Japan National Route 338
# Japan National Route 338

National Route 338 (国道338号, Kokudō San hyaku san jūhachigō) is a national highway in the Japanese prefectures of Hokkaido and Aomori. Route 338 stretches 241.3 kilometers (149.9 mi) from National Route 5 in Hakodate, Hokkaido south across the Tsugaru Strait by ferry to Ōma, Aomori, around the western, southern, and eastern edges of the Shimokita Peninsula and finally to Oirase.

## Route description

### Hakodate

National Route 338 begins at an intersection with National Route 5 in central Hakodate 150 meters (490 ft) east of Hakodate Station as part of an unsigned concurrency with National Route 279. The highway travels southwest along city streets through the city, then curves to the northwest, and turns northeast towards the former site of the city's ferry terminal, which was moved to the northwest of Hakodate Station. The highway's brief 1.8 kilometers (1.1 mi) route in Hokkaido ends at the former terminal, which has since been converted into a retail area. Aside from the last 100 meters (330 ft) of the highway near the ferry terminal, the highway also carries the Main Line of the Hakodate City Tram in its median.

### Aomori Prefecture

The highway is next carried south across the Tsugaru Strait via the Tsugaru Kaikyō Ferry to Ōma on the northern tip of Aomori Prefecture's Shimokita Peninsula. From the route's northern terminus in Hakodate to Ōma, National Route 338 runs concurrent with National Route 279; however, in Ōma, National Route 279 leaves the concurrency, travelling southeast towards Mutsu while National Route 338 heads south towards the village of Sai. After passing through Sai, the highway enters the western edge of Mutsu and turns east towards the center of the city.

In Mutsu, national routes 279 and 338 briefly meet again, sharing a short concurrency. After leaving the concurrency, National Route 338 continues its path southeast across the peninsula while National Route 279 heads south towards Noheji at the southern base of the peninsula. National Route 338 parallels the Pacific coast for the rest of its route south through Higashidōri, Rokkasho, and Misawa before terminating in Oirase.

## History

National Route 338 was established by the Cabinet of Japan in 1975 between Hakodate and Oirase which was then the town of Shimoda, in Aomori.

## Major intersections

| Prefecture | Location | km | mi | Destinations | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Hokkaido | Hakodate | 0.0 | 0.0 | National Route 5 / National Route 278 north – to Sapporo, Oshamambe, Mount E | Northern terminus; northern end of Route 279 concurrency |
| Hokkaido | Hakodate | 1.2 | 0.75 | Hokkaido Route 675 (Tachimachi Misaki Hakodate Teishajō route) | |
| Hokkaido | Hakodate | 1.7 | 1.1 | Hokkaido Route 457 (Hakodate Gyokō route) | |
| Tsugaru Strait | Tsugaru Strait | 1.8– 28.8 | 1.1– 17.9 | Tsugaru Kaikyō Ferry | Tsugaru Kaikyō Ferry |
| Aomori | Ōma | 30.0 | 18.6 | National Route 279 – to Ōhata, Mutsu | Southern end of Route 279 concurrency |
| Aomori | Sai | 42.3 | 26.3 | Aomori Route 284 | |
| Aomori | Sai | 42.9 | 26.7 | Aomori Route 46 (Kamoshika Line) | |
| Aomori | Sai | 44.0 | 27.3 | Aomori Route 46 south | |
| Aomori | Sai | 77.5 | 48.2 | Aomori Route 253 east | |
| Aomori | Mutsu | 102.1 | 63.4 | Aomori Route 175 west | |
| Aomori | Mutsu | 120.4 | 74.8 | Aomori Route 46 north (Kamoshika Line) | |
| Aomori | Mutsu | 140.1 | 87.1 | National Route 338 east (Ōminato Bypass) | |
| Aomori | Mutsu | 142.8 | 88.7 | Aomori Route 272 | |
| Aomori | Mutsu | 145.1 | 90.2 | Aomori Route 4 | |
| Aomori | Mutsu | 145.3 | 90.3 | National Route 279 north – to Ōhata, Ōma | Northern end of Route 279 concurrency |
| Aomori | Mutsu | 146.0 | 90.7 | National Route 279 south (Mutsu Hamana Line) / National Route 394 south – to Noheji | Southern end of Route 279 concurrency, northern end of unsigned Route 394 concurrency |
| Aomori | Mutsu | 147.6 | 91.7 | Shimokita Expressway | Mutsu-Higashidōri Interchange |
| Aomori | Higashidōri | 163.4 | 101.5 | Aomori Route 248 north | |
| Aomori | Higashidōri | 169.4 | 105.3 | Aomori Route 7 west | |
| Aomori | Rokkasho | 183.7 | 114.1 | Aomori Route 179 west | |
| Aomori | Rokkasho | 193.9 | 120.5 | National Route 338 south (Obuchi Bypass) | |
| Aomori | Rokkasho | 197.5 | 122.7 | Aomori Route 24 west | |
| Aomori | Rokkasho | 199.4 | 123.9 | Aomori Route 180 west | |
| Aomori | Rokkasho | 203.2 | 126.3 | National Route 338 north (Obuchi Bypass) | |
| Aomori | Rokkasho | 208.7 | 129.7 | National Route 394 south – to Shichinohe, Tōhoku, Noheji | Southern end of unsigned Route 394 concurrency |
| Aomori | Misawa | 213.1 | 132.4 | Aomori Route 170 south | |
| Aomori | Misawa | 230.1 | 143.0 | Aomori Route 10 west | |
| Aomori | Misawa | 232.6 | 144.5 | Aomori Route 254 west | |
| Aomori | Oirase | 236.9 | 147.2 | Aomori Route 19 south | |
| Aomori | Oirase | 241.3 | 149.9 | National Route 45 / Aomori Route 283 east – to National Route 4, Towada, Kuji, Hachinohe | Southern terminus |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus ||||||
