A Day to the Roads that Pave the Way

Today, and August 10th annually, is Road Day 道の日 in Japan. The commemoration was established in 1986 by the Road Bureau of the former Ministry of Construction (now the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism).

It’s a day designed to make us pause and appreciate the infrastructure that carries our daily lives forward. The date traces back to August 10, 1920, when Japan approved its first modern national road improvement plan, known as the First Road Improvement Plan.

This was a milestone that marked the beginning of systematic, nationwide road development, an essential step toward the connected Japan we know today. 

In some locations they have walk rallies, and other activities that turn roads into spaces of shared experience to mark "Road Day" and help people reconnect with the roads around them.