Chuo Expressway Uenohara Interchange

The Junction

This camera overlooks the Uenohara Interchange, a multi-level junction on the Chuo Expressway (Chuo Jidoshado), one of Japan's principal arteries linking the Tokyo metropolitan area with Nagano and central Honshu. Curving flyovers, slip roads and a toll plaza fan out across the slope below the lens.

The Setting

The expressway runs through the Katsura River valley, hemmed in by the forested hills that define this corner of Yamanashi. Tile-roofed houses, small factories and terraced greenery climb the hillsides around the carriageway, a characteristic blend of rural Japan and modern infrastructure.

What to Watch

Traffic rhythms shift through the day, from the steady flow of long-haul trucks to lighter passenger movement, with vehicles weaving through the ramps as they join or leave the mainline. The elevated vantage makes the geometry of the interchange and its constant motion the heart of the view.