National Route 8 (国道8号, Kokudō hachi-gō) is a major highway in the Hokuriku and Kansai regions of central Japan. The 574.1-kilometer (356.7 mi) highway begins at an intersection with National Routes 7, 17, 49, 113, and 116 in Chūō-ku, Niigata. It travels southwest across central Honshu, connecting the prefecture capitals: Toyama, Kanazawa, Fukui, and Ōtsu. In Kyoto it travels concurrently with National Route 1 toward its endpoint at an intersection with National Routes 9, 24, and 367 in Shimogyō-ku, Kyoto.^[2][3]

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Quick Facts National Route 8, Route information ...

National Route 8
国道8号
Route information
Length	574.1 km[1] (356.7 mi)
Existed	1952–present
Major junctions
North end	National Route 7 / National Route 17 / National Route 49 / National Route 113 / National Route 116 in Niigata
South end	National Route 1 / National Route 9 / National Route 24 / National Route 367 in Kyoto
Location
Country	Japan
Highway system
National highways of Japan Expressways of Japan
← National Route 7 → National Route 9

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• Length: 574.1 km (356.7 mi)
• Origin: Chūō-ku, Niigata (originates at junction with Routes 7, 17, 49, 113 and 116)
• Terminus: Shimogyō-ku, Kyoto (ends at Junction with Routes 9, 24 and 367)
• Major cities: Sanjō, Nagaoka, Kashiwazaki, Joetsu, Itoigawa, Toyama, Takaoka, Kanazawa, Hakusan, Komatsu, Fukui, Tsuruga, Maibara, Hikone, Ōtsu

The origins of the road that is now National Route 8 can be traced back to the Hokurikudō, a road that was established after the Taika Reform to link Kyoto to the capitals of the region by that went by the same name.^[4]

The modern history of the highway saw its establishment by the Cabinet of Japan on 4 December 1952 as First Class National Highway 8 from Niigata to Kyoto. On 1 April 1965 it was re-designated as General National Highway 8. On 7–9 February 2018, heavy snowfall shut down the highway for over 60 hours in Fukui Prefecture before it could be removed.^[5]

This article contains a bulleted list or table of intersections which should be presented in a properly formatted junction table. (November 2021)

• in Niigata Prefecture
  • Routes 7, 17, 18, 49, 113, 116, 148, 252, 253, 292, 350, 351, 352, 353, 403 and 460
• in Toyama Prefecture
  • Routes 41, 156, 160, 415, 470, 471 and 472
• in Ishikawa Prefecture
  • Routes 157, 159, 305, 360, 364 and 416
• in Fukui Prefecture
  • Routes 27, 158, 161, 305, 365, 416, 417 and 476
• in Shiga Prefecture
  • Routes 1, 21, 161, 303, 305, 306, 365, 421, 422 and 477
• in Kyoto Prefecture
  • Routes 9, 24 and 367

National Route 8 is the namesake of Hachi-ban Ramen [ja], a chain of ramen shops in the Hokuriku region.^[6]

• Masaya-koji Street, near the origin of Route 8 in Niigata City
• Nagaoka Bypass in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture
• Route 8 in Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture
• Route 8 in Komatsu, Ishikawa
• Route 1 and Route 8 in Rittō, Shiga Prefecture

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