:Japan National Route 119

File:日光杉並木街道 20130522 - panoramio.jpg.|alt=A view of the road lined with tall cedar trees]]

The designation of National Route 119 applies to two highways. The first highway to carry the designation almost entirely follows the original Nikkō Kaidō from National Route 120 and National Route 122 at Rinnō-ji in Nikkō to a junction with National Route 4 to the south of central Utsunomiya. The second highway follows the Nikkō Utsunomiya Road from Nikko Interchange to its eastern terminus at the Tōhoku Expressway. The two highways have a total length of {{convert|63.9|km|mi|sp=us}}.

The highway that follows the original routing of the Nikkō Kaidō has a total length of {{convert|39.4|km|mi|sp=us}}.{{google maps |title=Route 119 (1)|url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/36.7537132,139.6043812/36.5366701,139.8808323/@36.6501692,139.6938199,11.25z/data=!4m21!4m20!1m15!3m4!1m2!1d139.7631486!2d36.6903125!3s0x601f73e87dc860ad:0xfe445f53c1f8e2d5!3m4!1m2!1d139.8382492!2d36.6601884!3s0x601f6fe14acbcf23:0x46773445de03ab53!3m4!1m2!1d139.8679935!2d36.5660716!3s0x601f67cce51f4f25:0x5e4f0fff5239e766!1m0!2m1!2b1!3e0|access-date=13 April 2021}} This routing of National Route 119 makes up the Nikkō–Utsunomiya leg of the scenic Japan Romantic Road that stretches across Tochigi and Nagano prefectures.{{cite web|title=Japan Romantic Road|url=https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7450.html#section_main_content|publisher=japan-guide.com|date=13 May 2020|access-date=13 April 2021|archive-date=26 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226232612/https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7450.html#section_main_content|url-status=live}} The highway was deemed by Guinness World Records to be a part of what the organization called the world's longest tree-lined avenue, the Cedar Avenue of Nikkō.{{cite web|title=Longest avenue of trees|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-avenue-of-trees|publisher=Guinness World Records|date=2021|access-date=14 April 2021|archive-date=18 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418125718/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-avenue-of-trees|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=日光杉並木|trans-title=Cedar Avenue of Nikkō|url=https://www.unesco.or.jp/nikko/namiki2.htm|publisher={{ill|National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan|ja|日本ユネスコ国内委員会}}|language=ja|date=25 June 2019|access-date=14 April 2021|archive-date=14 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414012640/https://www.unesco.or.jp/nikko/namiki2.htm|url-status=live}}

The highway begins at a junction near Rinnō-ji with National Routes 120 and 122 and Tochigi Prefecture Route 247 in Nikkō. From there it travels southwest through the central district of the city, where it begins running parallel with the Tōbu Nikkō Line and the Nikkō Utsunomiya Road. Within the former city of Imaichi, the highway has junctions with National Routes 121, 352, and 461—sharing a brief concurrency with the former two of the three routes. Crossing into Utsunomiya, the highway begins gradually curving to the south still paralleling the Nikkō Utsunomiya Road, but moving away from the Tōbu Nikkō Line.

In northwestern Utsunomiya, the highway has a junction with National Route 293. Further south, the highway passes beneath, but does not connect directly to, the Tōhoku Expressway. It instead intersects with the Utsunomiya-kita Road, and auxiliary route of National Route 119 that has a junction with the expressway, just to the south of that underpass. The Utsunomiya-kita Road and National Route 119 run parallel to one another for a short distance before they intersect with the Utsunomiya Ring Road, there the auxiliary route curves to the east towards its end while the main route continues south towards central Utsunomiya. In central Utsunomiya the highway zigzags its way south past several key locations, such as the city hall, the Tochigi Prefecture Office, and Tōbu-Utsunomiya Station before coming to an end just under two kilometers south at a junction with National Route 4.{{cite web|title=一般国道119号改築工事|trans-title=General National Highway 119 reconstruction work|url=https://www.ktr.mlit.go.jp/ktr_content/content/000716419.pdf|publisher=Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism|language=ja|date=15 November 2018|access-date=14 April 2021|archive-date=14 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414015837/https://www.ktr.mlit.go.jp/ktr_content/content/000716419.pdf|url-status=live}}

{{main|Nikkō Utsunomiya Road}}

The part of the Nikkō Utsunomiya Road designated as National Route 119 has a total length of {{convert|24.5|km|mi|sp=us}}.{{google maps |title=Route 119 (1)|url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/36.6384817,139.8448027/36.7418427,139.626442/@36.6376868,139.8441476,17.25z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0|access-date=13 April 2021}} The highway is designated for motor vehicles with a displacement of at least 125 cc. The design standard of the road is similar to most national expressways in Japan. The road has four lanes on the section designated as a part of National Route 119 and a speed limit of 80 km/h.{{cite web|title=道路デザイン指針（仮称）検討委員会 第５回委員会、第 11 回幹事会|trans-title=Road Design Guidelines (tentative name) Review Committee 5th Committee, 11th Executive Committee|url=http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/sisaku/roaddesign/roaddesign.files/rd27.pdf|publisher=Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport |language=ja|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061117173534/http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/sisaku/roaddesign/roaddesign.files/rd27.pdf|archive-date=17 November 2006|access-date=14 April 2021}}

{{See also|Nikkō Kaidō}}

Much of what is presently National Route 119 was preceded by the northernmost section of the Nikkō Kaidō, a road established by the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period. It connected Edo and the Shrines and Temples of Nikkō. Secondary National Route 119 was established by the Cabinet of Japan between of Nikkō and Utsunomiya in 1953 along pre-existing roads, mostly made up of the section of the Nikkō Kaidō between the two municipalities.{{cite wikisource|wslink=二級国道の路線を指定する政令 (昭和二十八年)|wslanguage=ja|year=1953|title=二級国道の路線を指定する政令|trans-title=Cabinet Order Designating Secondary National Routes|publisher=Cabinet of Japan}} In 1965, the Cabinet of Japan amended the highway's designation, upgrading it from its secondary status to a full national highway.{{cite wikisource|title=一般国道の路線を指定する政令|wslink=一般国道の路線を指定する政令|wslanguage=ja|year=1965|trans-title=Cabinet Order Designating General National Routes|publisher=Cabinet of Japan}}

In 1988, an ordinance was put in place along the Nikkō Kaidō that forbade any new installation of large advertisements along tree-lined sections of the road.{{cite web|title=国道１１９号線（日光街道）桜並木敷沿道の屋外広告物規制について|trans-title=About the regulation of outdoor advertisements along the cherry blossom trees along National Route 119 (Nikkō Kaidō)|url=https://www.city.utsunomiya.tochigi.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/005/824/okugai_nikkoukaidou.pdf|publisher=City of Utsunomiya|language=ja|date=April 1996|access-date=2 May 2021|archive-date=2 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502020957/https://www.city.utsunomiya.tochigi.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/005/824/okugai_nikkoukaidou.pdf|url-status=live}} On 16 May 2018, a section of the highway was rerouted to protect the Cedar Avenue of Nikkō, a protected tree-lined section of the original Nikkō Kaidō that was being degraded by the heavy automobile traffic of the national highway.{{cite web|title=国道119号 旧道（日光街道）日光市七本桜地内 通行止め位置図|trans-title=National Route 119 old road (Nikkō Kaidō) Nikkō seven cherry blossoms area closed road map|url=http://www.pref.tochigi.lg.jp/h53/documents/nanahon1.pdf|publisher=Tochigi Prefecture|language=ja|date=26 April 2018|access-date=13 April 2021|archive-date=13 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413023822/http://www.pref.tochigi.lg.jp/h53/documents/nanahon1.pdf|url-status=live}}

The route lies entirely within Tochigi Prefecture. For the Nikkō Utsunomiya Road section of National Route 119, see the junction list of that article.

{{JPNinttop|nopref=yes|length_ref=}}

{{JPNint

|location_special=Nikkō

|lspan=13

|km=0.0

|road={{jct|country=JPN|Route|120|Route|122|dir1=west|dir2=south}} – Lake Chūzenji, Numata
Tochigi Prefecture Route 247 east

|notes=Western terminus

}}

{{JPNint

|km=1.4

|road=Tochigi Prefecture Route 169 north – Kuriyama, Kirifugi Highland

|notes=

}}

{{JPNint

|km=1.5

|road=Tochigi Prefecture Route 14 south

|notes=

}}

{{JPNint

|km=1.7

|road=Tochigi Prefecture Route 203 north – Nikkō Station

|notes=

}}

{{JPNint

|km=8.0

|type=concur

|road={{jct|country=JPN|Route|121|Route|352|dir1=north|dir2=west}} – Kawaji, Kinugawa

|notes=Western end of concurrency with National Routes 121 and 352

}}

{{JPNint

|km=8.4

|road=Tochigi Prefecture Route 62 east – Shimo-Imaichi Station
Tochigi Prefecture Route 229 south – Imaichi Station

|notes=

}}

{{JPNint

|km=8.5

|type=concur

|road={{jct|country=JPN|Route|121|Route|352|dir1=south|dir2=east}} – Kanuma

|notes=Eastern end of concurrency with National Routes 121 and 352

}}

{{JPNint

|km=9.8

|road={{jct|country=JPN|Route|461|dir1=east}} – Kinugawa, Yaita

|notes=

}}

{{JPNint

|km=11.3

|road=File:JP Expressway E81.svg{{jct|country=JPN|Route|121|name1=Itabashi Bypass|dir1=south}} – to Nikkō Utsunomiya Road, Kanuma

|notes=

}}

{{JPNint

|km=14.0

|road=Tochigi Prefecture Route 279 north – Kinugawa, Ōkuwa

|notes=

}}

{{JPNint

|km=15.8

|road=File:JP Expressway E81.svg Tochigi Prefecture Route 110 west – to Nikkō Utsunomiya Road, Shimotsuke-Ōsawa Station

|notes=

}}

{{JPNint

|km=16.3

|road=Tochigi Prefecture Route 22 south – Inokura

|notes=

}}

{{JPNint

|km=16.9

|road=Tochigi Prefecture Route 295 north – Imaichi Youth Sports Center

|notes=

}}

{{JPNint

|location_special=Utsunomiya

|lspan=10

|km=21.9

|road=Tochigi Prefecture Route 149 west – Fubasami

|notes=

}}

{{JPNint

|km=22.9

|road=Tochigi Prefecture Route 77 north – Funyu

|notes=

}}

{{JPNint

|km=25.4

|road={{jct|country=JPN|Route|293}} – Kanuma, Sakura

|notes=

}}

{{JPNint

|km=28.3

|road=File:JP Expressway E4.svg{{hairspace}}File:JP Expressway E81.svgFile:Japanese National Route Sign 0004.svg{{jct|country=JPN|Route|119|nolink1=yes|name1=Utsunomiya-kita Road}} – to Tōhoku Expressway, Nikkō Utsunomiya Road, National Route 4, Oyama, Tochigi

|notes=Interchange

}}

{{JPNint

|km=32.3

|road=File:Japanese National Route Sign 0004.svgFile:Japanese National Route Sign 0119.svg Tochigi Prefecture Route 3 / Tochigi Prefecture Route 157 east (Utsunomiya Ring Road) – to National Route 4, Utsunomiya-kita Road, Sakura, Tochigi, Kanuma

|notes=

}}

{{JPNint

|km=35.4

|road=File:Japanese National Route Sign 0004.svg Kiyosumichichō-dōri – to National Route 4

|notes=

}}

{{JPNint

|km=35.6

|road=Tochigi Prefecture Route 22 north

|notes=

}}

{{JPNint

|km=36.6

|road=File:JP Expressway E4.svg Tochigi Prefecture Route 2 south – to Tōhoku Expressway, Tochigi
File:Japanese National Route Sign 0293.svg Tochigi Prefecture Route 70 west – to National Route 293, Ōya

|notes=

}}

{{JPNint

|km=36.8

|road=File:Shinkansen jre.svg Tochigi Prefecture Route 10 east – Utsunomiya Station, Tochigi Prefecture Office

|notes=

}}

{{JPNint

|km=39.4

|road={{jct|country=JPN|Route|4|name1=Utsunomiya Bypass}} – Koga, Oyama, Nasushiobara, Sakura

|notes=Eastern terminus

}}

{{Jctbtm|keys=concur|col=8}}

File:Utsunomiya north road.jpg

The {{ill|Utsunomiya-kita Road|ja|宇都宮環状北道路}} forms the northern section of the Utsunomiya Ring Road, and as an auxiliary route of National Route 119, it has the function of bypassing the narrow Nikkō Kaidō and connecting National Route 4 with the Nikkō Kaidō without passing through the central district of Utsunomiya. Its western terminus is Utsunomiya Interchange where it continues west towards Nikkō as the Nikkō Utsunomiya Road and its eastern terminus is at National Route 4 in the northeastern part of Utsunomiya. Before the opening of the Utsunomiya-kita Road in 1972, vehicles passing from National Route 119 to the southeastern part of the prefecture and Ibaraki prefecture had to go through the center of Utsunomiya, which caused heavy traffic. The opening of the bypass reduced traffic in central Utsunomiya.{{cite web|title=一般国道119号 宇都宮環状北道路 宇都宮市|trans-title=General National Route 119 Utsunomiya Ring Road Utsunomiya|url=http://www.pref.tochigi.lg.jp/h02/pref/seisakuhyouka/documents/111116_02kankita.pdf|language=ja|publisher=Tochigi Prefecture|date=2011|access-date=13 April 2021|archive-date=13 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413034445/http://www.pref.tochigi.lg.jp/h02/pref/seisakuhyouka/documents/111116_02kankita.pdf|url-status=live}}

• {{portal-inline|Japan}}
• {{portal-inline|Roads}}

{{reflist}}

• {{commons-inline|Category:Route 119 (Japan)}}

{{National Routes of Japan|119}}

119

Category:Roads in Tochigi Prefecture

Category:1953 establishments in Japan