Central Tokyo’s new road opened last Saturday, as city planners envision a Japanese version of Paris’ iconic Champs Elysees in the future. The road, stretching for 1.4 kilometers, is part of the city’s loop No. 2 found in between the Shimbashi and Toranomon business districts.

Construction of the 270 billion yen (approx. US$2.6 billion) road began in 2002. It was recently completed with a two-tier ground-based, 40-meter wide road with broad sidewalks and an underground tunnel for vehicles. A plan to create a bicycle lane is now being discussed alongside the tree planting project on the sidewalks to make it a green street fit for strolling. It connects to the city’s second-highest building, the 52-story, 247-meter “Toranomon Hills,” which houses a luxury hotel, corporate offices and conference halls that will open in June. The road will be connected to the bayside area in the following years in preparation for the 2020 Olympics, as the bayside is where competition venues and athlete’s village will be set up.

This route on the loop No. 2 is also called “MacArthur Road” after U.S. General Douglas MacArthur, supreme commander of the Allied powers during its occupation of Japan after the Second World War, who used to pass by the route on his way to the U.S. Embassy in the city. As early as 1946, urban planners have included the loop line its future projects. Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe led the ribbon-cutting in the opening ceremony, saying, “The (opening) day is finally here, 68 years after the original plan.” He walked on a part of the road after the cutting of the ribbon before boarding his car to test drive the road. Akihiro Ota from the Transport Ministry pledged to continue his ministry’s support in the development of the road before the 2020 Olympics.

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