is a Japanese national highway connecting Oshamambe and

Muroran is a city and port located in Iburi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Iburi Subprefecture. As of January 31, 2024, the city had an estimated population of 76,385, with 43,494 households and a population density of . The ...

in southwestern

Hokkaido is the list of islands of Japan by area, second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own list of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō fr ...

. The highway begins at an intersection with national routes 5 and

230 Year 230 ( CCXXX) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Agricola and Clementinus (or, less frequently, year 983 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 230 for th ...

in the town of Oshamambe. It travels along the northern side of

Uchiura Bay The or is a bay southeast of the island of Hokkaido in northern Japan. It has also been known as Iburi Bay and Volcano Bay. History The shoreline of Uchiura Bay was first settled by the Jōmon people as early as 4000 BC. Trade settlements have ...

, paralleling the Dō-Ō Expressway. At the eastern edge of the bay it enters the city of

where it ends at an intersection with National Route 36.

Route description

National Route 37 is an highway in southwestern Hokkaido that runs east from Oshamambe to

. Its eastern terminus lies at an intersection in central Oshamambe where it meets national routes 5 and

. From there national routes 37 and 230 travel together paralleling the coastline of

and the Dō-Ō Expressway. Along the way from Oshamambe to Muroran, it passes through the towns of Toyoura and Tōyako and the city of Date. National Route 230 leaves National Route 37 in Toyoura traveling north to

Lake Tōya is a volcanic caldera lake in Shikotsu-Toya National Park, Abuta District, Hokkaido, Japan. It is part of "Toya Caldera and Usu Volcano Global Geopark" which joins in Global Geoparks Network. The stratovolcano of Mount Usu lies on the southe ...

and

Sapporo is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in Hokkaido, Japan. Located in the southwest of Hokkaido, it lies within the alluvial fan of the Toyohira River, a tributary of the Ishikari River. Sapporo is the capital ...

. Shortly after crossing in to Muroran, the route splits from the

Hakuchō Shindō is a Japanese national highway connecting Oshamambe and Muroran in southwestern Hokkaido. The highway begins at an intersection with national routes 5 and 230 in the town of Oshamambe. It travels along the northern side of Uchiura Bay, para ...

, a bypass of National Route 37 that crosses the

Hakuchō Bridge The is a suspension bridge in Muroran, Hokkaido, Japan. Opened on 17 April 1998, it has a main span of . It is the first section of the Hakuchō Shindō that is signed as an alternate route of Japan National Route 37. Several windmills line th ...

to the tip of Cape Chikiu and central Muroran, while the main route continues to eastern Muroran. National Route 37's eastern terminus in eastern Muroran is at an intersection where it meets National Route 36.

History

On 4 December 1952 the route was designated as Primary National Highway 37 between Oshamambe and

. On 1 April 1965 the highway's designation was revised along with the other primary routes as General National Highway 37. When

Mount Usu is an active stratovolcano in the Shikotsu-Tōya National Park, Hokkaido, Japan. It has erupted four times since 1900: in 1910 (which created Meiji-shinzan神沼克伊,小山悦郎 ''日本の火山を科学する　日本列島津々浦々、 ...

erupted on 31 March 2000, the town of Abuta was left with only National Route 37 as an evacuation route when the Dō-Ō Expressway closed.

Major junctions

The route lies entirely within

Auxiliary routes

Hakuchō Shindō

The Hakuchō Shindō is a auxiliary route of National Route 37 in the city of

that crosses the

to the tip of Cape Chikiu. It serves as central Muroran's primary arterial highway, whereas the main route serves eastern Muroran.

References

External links

* {{Portal bar, Roads, Japan 037 Roads in Hokkaido 1952 establishments in Japan