Once you step out of your house, the first thing you encounter is a road. But it does not get noticed on a daily basis, like the air. Humankind has begun associating with roads since we climbed down from the trees and began walking on the ground with both legs. We moved from place to place in search for the necessities to live such as clothing, food and housing, gradually widened the activity range, and prospered by developing bartering and information exchange with different ethnic groups to a broader interactions.
The common kanji for “road” consists of a neck and the “advance” radical, which means proceeding on their way while removing evil spirits by hanging their necks of different ethnic groups on spearheads. On the other hand, the individual part of another kanji for “road,” which consists of foot and individual, implies a path descending from heaven, according to Dr. Shizuka Shirakawa. Our ancestors seem to have veneration much like awe toward roads.
Today, there is much news that does not inspire us to be thankful for roads such as speedways. Only “country road stations” are popular among them. On top of that they provide drivers with bathrooms, rest and information by going over those roads, they also provide the local with community points, local product sales, and employment by stopping by. The collaboration between people on the roads and the roadsides is appreciated to be improving each other’s values. Since the time of the Niigata Prefecture Chuetsu Earthquake, those stations have been reviewed as functioning for preventing disasters, and it displayed the function at the Great East Japan Earthquake this time as well.
In the United States where interstate highways are well-developed, distinguished roads were appointed under the Scenic Byways (excellent-looking byways) Study Act of 1989 from the viewpoint of the scenery, history, nature, culture, recreation, and archaeology. This law has developed from the regulations against outdoor advertisements of 1965. Japanese-version scenic byway movement, “Scenic Byway Japan” is developing to regulate outdoor advertisements, plant and maintain roadside trees, and so forth, hopefully by collaborating with the residents on the roadside including at mini “country road stations” even if they are not as big as “road stations.”
Since walking is healthy and refreshing to the body and soul in today’s time of declining birthrate and aging, it is desirable to have roads that are safe and fun to walk even for the elderly. A new trend is emerging to re-make the country road stations by means of IT into “Kenju (health & long life) Stations” as strongholds of promoting health.
We notice more things by walking that we could not see while driving. I hope that our roads can fully display the diverse functions to those on the roadside and in the communities. Furthermore, I anticipate that eventually the whole Japan will regenerate by improving the roads through its famed road culture to regenerate each community in this new century.