Road Stories
From Ancient times to the Edo period - birth and development of the first road network in Japan
In Japan, modernization started in the mid 19th century when the country opened its ports to foreign trade and was actively encouraged by the Meiji government since 1868. National highways were also constructed and improved but were severely destroyed in Tokyo by the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. In 1945, major cities in Japan were razed to the ground by air raids and had to be rebuilt after the war.