# Japan National Route 42

National Route 42 (国道42号, Kokudō yonjūni-gō), also called Kumano Kaidō or Tropical Route is a national highway connecting Hamamatsu, Shizuoka and Wakayama, Wakayama in Japan. Part of the route requires crossing Ise Bay on the Ise-wan Ferry. It is the 8th longest national highway in Japan.

## Route data

The total length on the main road is 487.2km(307.2 miles). However, by factoring in the overlapped section (33.4km/20.8 miles) and the sea crossing(19.8km/12.3 miles)the total distance becomes 540.3km(335.7miles). At the origin Hamamatsu, the route starts overlapped with Route 1 and, is a junction to route 257 and 300. The route passes though the cities of Tahara, Toba, Ise, Matsusaka, Owase, Kumano, Shingū, Tanabe, and Gobō. At the terminus Wakayama, there is a junction with national route 24 and 26.

### Overlapping sections

* From the origin to Kosai: Route 1
* From Tahara to Toba (Ferry crossing section): Route 259
* From Toba to Ise: Route 167
* From Ise to Matsusaka : Route 23
* From Tanabe to Minabe: Route 424

## History

Route 42 was originally designated in January 1945 as a section of Route 41 (the Kumano Highway), which ran to Tokyo. This ran concurrent with Route 1 (now Route 1/Route 23). On 18 May 1953 Route 41 was classified as a Class 2 highway and redesignated as Route 170, which was later redesignated as Route 42 when the route was promoted to a Class 1 highway. On 1 April 1965, the classification of Class 1 and Class 2 was discontinued, redesignating it as General National Route 42.
On 1 April 1993, the highway was changed by removing the section of Tsu-Matsusaka and adding the Hamamatsu - Matsusaka. This was part of the plan to connect the Atsumi Peninsula, though the Kii Peninsula, Shikoku, Kyushu and terminating at Okinawa. This plan is called the Japan Sea National Land Axis Plan.

## Passes through
### Shizuoka Prefecture

* Hamana Bypass (浜名バイパス)
** Hamamatsu - Kosai

### Aichi Prefecture

* Sanen Ise Access Road (三遠伊勢連絡道路) - Planning Stage
** Hamamatsu - Ise (Mie Prefecture)

### Mie Prefecture

* Matsusaka - Taki Bypass (松阪多気バイパス)
** Matsusaka - Taki
* Kumano - Owase Road (熊野尾鷲道路)
** Owase - Kumano
* Odomari Bypass (大泊バイパス)
** Kumano
* Kumano Road (熊野道路)
** Kumanoo
* Kiho Bypass (紀宝バイパス)
** Kiho - Shingu
* Shingu - Kiho Road (新宮紀宝道路)
** Kiho - Shingu

### Wakayama Prefecture

* Nachikatsuura - Shingu Road (那智勝浦新宮道路)
** Shingu - Nachikatsuura
* Kushimoto - Taiji Road (串本太地道路)
** Taiji - Kushimoto
* Susami - Kushimoto Road (すさみ串本道路)
** Kushimoto - Susami
* Yuasa - Gobo Road (湯浅御坊道路) - Toll Road
** Gobo - Yuasa
* Hiki River Road (日置川道路)
** Sasumi - Shirahama
* Tanabe Bypass (田辺バイパス)
** Kamitonda - Tanabe
* West Tanabe Bypass (田辺西バイパス)
** Tanabe
* Yura Bypass (由良バイパス)
** Yura - Hirogawa
* Arida Bypass (有田バイパス)
** Arida
* Shimizu Widening (冷水拡幅) - Partially Under Construction
** Kainan
* Arita - Kainan Road (有田海南道路) - Partially Under Construction
** Arida - Kainan
* Kainan Bypass (海南バイパス)
** Kainan

## Intersects with

| Prefecture | Location | Destinations | Notes |
| Shizuoka | Hamamatsu | National Route 257 / National Route 301 – Takayama, Toyota National Route 1 – Osaka, Tokyo | Overlapping section of National Route 1 |
| Shizuoka | Kosai | National Route 257 / National Route 301 – Takayama, Toyota National Route 1 – Osaka, Tokyo | End of overlapping section of National Route 1 |
| Aichi | Tahara | Aichi Prefectural Route 28 – Takahara | |
| Aichi | Tahara | Aichi Prefectural Route 2 – Toyohashi | |
| Aichi | Tahara | National Route 259 – Toba,Toyohashi | Overlapping section with National Route 259 |
| Ise Wan | Tahara - Toba | Ise Wan Ferry | |
| Mie | Toba | National Route 167 – Shima,Ise | Overlapping section with National Route 167 |
| Mie | Toba | National Route 167 – Shima,Ise | End of overlapping section for National Route 167 |
| Mie | Ise | Ise-Futami-toba Line - Ise | |
| Mie | Ise | National Route 23 – Toyohashi,Ise | |
| Mie | Meiwa | Mie Prefectural Route 60 – Ise, Matsusaka | |
| Mie | Matsusaka | Mie Prefectural Route 59 – Matsusaka | |
| Mie | Matsusaka | National Route 23 – Ise, Toyohashi | End of overlapping section with National Route 23 |
| Mie | Matsusaka | Mie Prefectural Route 60 – Ise, Matsusaka | On the Matsusaka - Taki Bypass |
| Mie | Matsusaka | Mie Prefectural Route 37 – Toba, Matsusaka | On the Matsusaka - Taki Bypass |
| Mie | Matsusaka | Mie Prefectural Route 59 – Matsusaka | On the Matsusaka - Taki Bypass |
| Mie | Matsusaka | Mie Prefectural Route 59 – Matsusaka | On the Matsusaka - Taki Bypass |
| Mie | Matsusaka | Mie Prefectural Route 59 – Matsusaka | |
| Mie | Matsusaka | Mie Prefectural Route 59 – Matsusaka | |
| Mie | Taki | Mie Prefectural Route 13 – Ise,Taki | |
| Mie | Taki | Ise Expressway - Ise,Tsu Kisei Expressway - Taki,Owase | Seiwa-Taki Interchange |
| Mie | Taki | National Route 368 – Iga, Taki | |
| Mie | Odai | Mie Prefectural Route 46 – Minamiise,Odai | |
| Mie | Odai | Mie Prefectural Route 31 – Odai | |
| Mie | Odai | Kisei Expressway - Taki,Owase | Omiya - Odai Interchange |
| Mie | Taiki | Mie Prefectural Route 38 – Taiki,Ise | |
| Mie | Taiki | Mie Prefectural Route 33 – Taiki,Ise | |
| Mie | Taiki | Mie Prefectural Route 68– Taiki | Connecting to Kisei Expressway - Taki,Owase |
| Mie | Kihoku | National Route 260 – Kihoku, Shima | |
| Mie | Kihoku | National Route 422 – Otsu, Kihoku | |
| Mie | Kihoku | National Route 422 – Otsu, Kihoku | |
| Mie | Kihoku | Kisei Expressway - Taki,Owase | Miyama Interchange |
| Mie | Owase | National Route 425 – Owase, Gobo | |
| Mie | Owase | National Route 311 – Owase, Kamitonda | |
| Mie | Owase | Mie Prefectural Route 70 – Owase | |
| Mie | Owase | Mie Prefectural Route 70 – Owase | On the Kumano Owase Road (Bypass) |
| Mie | Kumano | National Route 309 – Osaka, Kumano | |
| Mie | Kumano | National Route 311 – Owase, Kamitonda | Overlapping section with National Route 311 |
| Mie | Kumano | Mie Prefectural Route 34 – Kumano | |
| Mie | Kumano | National Route 311 – Owase, Kamitonda | End of overlapping section of National Route 311 |
| Mie | Mihama | Mie, Wakayama Prefectural Route 52 – Mihama,Kitayama | |
| Mie | Mihama | Mie Prefectural Route 62 – Mihama,Kumano | |
| Mie | Kiho | Mie Prefectural Route 35 – KIho,Mihama | On Kiho Bypass |
| Wakayama | Shingu | Wakayama Prefectural Route 42 – Shingu | |
| Wakayama | Shingu | National Route 168 – Shingu, Hirakata | |
| Wakayama | Nachikatsuura | Wakayama Prefectural Route 43 – Nachikatsuura,Kozagawa | |
| Wakayama | Nachikatsuura | Wakayama Prefectural Route 46 – Nachikatsuura | Entrance of Bypass road |
| Wakayama | Nachikatsuura | Wakayama Prefectural Route 46 – Nachikatsuura | |
| Wakayama | Nachikatsuura | Wakayama Prefectural Route 46 – Nachikatsuura | |
| Wakayama | Nachikatsuura | Wakayama Prefectural Route 45 – Nachikatsuura,Tanabe | |
| Wakayama | Kushimoto | Wakayama Prefectural Route 38 – Kushimoto,Susami | |
| Wakayama | Kushimoto | Wakayama Prefectural Route 41 – Kushimoto | |
| Wakayama | Kushimoto | Wakayama Prefectural Route 41 – Kushimoto | |
| Wakayama | Kushimoto | National Route 371 – Kushimoto, Kawachinagano | |
| Wakayama | Kushimoto | Wakayama Prefectural Route 39 – Kushimoto,Kozagawa | |
| Wakayama | Susami | Wakayama Prefectural Route 36 – Susami,Kamitonda | |
| Wakayama | Susami | Wakayama Prefectural Route 38 – Kushimoto,Susami | |
| Wakayama | Shirahama | Wakayama Prefectural Route 37 – Shirahama,Tanabe | |
| Wakayama | Shirahama | Wakayama Prefectural Route 34 – Shirahama | |
| Wakayama | Kamitonda | Wakayama Prefectural Route 31 – Shirahama,Tanabe | |
| Wakayama | Kamitonda | National Route 311 – Owase, Kamitonda | |
| Wakayama | Tanabe | Wakayama Prefectural Route 33 – Tanabe Wakayama Prefectural Route 31 – Shirahama,Tanabe | To Nanki-Shirahama Airport |
| Wakayama | Tanabe | Wakayama Prefectural Route 29 – Tanabe | |
| Wakayama | Tanabe | Wakayama Prefectural Route 208 – Tanabe | |
| Wakayama | Tanabe | Hanwa Expressway Kisei Expressway | Nanki Tanabe Interchange |
| Wakayama | Tanabe | National Route 424 – Tanabe, Kinokawa | Overlapping section with National Route 424 |
| Wakayama | Minabe | National Route 424 – Tanabe, Kinokawa | End of overlapping section with National Route 424 |
| Wakayama | Inami | Wakayama Prefectural Route 28 – Inami | |
| Wakayama | Gobo | National Route 425 – Owase, Gobo | |
| Wakayama | Gobo | Wakayama Prefectural Route 25 – Gobo,Hidakagawa | |
| Wakayama | Gobo | Wakayama Prefectural Route 26 – Gobo,Hidakagawa | |
| Wakayama | Gobo | Wakayama Prefectural Route 24 – Gobo,Hidakagawa | |
| Wakayama | Hidaka | Wakayama Prefectural Route 27 – Hidaka,Inami | |
| Wakayama | Hidaka | Wakayama Prefectural Route 23 – Hidaka,Yuasa | |
| Wakayama | Yura | Wakayama Prefectural Route 23 – Hidaka,Yuasa | |
| Wakayama | Yura | Wakayama Prefectural Route 23 – Hidaka,Yuasa | |
| Wakayama | Hirogawa | Wakayama Prefectural Route 27 – Hidaka,Inami | |
| Wakayama | Hirogawa | Hanwa Expressway | Hirokawa Interchange |
| Wakayama | Yuasa | Wakayama Prefectural Route 23 – Hidaka,Yuasa | |
| Wakayama | Aridagawa | Hanwa Expressway | Arida Interchange |
| Wakayama | Aridagawa | Wakayama Prefectural Route 22 – Aridagawa | |
| Wakayama | Arida | Wakayama Prefectural Route 20 – Arida,Yuasa | |
| Wakayama | Arida | Wakayama Prefectural Route 20 – Arida,Yuasa | |
| Wakayama | Arida | National Route 480 – Arida, Izumiotsu | |
| Wakayama | Kainan | Hanwa Expressway | Kainan Interchange |
| Wakayama | Kainan | National Route 370 – Kainan, Nara | |
| Wakayama | Kainan | Wakayama Prefectural Route 9 – Kainan,Iwade | |
| Wakayama | Wakayama | Wakayama Prefectural Route 13 – Wakayama,Hashimoto | |
| Wakayama | Wakayama | National Route 26 – Wakayama, Osaka National Route 24 – Wakayama, Kyoto | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access Route transition ||||||