When I express something unusual in English I often feel frustrated. Can you imagine "Stepped National Route" exactly? I wonder what you would imagine from this expression. National Route means the secure road that is strictly managed by the Japanese Government. I think that National Routes must have enough width for at least a small car to go through. However, there is a National Route like a narrow path here. The photo shows Route 339. The blue road sign means that this road is a Japanese National Route. As you can see, this road is not a road but a path. Route 339 starts from Aomori city and goes to Cape Tappizaki (the tip of Tsugaru Peninsula) on its east side along the sea. But it doesn't go round to the westside of the Peninsula. Route 339 starts again from the hill over the tip of the Peninsula. A Stepped route connects both Route 339s by stairs.
I've no idea why such a curious national road was born, but anyway now I'm sure this stepped path is one of many sightseeing points in Aomori Prefecture. You won't find any such road elsewhere in Japan.
(Vocabulary)
tip 先端
(KW: 階段国道)
Comments