwa-dōri) – Nayoro, Shibetsu | Western terminus; end of National Route 333 concurrency; highway continues south as National Route 12 |
| Asahikawa | 0.3 | 0.19 | Hokkaido Route 20 south (Midoribashi-dōri) – Asahikawa Station | |
| Asahikawa | 2.3 | 1.4 | Hokkaido Route 140 east (Kamui Asahiyama-dōri) – Asahiyama Zoo | Western end of Hokkaido Route 140 concurrency |
| Asahikawa | 2.9 | 1.8 | Hokkaido Route 140 east (Kinseibashi-dōri) | Eastern end of Hokkaido Route 140 concurrency |
| Asahikawa | 5.4 | 3.4 | Hokkaido Route 90 – to Dō-Ō Expressway, National Route 40, National Route 237, Asahikawa Airport, Ryutsudanchi | |
| Asahikawa | 7.4 | 4.6 | National Route 12 south (Asahikawa Shindō) – to Dō-Ō Expressway, National Route 40, Sapporo, Fukagawa | |
| Asahikawa | 8.8 | 5.5 | Hokkaido Route 37 – to Dō-Ō Expressway, National Route 40, Asahikawa Airport, Takasu, Higashikagura, Asahiyama Zoo | |
| Asahikawa | 11.7 | 7.3 | Hokkaido Route 761 west | |
| Tōma | 14.7 | 9.1 | Hokkaido Route 1122 east – Tōma Station | Western end of Hokkaido Route 1122 concurrency |
| Tōma | 16.4 | 10.2 | Hokkaido Route 1122 west – to Asahikawa-Monbetsu Expressway, National Route 40, Pippu | Eastern end of Hokkaido Route 1122 concurrency |
| Pippu | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions |
| Aibetsu | 26.6 | 16.5 | Hokkaido Route 101 north – Shimokawa Hokkaido Route 140 west – to Asahikawa-Monbetsu Expressway, Daicolo-Aibetsu Airport, Aibetsu Station | |
| Aibetsu | 35.0 | 21.7 | Hokkaido Route 640 east – Koshiji | |
| Aibetsu | 37.6 | 23.4 | Asahikawa-Monbetsu Expressway – to Dō-Ō Expressway, Asahikawa | E39 exit 2-1 (Aizan Kamikawa Interchange); entrance to westbound E39, exit from eastbound E39 |
| Aibetsu | 39.2 | 24.4 | Hokkaido Route 223 north – Antaroma Station | Western end of Hokkaido Route 223 concurrency |
| Kamikawa | 40.4 | 25.1 | Hokkaido Route 223 south – Aizankei Onsen | Eastern end of Hokkaido Route 223 concurrency |
| Kamikawa | 45.9 | 28.5 | Hokkaido Route 300 north – Central Kamikawa Hokkaido Route 849 east – to Asahikawa-Monbetsu Expressway | |
| Kamikawa | 47.4 | 29.5 | National Route 273 north / National Route 333 east – Monbetsu, Engaru | Western end of National Route 273 concurrency, eastern end of National Route 333 concurrency |
| Kamikawa | 54.0 | 33.6 | Hokkaido Route 849 west – Kikusui | |
| Kamikawa | 70.3 | 43.7 | National Route 273 south – Obihiro, Nukabira Gensenkyo | Eastern end of National Route 273 concurrency |
| Kitami | 116.0 | 72.1 | Hokkaido Route 88 south – Tsunemoto, Kanoko Dam | |
| Kitami | 125.8 | 78.2 | Hokkaido Route 247 south – Oketo | |
| Kitami | 133.7 | 83.1 | National Route 242 north – Engaru, Ikutahara | Western end of National Route 242 concurrency |
| Kitami | 134.1 | 83.3 | Hokkaido Route 307 east – Rubeshibe Station | |
| Kitami | 135.2 | 84.0 | National Route 242 south – Rikubetsu, Oketo | Eastern end of National Route 242 concurrency |
| Kitami | 136.1 | 84.6 | Hokkaido Route 103 north – Hamasaroma | |
| Kitami | 145.5 | 90.4 | Hokkaido Route 143 south – Kunneppu | |
| Kitami | 147.2 | 91.5 | Hokkaido Route 245 north – Shimonikoro | |
| Kitami | 154.1 | 95.8 | Hokkaido Route 943 – to Tokachi-Okhotsk Expressway | |
| Kitami | 156.9 | 97.5 | Hokkaido Route 7 north – Tokoro Hokkaido Route 27 east – to Tokachi-Okhotsk Expressway, Tsubetsu | |
| Kitami | 158.0 | 98.2 | Hokkaido Route 261 south (Tokiwa-dōri) – Oketo | |
| Kitami | 158.2 | 98.3 | Hokkaido Route 122 east – to Tokachi-Okhotsk Expressway | |
| Kitami | 159.6 | 99.2 | Hokkaido Route 217 east (Aoba-dōri) – Kaoryanse Park | |
| Kitami | 160.7 | 99.9 | Hokkaido Route 943 – to Tokachi-Okhotsk Expressway, Tokori, Minami-Ōdōri | |
| Kitami | 165.7 | 103.0 | Hokkaido Route 1024 south – Tanno | |
| Kitami | 166.3 | 103.3 | National Route 333 west – Engaru, Nikoro | |
| Kitami | 168.0 | 104.4 | Hokkaido Route 308 north – Tokoro | |
| Kitami | 173.1 | 107.6 | Hokkaido Route 556 south – to Tokachi-Okhotsk Expressway, central Hiushinai | |
| Kitami | 173.8 | 108.0 | Hokkaido Route 104 north – Ubaranai, Futamigaoka | |
| Bihoro | 182.3 | 113.3 | Tokachi-Okhotsk Expressway north – Abashiri, Memanbetsu | Bihoro-Takano Interchange (temporary signaled intersection) |
| Bihoro | 184.3 | 114.5 | Hokkaido Route 122 west – Tsubetsu Hokkaido Route 248 north – Ubaranai | Western end of Hokkaido Route 122 concurrency |
| Bihoro | 185.4 | 115.2 | National Route 240 south / National Route 243 east – Kushiro, Akan Hokkaido Route 309 north – Bihoro Station | Western end of concurrency with National Routes 240 and 243 |
| Bihoro | 185.8 | 115.5 | Hokkaido Route 122 east | Eastern end of Hokkaido Route 122 concurrency |
| Bihoro | 187.2 | 116.3 | National Route 334 east – Shari, Koshimizu | |
| Bihoro | 189.2 | 117.6 | Tokachi-Okhotsk Expressway – Kitami, Tanno, Memanbetsu Airport Hokkaido Route 122 west | Bihoro Interchange |
| Ōzora | 194.1 | 120.6 | Hokkaido Route 246 east – to Tokachi-Okhotsk Expressway, Memanbetsu Airport | |
| Ōzora | 196.3 | 122.0 | Hokkaido Route 714 west – Ubaranai | |
| Ōzora | 198.7 | 123.5 | Hokkaido Route 249 south | |
| Ōzora | 199.1 | 123.7 | Hokkaido Route 64 south / Hokkaido Route 246 west – to Tokachi-Okhotsk Expressway, Memanbetsu Airport | Western end of Hokkaido Route 246 concurrency |
| Ōzora | 200.0 | 124.3 | Hokkaido Route 246 east – Koshimizu | Eastern end of Hokkaido Route 246 concurrency |
| Abashiri | 204.6 | 127.1 | Hokkaido Route 683 north – Mount Tento | |
| Abashiri | 211.6 | 131.5 | National Route 238 west / National Route 239 west / National Route 242 south – Monbetsu, Tokoro | Western end of National Route 242 concurrency |
| Abashiri | 213.6 | 132.7 | Hokkaido Route 23 east – Shari, Koshimizu | |
| Abashiri | 214.8 | 133.5 | Hokkaido Route 76 west – Cape Notoro | |
| Abashiri | 215.4 | 133.8 | Hokkaido Route 23 west – Abashiri Station Hokkaido Route 1083 east – Abashiri Port | |
| Abashiri | 215.7 | 134.0 | National Route 244 east / National Route 391 south – Shari, Hamakoshimizu | Eastern terminus; highway continues east as National Route 244 and south as National Route 391; end of concurrency with National Routes 240, 242, and 243 |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access Route transition |||||