# Japan National Route 238

National Route 238 (国道238号, Kokudō Nihyaku sanjūhachi-gō) is the northernmost of the national highways of Japan. It connects the cities of Abashiri and Wakkanai in the northern part of the island and prefecture of Hokkaido in northern Japan.

## History

On 18 May 1953, the highway was established as Second Class National Highway 238 by the Cabinet of Japan. It was re-designated as General National Route 238 on 1 April 1965. A curve of the road was made less sharp in Yubetsu on 1 April 2018, this shortened the total length of the highway by 30 meters (98 ft).

## Major junctions

The route lies entirely within Hokkaido.
| Location | km | mi | Destinations | Notes |
| Abashiri | 0.0 | 0.0 | National Route 39 / National Route 239 west / National Route 240 / National Route 242 / National Route 243 – Shari, Hamakoshimizu, Kitami, Bihoro | Eastern terminus; eastern end of National Route 239 and 242 concurrency; highway continues east as National Route 39 |
| Abashiri | 1.4 | 0.87 | Hokkaido Route 1010 north – Notoro Fishing Port | |
| Abashiri | 5.5 | 3.4 | Hokkaido Route 104 south – Kitami | |
| Abashiri | 7.2 | 4.5 | Hokkaido Route 76 east – Cape Notori | |
| Abashiri | 11.0 | 6.8 | Hokkaido Route 591 south – Kitami, Bihoro | |
| Kitami | 26.0 | 16.2 | Hokkaido Route 409 (Tokoro Harbor Road) west | |
| Kitami | 27.0 | 16.8 | Hokkaido Route 1033 west – Central Tokoro | |
| Kitami | 29.4 | 18.3 | Hokkaido Route 7 – Central Tokoro, Kitami | |
| Kitami | 30.9 | 19.2 | Hokkaido Route 1033 east – Central Tokoro | |
| Kitami | 31.6 | 19.6 | Hokkaido Route 442 west – Lake Saroma | |
| Kitami | 39.4 | 24.5 | Hokkaido Route 442 east – Lake Saroma, Sakaeura | |
| Saroma | 41.6 | 25.8 | Hokkaido Route 103 west – Rubeshibe, Saroma | |
| Saroma | 42.2 | 26.2 | Hokkaido Route 858 west – Kimuaneppu Cape | |
| Saroma | 54.0 | 33.6 | Hokkaido Route 961 south – Saroma | |
| Yūbetsu | 60.4 | 37.5 | Hokkaido Route 685 south – to National Route 333, Wakasa | |
| Yūbetsu | 68.0 | 42.3 | Hokkaido Route 244 south – Engaru | |
| Yūbetsu | 77.3 | 48.0 | National Route 242 south – Rubeshibe, Engaru Hokkaido Route 712 west – Ryokuin | Western end of National Route 242 concurrency |
| Yūbetsu | 79.0 | 49.1 | Hokkaido Route 204 north – Yūbetsu | |
| Monbetsu | 85.6 | 53.2 | Hokkaido Route 873 west – Motomonbetsu | |
| Monbetsu | 89.3 | 55.5 | Hokkaido Route 1151 south – Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport | |
| Monbetsu | 92.3 | 57.4 | Hokkaido Route 873 east – Maruseppu | |
| Monbetsu | 92.9 | 57.7 | Hokkaido Route 305 – Central Motomonbetsu, Central Monbetsu | |
| Monbetsu | 93.3 | 58.0 | Hokkaido Route 304 north – Central Monbetsu, Okhotsk Sea Ice Museum of Hokkaido | |
| Monbetsu | 94.9 | 59.0 | Hokkaido Route 713 – Central Monbetsu, Takinoue | |
| Monbetsu | 102.1 | 63.4 | National Route 273 south – Kamikawa, Takinoue Hokkaido Route 305 east – Central Monbetsu | Northern terminus of National Route 273 |
| Okoppe | 111.3 | 69.2 | Hokkaido Route 492 north – Central Okoppe | |
| Okoppe | 118.0 | 73.3 | Hokkaido Route 334 south – Nakamokoppe | |
| Okoppe | 121.2 | 75.3 | National Route 239 west – Nayoro, Nishiokoppe | Western end of National Route 239 concurrency |
| Ōmu | 129.7 | 80.6 | Hokkaido Route 883 south – Nishiokoppe | |
| Ōmu | 138.6 | 86.1 | Hokkaido Route 49 west – Bifuka | |
| Ōmu | 162.0 | 100.7 | Hokkaido Route 60 south – Shimokawa, Bifuka | |
| Esashi | 170.0 | 105.6 | Hokkaido Route 880 west – Kamiotoshibe | |
| Esashi | 180.8 | 112.3 | Hokkaido Route 1023 west – Utanobori | |
| Esashi | 199.7 | 124.1 | Hokkaido Route 12 west – Utanobori | |
| Esashi | 200.1 | 124.3 | Hokkaido Route 1069 north – Central Esashi | |
| Esashi | 204.2 | 126.9 | Hokkaido Route 1069 south – Central Esashi | |
| Hamatonbetsu | 225.5 | 140.1 | Hokkaido Route 586 west – Nakatonbetsu | |
| Hamatonbetsu | 230.1 | 143.0 | Hokkaido Route 1074 north – Tonbetsu | |
| Hamatonbetsu | 232.0 | 144.2 | National Route 275 south – Otoineppu, Nakatonbetsu | Northern terminus of National Route 239 |
| Sarufutsu | 241.3 | 149.9 | Hokkaido Route 710 south – Nitachinai | |
| Sarufutsu | 247.4 | 153.7 | Hokkaido Route 732 south – Toyotomi | |
| Sarufutsu | 254.4 | 158.1 | Hokkaido Route 584 west – Central Sarufutsu | |
| Sarufutsu | 264.0 | 164.0 | Hokkaido Route 138 west – to National Route 40, Onishibetsu, Toyotomi | |
| Wakkanai | 275.6 | 171.2 | Hokkaido Route 1077 west – Central Wakkanai, Wakkanai Airport | |
| Wakkanai | 298.1 | 185.2 | Hokkaido Route 889 south – Sōya Hill | |
| Wakkanai | 307.6 | 191.1 | Hokkaido Route 1077 east – Onishibetsu, Numakawa | |
| Wakkanai | 313.4 | 194.7 | Hokkaido Route 121 south – Numakawa, Wakkanai Airport | |
| Wakkanai | 315.2 | 195.9 | Hokkaido Route 1133 south – Hokkaido Sōya Fureai Park | |
| Wakkanai | 319.6 | 198.6 | National Route 40 / National Route 232 – Nayoro, Toyotomi, Wakkanai Station | Western terminus |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus |||||