Mikuni Kaidō

Mikuni Kaidō (三国街道) was an ancient highway in Japan that stretched from Takasaki-juku (present day Gunma Prefecture) on the Nakasendō to Teradomari-juku (present day Niigata Prefecture) on the Hokurikudō.

The Mikuni Pass [ja] separated the Kantō region from Echigo Province in ancient Japan.

However, the area between Nagaoka and Yuzawa was able to continue to flourish because the flat land allowed them to pursue agriculture.

In 1953, as cars became more common, so did long-distance transport, which led to a great rise in traffic in the area.

However, for cars traveling between the Kantō and Echigo regions, it was very inconvenient to take the same detour as the train line, so the prefecture began major repair and construction work along the Mikuni Kaidō.