National Route 103
国道103号
Japan National Route 103 highlighted in red
Route information
Length	130.0 km[1] (80.8 mi)
Existed	18 May 1953–present
Major junctions
North end	National Route 4 inAomori, Aomori
Major intersections	National Route 394 National Route 102 National Route 454 National Route 104 National Route 282 Tōhoku Expressway National Route 285 Akita Expressway
South end	National Route 7 inŌdate, Akita
Location
Country	Japan
Highway system
National highways of Japan Expressways of Japan
←National Route 102 →National Route 104

National Route 103 (国道103号,Kokudō Hyakusangō) is anational highway ofJapan connecting the capital ofAomori Prefecture,Aomori toŌdate in northeasternAkita Prefecture. It has a total length of 130.0 km (80.8 mi).

The route's northern terminus is an intersection withJapan National Route 4 in the center of the city of Aomori. From here it begins its journey south through the city. Within the urbanized parts of the city it is known as Kankō Dori (Tourism Road). After passing by the headquarters ofMichinoku Bank, the highway crosses over theAoimori Railway Line. It then travels through a heavily commercialized area of the city before reaching an intersection with theAomori Belt Highway (National Route 7) and theAomori Expressway. Route 7 serves as a frontage road to the expressway and as an eventual access point to it atAomori-chūō Interchange.

Continuing out of the commercial area, the highway passesAomori Chuo Gakuin University. After passing the institution the road divides with the western route serving as a bypass to the main highway to the east. At this point the highway is known as the Hakkōda Gold Line. After passing through a residential area, the main highway and bypass begin the ascent of theHakkōda Mountains. The highways merge nearAomori Public University, now known solely as the Hakkōda Gold Line. Continuing its ascent up the mountain, the route meets Aomori Prefecture Route 40, a route that provides access to the nearby memorial of theHakkōda Mountains incident and then travels southeast toTowada, Aomori. Route 103 winds its way up the mountain where it reaches theHakkōda Ropeway, a cable car that takes skiers and hikers to the peak of Mount Tamoyachi of the Hakkōda Mountains. After a short descent, the road meetsJapan National Route 394 at a signaled intersection. Just a couple of kilometers from here isSukayu Onsen, the snowiest inhabited place on earth famous for its 1,000 person mixed-use bath. The road continues winding down the mountain in southeasterly path, passing other onsen and resorts along the way. This section of road is closed during the winter, but is reopened in early spring as a "snow corridor" where visitors are allowed to walk.^[2][3] It meetsJapan National Route 102 at a junction near theOirase River. Route 103 begins a concurrency with Route 102 here, traveling to southwest towardsLake Towada, while Route 102's eastbound traffic continues following the river's flow towards the city of Towada.

The concurrency follows the Oirase River upstream until it reaches Lake Towada. At the shore of the lake, the concurrency ends with Route 102 forming the northeast and northern parts of a road that circles the lake, while Route 103 forms the eastern and southern part of the road. As the road begins to travel along the southern shore of the lake it meetsJapan National Route 454 where the routes form a concurrency. Along the southern part of this circular road, Routes 103 and 454 cross into Akita Prefecture. Continuing along the lake's southern shore, the road meets the western end of the concurrency, Route 454 continues toward Route 102 as the remaining portion of the road to circle the lake while Route 103 begins traveling to the southeast.

The road meetsJapan National Route 104 and turns to the southwest towardsKazuno, Akita. In Kazuno it passes by theŌyu Stone Circles aJōmon period site. It continues into the city of Kazuno. In the city it passes under theTōhoku Expressway and then crosses over theYoneshiro River where it has a junction with the expressway. The road again crosses the Yoneshiro River several times as it crosses intoŌdate. In Ōdate the road first meetsJapan National Route 285, it later has a junction with theAkita Expressway, shortly after the route again meets National Route 7 at Route 103's southern terminus.

National Route 103 was established by theCabinet of Japan betweenTowadako, Aomori andŌdate, Akita in 1953.^[4] In 1993, the northern terminus of the highway was moved north from Towada to its current location in Aomori city.^[5]

All junctions listed areat-grade intersections unless noted otherwise.

Prefecture	Location	km	mi	Destinations	Notes
Aomori	Aomori	0.0	0.0	National Route 4 /National Route 45 –Hirosaki,Shin-Aomori Station,Towada,Noheji	Northern terminus, road continues north as Zeimusho-dori
		3.2	2.0	National Route 7 (Aomori Belt Highway) – Hirosaki,Aomori-chūō, Towada, Noheji
		5.4	3.4	Aomori Prefecture Route 44 –Fujisaki,Aomori Airport, Towada,Michinoku Toll Road
		18.0	11.2	Aomori Prefecture Route 40 east – Tashirotai
		24.9	15.5	National Route 394 south –Jogakura Bridge,Kuroishi,	Northern end of National Route 394 concurrency
	Towada	35.3	21.9	National Route 394 north – Tashirotai,Shichinohe	Southern end of National Route 394 concurrency
		46.6	29.0	National Route 102 east – Towada, National Route 4,Lake Towada,Oirase Gorge	Northern end of National Route 102 concurrency
		50.4	31.3	National Route 102 south (Oirase Bypass) – Hirosaki, Kuroishi
		60.3	37.5	National Route 102 west – Hirosaki, Kuroishi,Tōhoku Expressway	Southern end of National Route 102 concurrency
		64.2	39.9	National Route 454 east –Gonohe, Mayogatai	Northern end of National Route 454 concurrency
Akita	Kazuno	73.5	45.7	National Route 454 west – Hirosaki, Kuroishi, Okawatai	Southern end of National Route 454 concurrency
		77.0	47.8	Akita Prefecture Route 2 (Jyukai Line) west –Kosaka
		81.8	50.8	National Route 104 east (Shirahagi Line) –Sannohe	Northern end of unsigned National Route 104 concurrency
		94.3	58.6	Akita Prefecture Route 66 south – Hanawa,Ōyu Stone Circle
		100.9	62.7	National Route 282 /National Route 285 west – Yuze, Hanawa,Hirakawa, Kosaka,	Eastern terminus of unsigned National Route 285; northern end of unsigned National Route 285 concurrency
		102.0	63.4	Tōhoku Expressway – Aomori, Morioka, Sendai,Hachinohe Expressway	E4 exit 49 (Towada Interchange)
	Ōdate	110.4	68.6	Akita Prefecture Route 66 south – Osarizawa	Interchange
		119.1	74.0	National Route 285 west –Akita,Kitaakita,Odate–Noshiro Airport	Southern end of unsigned National Route 285 concurrency
		126.2	78.4	Akita Prefecture Route 102 – Hinai, Central Ōdate
		127.5	79.2	Akita Expressway – Kitaakita, Hirosaki, Odate–Noshiro Airport	E7 exit 26 (Ōdate-minami Interchange)
		130.0	80.8	National Route 7 –Noshiro, Kitaakita, Odate–Noshiro Airport, Central Ōdate	Southern terminus; western terminus of unsigned National Route 104
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

• http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/ir/ir-data/tokei-nen/2015/pdf/d_genkyou26.pdf

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• 1953 establishments in Japan

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