# Japan National Route 12

National Route 12 (国道12号, Kokudō Jūni-gō) is a Japanese national highway connecting the two largest cities of Hokkaido, Sapporo and Asahikawa. The 135.7-kilometer-long (84.3 mi) highway begins at an intersection with National Routes 36 and 230 in Sapporo. It travels northeast across the western side of Hokkaido to Asahikawa where it ends at an intersection with National Routes 39 and 40.

## Route description

National Route 12 is a 135.7-kilometer-long (84.3 mi) highway in western Hokkaido that runs north from Sapporo to Asahikawa. Its southern terminus lies at an intersection in Chūō-ku, Sapporo where it meets National Routes 36 and 230. Along the way from Sapporo to Asahikawa, it passes through the cities of Ebetsu, Iwamizawa, Takikawa, and Fukagawa. The highway is closely paralleled by the tolled Dō-Ō Expressway and it functions as free alternative route to the expressway between Sapporo and Asahikawa. A notable section of the highway between the cities of Bibai and Takikawa is known for being the longest straight section of roadway in Japan. Marked as being 29.2 kilometers (18.1 mi) long, there is actually a slight curve in Takikawa, bringing the actual length of the straight section of the road down to 27.7 kilometers (17.2 mi). Its northern terminus in Asahikawa is the intersection where it meets National Routes 39 and 40.

## History

National Route 12 was preceded by the Kamikawa Road, an 88-kilometer-long (55 mi), Meiji period road built to link the current cities of Mikasa and Asahikawa. Ordered by Genrōin secretary Kaneko Kentarō, construction on the road began in April 1886. It was completed in 90 days 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 Kamikawa 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 12 between Sapporo and Asahikawa. On 1 April 1965 it was reclassified as General National Highway 12 without any changes being made to its routing.

## Major junctions

The route lies entirely within Hokkaido.
| Location | km | mi | Destinations | Notes |
| Sapporo | 0.0 | 0.0 | National Route 36 south – Chitose National Route 230 west – Otaru, Teine Hokkaido Route 18 – Sapporo Station | Southern terminus; highway continues west as National Route 230 |
| Sapporo | 0.4 | 0.25 | National Route 5 south (Sōseikawa-dōri) – Ishikari | |
| Sapporo | 1.2 | 0.75 | Hokkaido Route 3 east – Ichijo-ohashi Bridge | |
| Sapporo | 2.3 | 1.4 | National Route 275 north – Tsukigata, Tōbetsu | |
| Sapporo | 4.8 | 3.0 | Hokkaido Route 89 (Kanjō-dōri) – to Dō-Ō Expressway, Sasson Expressway, National Route 36, Misono, Kitago | |
| Sapporo | 5.2 | 3.2 | Hokkaido Route 368 north – Shiroishi Station | |
| Sapporo | 7.1 | 4.4 | Hokkaido Route 453 west – to National Route 36, Tsukisamu | |
| Sapporo | 9.3 | 5.8 | National Route 274 south | Exit ramp from National Route 274 south to National Route 12 only |
| Sapporo | 10.2 | 6.3 | Hokkaido Route 3 – to Dō-Ō Expressway, National Route 274, Ryutsu Center, Kitahiroshima | |
| Sapporo | 11.4 | 7.1 | Hokkaido Route 1138 south (Atsubetsu-chūō-dōri) – to National Route 36, Satozuka | |
| Ebetsu | 19.0 | 11.8 | Hokkaido Route 1005 south – Kitahiroshima | |
| Ebetsu | 19.3 | 12.0 | Hokkaido Route 46 north – Kakuyama Hokkaido Route 370 east – Nopporo Station | Southern end of Hokkaido Route 46 concurrency |
| Ebetsu | 21.2 | 13.2 | Hokkaido Route 46 south – Nanporo, Kitahiroshima Hokkaido Route 128 west – to Dō-Ō Expressway, National Route 275, Tōbetsu | Northern end of Hokkaido Route 46 concurrency |
| Ebetsu | 22.7 | 14.1 | Hokkaido Route 1056 west – to National Route 275, Tōbetsu | Southern end of Hokkaido Route 1056 concurrency |
| Ebetsu | 25.7 | 16.0 | Hokkaido Route 1056 west – Naganuma, Nanporo, Akebono | Northern end of Hokkaido Route 1056 concurrency |
| Ebetsu | 27.0 | 16.8 | National Route 337 (Dō-ōken Renraku Road) – to Dō-Ō Expressway, Otaru, Tōbetsu, Shinshinotsu, Naganuma, Nanporo | Interchange |
| Iwamizawa | 34.9 | 21.7 | Hokkaido Route 340 south – Kuriyama, Nanporo Hokkaido Route 1121 north – Shinshinotsu, Kitamura | |
| Iwamizawa | 38.3 | 23.8 | Hokkaido Route 728 south – Kurisawa | |
| Iwamizawa | 39.6 | 24.6 | Hokkaido Route 81 north – Tōbetsu, Shinshinotsu, Kitamura | |
| Iwamizawa | 40.5 | 25.2 | Hokkaido Route 6 north – Iwamizawa Station | |
| Iwamizawa | 41.0 | 25.5 | Hokkaido Route 1139 south | |
| Iwamizawa | 43.0 | 26.7 | National Route 234 south – Tomakomai, Kuriyama Hokkaido Route 687 north – Kitamura, Tsukigawa, Shinshinotsu | |
| Iwamizawa | 45.6 | 28.3 | Hokkaido Route 960 east | |
| Iwamizawa | 45.8 | 28.5 | Hokkaido Route 917 east – Iwamizawa Road Office | |
| Mikasa | 50.2 | 31.2 | Hokkaido Route 30 south – Kuriyama, Mikasa | |
| Bibai | 52.1 | 32.4 | Hokkaido Route 275 west – Tsukigata, Miyajima Swamp, Kitamura | |
| Bibai | 52.4 | 32.6 | Hokkaido Route 1140 east – Mikasa | |
| Bibai | 60.8 | 37.8 | Hokkaido Route 33 west – to National Route 275, Kamibibai, Tsukigata, Miyajima Swamp | |
| Bibai | 61.7 | 38.3 | Hokkaido Route 135 east – Tomei Park | |
| Bibai | 65.6 | 40.8 | Hokkaido Route 979 west – to National Route 275, Urausu | |
| Naie | 71.2 | 44.2 | Hokkaido Route 139 west – Urausu | |
| Naie | 71.5 | 44.4 | Hokkaido Route 529 east – Naie Station | Southern end of Hokkaido Route 529 concurrency |
| Naie | 71.8 | 44.6 | Hokkaido Route 529 east | Northern end of Hokkaido Route 529 concurrency |
| Naie | 74.6 | 46.4 | Hokkaido Route 114 north – to Dō-Ō Expressway, Kamisunagawa | |
| Sunagawa | 78.6 | 48.8 | Hokkaido Route 115 east – Utashinai, Kamisunagawa | |
| Sunagawa | 80.3 | 49.9 | Hokkaido Route 283 west – to National Route 275, Shintotsukawa Hokkaido Route 627 east – Utashinai | |
| Sunagawa | 82.5 | 51.3 | Hokkaido Route 1027 east – to Dō-Ō Expressway, Utashinai | |
| Sunagawa | 84.7 | 52.6 | National Route 12 north (Takikawa Bypass) – Asahikawa, Fukagawa | |
| Takikawa | 86.0 | 53.4 | National Route 451 north (Takishin Bypass) – Shintotsukawa | |
| Takikawa | 86.6 | 53.8 | Hokkaido Route 203 west – Takikawa Station | |
| Takikawa | 87.0 | 54.1 | National Route 38 east (Higashi-Ōdōri) – to Dō-Ō Expressway, Furano National Route 451 north – Hamamasu, Shintotsukawa | |
| Takikawa | 90.6 | 56.3 | National Route 12 south (Takikawa Bypass) – to Dō-Ō Expressway, Sapporo, Sunagawa | |
| Takikawa | 94.9 | 59.0 | Hokkaido Route 564 east – to National Route 38, Akabira | |
| Takikawa | 95.1 | 59.1 | Hokkaido Route 323 west – Ebeotsu Station | |
| Takikawa | 96.3 | 59.8 | Hokkaido Route 279 west – to National Route 275, Uryū | |
| Fukagawa | 101.4 | 63.0 | Hokkaido Route 94 north – to Fukagawa-Rumoi Expressway, Moseushi | |
| Fukagawa | 108.9 | 67.7 | National Route 233 west – to Fukagawa-Rumoi Expressway, Fukagawa Station, Rumoi Hokkaido Route 79 east – to Dō-Ō Expressway | Southern end of National Route 233 concurrency |
| Fukagawa | 114.5 | 71.1 | Hokkaido Route 916 north – Osamunai Station | |
| Asahikawa | 118.2 | 73.4 | Hokkaido Route 4 south – Ashibetsu | |
| Asahikawa | 119.4 | 74.2 | Hokkaido Route 57 west – Rumoi, Fukagawa | |
| Asahikawa | 130.9 | 81.3 | National Route 12 north (Asahikawa Shindō) – to Dō-Ō Expressway, Kitami, Shibetsu | Northbound exit, southbound entrance |
| Asahikawa | 131.2 | 81.5 | Hokkaido Route 937 south – Kamiubun, Daibahigashi | |
| Asahikawa | 133.5 | 83.0 | Hokkaido Route 90 – Numata, Tadoshi, Furano, Asahikawa Airport | |
| Asahikawa | 135.2 | 84.0 | National Route 237 south (Takishin Bypass) – Furano, Biei, Asahikawa Airport | |
| Asahikawa | 135.7 | 84.3 | National Route 39 east (Yonjō-dōri) – Kitami, Kamikawa National Route 40 north (Shōwa-dōri) – Nayoro, Shibetsu | Northern terminus; end of National Route 233 concurrency; highway continues east as National Route 39 |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access Route transition |||||

## Auxiliary routes
### Takikawa Bypass

The Takikawa Bypass is a 6.3-kilometer-long (3.9 mi) auxiliary route of National Route 12 that travels to the east and north of the central district of Takikawa. From its southern terminus with its parent route, it heads north and crosses over the Sorachi River. It has a junction with National Route 38. After this junction the Takikawa Bypass travels northeast, paralleling the main line of National Route 12 until it reaches Hokkaido Route 776. From there it heads northwest towards its northern terminus at a junction with National Route 12.

### Asahikawa Shindō

The Asahikawa Shindō is a 14.1-kilometer-long (8.8 mi) auxiliary route of National Route 12 that travels to the west and north of the central district of Asahikawa. From its southern terminus with its parent route, it heads north and crosses over the Ishikari River. After that it curves to the northeast and has a junction with the Dō-Ō Expressway. North of central Asahikawa the highway curves to the southeast. It meets National Route 40 just before crossing over the Ishikari River once more. The highway then meets its northern terminus at an intersection with National Route 39.