Cycling the Shimanami Kaido

Since moving to Japan in 2019, Cycling the Shimanami Kaido has been high on my to-do list. Prior to moving here, I’ve never heard of the Shimanami Kaido cycle route, but as I started going to bike shops and talking to other cyclist, I started to hear more and more about Cycling the Shimanami Kaido.

The Shimanami Kaido is both an expressway for vehicles and route for cyclists that connects the cities of Onomichi on the main island of Honshu and Imabari on the island of Shikoku. The route crosses six smaller islands (Oshima, Hakatajima, Omishima, Ikuchijima, Innoshima, and Mukaishima) within the Seto Inland Sea.

The cycle path is completely separate from the expressway and is approximately 70 kilometers (43 miles) from start to finish. The cycle route is brilliantly designed with cyclists and pedestrians in mind. The path was well marked and maintained. Each island had a standard route and an explorer route, the explorer route hit all the landmarks and attractions, while the standard route followed the most direct path across the islands. Six large and relatively modern bridges connected each island, and a network of rollercoaster like roads led to a slight incline before the bridge and a fun downward spiral after the bridge linking to the trails to the next island. The only tough cycling was the inclines leading up toward the bridges, otherwise the rest of the route was semi flat and easy going. Any cyclist no matter what skill level can accomplish the entire length of the Shimanami Kaido.

Our day began at 6:00 am, in the Japanese town of Imabari, located on the island of Shikoku. We strapped on our biking gear and set forth for one of Japans most popular biking experiences.

Imabari, has blue arrows along the street marking the way to the Shimanami Kaido, The blue markers were magical, as we didn’t really have to stop and pull out our phones to check for directions, the markers appeared every kilometer. We followed the path onto the first suspension bridge the Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge (4,105 m). All the bridges had a large sidewalk for bikes and pedestrians next to the road except for the Innoshima Bridge, the cycle route was underneath the actual road.

Oshima Island, was the first of six islands. Since this was our first time on this trail, we decided to stay on the standard route. We stopped at a local grocery store for necessary pastries and coffee and found a nice seating area along the route. Along the entire route there were many pull off areas that included scenic overlooks and places to sit.

After breakfast we crossed the next bridge the Hakata-Oshima Bridge (1,165 m) to Hakatajima Island. There was not a whole lot to see or do on this island so we peddled forward toward the next island. After crossing the Omishima Bridge (328 m), we arrived on the island of Omishima. Omishima is the largest of the six islands, there was an explorer route here that went along the coast but we opted to stay on the normal route toward Ikuchijima Island. Before leaving Omishima Island there is a great rest stop before the bridge that has a restaurant, vending machines, restrooms, and beautiful views of the Tatara Bridge (1,480 m). Ikuchi-jima actually had attractions along the explorer route we were interested in.

On Ikuchi-jima was the famous Kousanji Temple. This temple was created in 1936 by Kanemoto Kozo following the death of his mother. Kanemoto Kozo built this temple in honor of his beloved mother. His mother is buried at temple’s 5-storied pagoda. Other sites here are the main gate which is a model based on the Imperial Palace in Kyoto and the Koyomon Gate which resembles the Yomeimon Gate at the Toshugu Shrine in Nikko. There is a 15 meter tall statue of Kannon here and the Hill of Hope which is a which is a white marble garden.

Below are some photos of the Kousanji Temple and Marble Garden.

After visiting the Kousanji Temple, it was pretty much smooth sailing to Onomichi. We followed the standard routes on the next couple islands all the way to the town of Onomichi on Honshu. The last bridge, the Innoshima Bridge (1,270 m) was my favorite. It connected the islands of Innoshima and Mukaishima but this bridge had the route underneath the actual street. So instead of riding along cars and trucks like the other bridges, there was an entire bike lane below the roads which was quite fun! As we followed the markers along the Shimanami Kaido we finally made it to Mukaishima Island, which was the last island. There is no bridge linking this island to Honshu, so a quick 5 minute ferry ride was necessary. The ferry ride was only 110 yen per person with bike. Once we arrived in the city of Onomichi, this wrapped up the famous Shimanami Kaido. We did it in one day, 70 kilometers (43 miles).

The photos below include:

– Our Bikes and the Tatara Bridge in the Background

– Biking underneath the Innoshima Bridge

-View of a small island taken from the Oshima Island

-View of the Tatara Bridge from a rest area

the Shimanami Kaido is the Easy Part, You Have to get There First!

There are a few ways to get to the Shimanami Kaido area. You can drive to either Onomichi or Imabari, park your car and do the Shimanami Kaido one way and come back. One can also take a train to one city ride the Shimanami Kaido and take a train back. As a reminder, Japan does not allow bikes on public trains. The only way to take a bike on a train is if it is in a bag. Many bike shops around Japan have various sized bags to fit bikes of all shapes and sizes. If bringing a bike is not an option, there are bike rental companies in the area.

There is a third option, which is what Jill and I opted for. Heck, my dream was to ride the Shimanami Kaido, why not bike there and turn it into a nearly week long adventure. We lived in a town called Iwakuni, which is on the Island of Honshu about 40km south of Hiroshima. There really is no direct way to get to the island of Shikoku. There are a few massive bridges (tolls cost and arm and a leg) and a couple ferry routes connecting Honshu with Shikoku.

We set forth on Election Day, November 3rd, 2020 hoping to escape the news coverage and craziness of the years election and rode our bikes to the ferry terminal 30 km (18.6 miles) located in Yanai, Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi is one of the Prefectures of Japan. In total we rode through three Prefectures (Ehime, Hiroshima, and Yamaguchi).

We purchased tickets for both us and our bikes and lounged in the ferry for 2.5 hours before reaching our next destination, Matsuyama on Shikoku. By the way, the ferry was an amazing experience, it felt like we were riding on a luxury ship, it had nice seats, open floors for people to lay down on or for families with children, and even had a Cup Noodle vending machine.

We hung out in Matsuyama the rest of the day. Matsuyama is the largest city on the island of Shikoku and has a rich history. The Matsuyama Castle (completed in 1627) sits atop a very steep hill. The castle is one of Japan’s 12 original castles. After a night in Matsuyama our next destination was to bike through the mountains toward Imabari. In total we biked 63 km (39.3 miles).

My friend Kimball recommended we check out a towel museum near Imabari. Anywhere else, a towel museum would be a major let down, but it’s Japan and everything here is fun and exciting so we had to stop. According to their website the museum is the first of its kind displaying the art of making towels. We got to walk through the factory, check out art displays and quilts made from towels, see an exhibit on Moomin which is a hippopotamus looking creature, and there was even an exhibit on Winnie the Pooh and Friends. Overall, we enjoyed the towel museum, Thanks for the recommendation, Kimball!

Afterwards, we only had a few more kilometers to go before reaching the town of Imabari. We arrived in Imabari in the evening, just enough time to visit the Imabari Castle and grab a bite to eat.

Imabari Castle is considered one of three “Great Water Castles,” because the water in the moat comes directly from the sea. You can find salt water fish in the moat. Originally, Imabari Castle was built in 1602. During the Meiji Restoration, Imabari Castle, like many other castles were abandoned and taken apart. The main keep seen in the photos below was built in 1980.

Day three was the main event, Cycling the Shimanami Kaido! In total we rode about 78.8 km (48.9 miles) from Imabari to Onomichi. Onomichi is a port city, popular for it’s temples and Cat Alley. Obviously, Cat Alley was priority, so we climbed a steep set of stairs to visit our feline friends. Cat Alley was a bit odd, seemed like what we would call a shanty town on a hill side, none the less we saw kitties, they were adorable. There is a café at the corner that has a real owl that gazes out the window, it was neat! Onomichi is known for their ramen. The place we stayed overnight, recommended a Ramen joint called Ramen Matatabi. The owner was friendly and spoke a little English. The ramen broth consisted of fish, chicken, and wild boar, which is very unique and the owner grated yuzu (citrus fruit, kind of like a lemon) over it for a nice citrus flavor.

The pictures below are random ones taken around Onomichi.

The next morning was the longest day, we were to ride from Onomichi to Hiroshima 112 km (69 miles). Right by our hotel was a bakery, it was delicious and a perfect way to start the day. For the most part, the route followed the coastline to Hiroshima, we made a brief stop in a town called Takehara, to check out their historic downtown area and to take a breather.

Afterwards, we peddled on to Hiroshima. I would say, Hiroshima is a fantastic city for cycling. All the sidewalks here were very wide. After cycling all day, we were both exhausted and hungry. Being in Hiroshima, we had to try out a new okonomiyaki restaurant, we found a great place called Hassei.

Our final day was an easy one, we rode our bikes from Hiroshima to Iwakuni, 42 km (26miles). Before cycling back home we had breakfast at the hotel. The hotel had a traditional Japanese breakfast which usually consists of a salad, pickled veggies, miso soup, eggs, and a small piece of chicken and fish. Not your typical American style breakfast and it does take getting used to but we always enjoy it! Up until our last day we had gorgeous weather, fortunately for us it held out until the very last day where it drizzled the entire time. We cycled through the rest of Hiroshima, passed Miyajima, and finally made it home to Iwakuni!

In total we biked 334.45 km (207.82 miles). I’m proud of Jill as she made it the entire time without walking her bike up any hills! I highly recommend traveling by bike as you tend to see and experience more not to mention you are getting in a great exercise. I always think the more calories I burn the more fun food I get to eat! We stopped at the wonderful convenience stores and/or grocery stores for snacks. For lunch we usually grabbed meals from grocery stores which are phenomenal in Japan, and dinner we would always find a nice traditional restaurant. The Shimanami Kaido is a well known cycle route in Japan and not really known to foreigners. We were the only Gaijin (outsiders) the whole time. Both of us had a wonderful adventure and hope to do more longer bike tours!

The route below is taken from my Garmin Edge. The straight line from Yanai to Matsuyama (ferry route) is a silly thing the software does to connect the points.