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. Cycling 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. Imabari Castle Main Keep 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.  Owl Looking Out the Window 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

Konichiwa or should I say, “Aloha!” Yashiro Island, better known as Suo Oshima, is an island located in eastern Yamaguchi Prefecture. Suo Oshima is a large island located in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan. Suo Oshima is connected to mainland by a huge green bridge named Oshima Bridge.  Somewhat mountainous with gorgeous beaches, Suo Oshima is also famous throughout Japan for their mandarin oranges or “Mikans,” in Japanese.  Why Aloha Island? Aside from the natural beauty and mikans, Oshima is also called the Aloha Island and has a relatively long history with the U.S. state of Hawaii.  Suo Oshima is the sister island of Kauai Island in Hawaii, and they share similar climates. In the late 19th century thousands of islanders from Suo Oshima immigrated to Hawaii to work on sugar plantations.  To this day, during the warmer summer months, several events are put on to celebrate the islands rich history with Hawaii. You can catch a hula dance or visit the museum to learn more about the immigration to Hawaii.  Cycling Around Oshima Island Cycling around Suo Oshima Island is very doable and can be done in one day or multiple days. If doing multiple days, there is a campground near the aquarium that has incredible ocean views.  I highly recommend cycling around the island, as there are so many scenic roads and narrow paths that go completely around the island. Most visitors will drive here and stay on the northern side of the island not knowing of the beauty and scenic beaches that surround the whole southern coast. There is a road that completely loops Suo Oshima. The road is in pretty good shape, and there are not to many steep uphill portions. For the most part, the road hugs the coast. Most attractions are located on the northern side of the island, there is the Mutsu Memorial Museum (Sunken Battleship), a campground, aquarium, and a small town with a few restaurants and convenience shops. Once you get  passed the campground at the far north-east tip, the southern side of the island is basically all coastal with a few tiny pockets of houses here and there, until you get closer to the main bridge again. It was an early November morning, my buddy Kimball and myself started at 5 am and rode until 6 pm the same day. In total we cycled 160 Kilometers or 100 miles, the photo above is the exact route taken from my GPS. Take into account, this is from departing Iwakuni which is 27 Km away. There is an observation deck shortly after crossing Oshima bridge, our goal was to get there by sunrise, we accomplished this.  Afterwards our goal was to bike around the island with the obvious stops at attractions and scenic views. About an hour into our ride, we  came across a local farmers market selling all sorts of treats made with their famous mikans. We stopped for a bit and loaded up on calories before heading out.  Shrines are all over Japan to include Suo Oshima Island. There was a decent sized shrine here named Ikadahachimangu right before Mutsu Park. Shortly after the campground the main road, cuts southward and the ride continues along the southern coast. The southern coast of Suo Oshima consisted of a very nice and scenic road that hugged the cliffs with great views of the ocean. There is not a whole lot of towns, convenience stores, etc.. on this portion. Although, there is a resort area here, it was all closed for the season when we were there. Summer time, might be a completely different experience! I love biking, but I am not so much a fan of biking just for exercise. I like turning it into a day trip and stopping to see stuff or going to places to eat, you know as a reward! We had no luck finding restaurants or anything really, until we passed a unique log cabin style building, kind of near the end of our journey around Suo Oshima. The restaurant was named Saruware and served freshly made pizza. Kimball and myself almost kept going but decided we had to stop and try it out. We were glad we did as the pizza was fantastic! I had a pizza with bacon and eggs on it and we split a dessert pizza with honey and ice cream, yumm! After riding all day it was the greatest feeling to sit down, wash our hands, and pig out! After spending about an hour there, we loaded back onto our bikes and made our way across the Oshima bridge, up Hwy 188, and back to Iwakuni. At the end of the day we rode 160.9 Kilometers, roughly 100 miles. Jill and Myself Rode 60 Miles Around Oshima On October 25, 2020, Jill and I rode our bikes around Suo Oshima. This time, we drove our car to the island instead of departing directly from Iwakuni by bike. After crossing the Oshima bridge, to the left there is a nice parking lot (Coordinates: 33.954786, 132.188402). We unloaded the bikes from the car, geared up and rode around the entire island. The trip was just about 96 kilometers or 60 miles and took us just under 6 hours to complete, take in to account that we stopped multiple times to take a breather, explore temples, and stop to take in the gorgeous views.  The two times I’ve biked Suo Oshima, I began the bike route going left on the north side of the island. By starting on the north side, the bike route is relatively flat hugging the coast the entire time. There are no real designated bike routes, but the roads and sidewalks are safe, there is not a whole lot of traffic to worry about. On this trip, Jill and I first stopped at the Ikadahachimangu Shrine, (No idea how to pronounce that). The Ikadahachimangu Shrine is a traditional shrine along the coast that has a small section of red Torii Gates and really impressive wood work. After a brief stop at the shrine, we passed the Mutsu Memorial Park and then veered right making our way to the southern side of Suo Oshima Island. The southern route of the island is a night and day difference when comparing it cycling on the northern side of the island. The northern route was smooth, easy going, and had towns with convenience stores and restaurants. The southern side is very hilly and desolate. Because of the terrain, our pace was much slower but the views on this side are incredible.   No matter where you are in Japan, you can see the affects of landslides (the second photo below).   Jill and I stumbled upon this one while riding the southern side. It looked to be recent as there were nothing but a few cones in place. Normally in Japan, they clear it out quickly and start stabilizing the area, either way it was kind of interesting to see.  The southern end of Oshima is pretty exhausting, it feels like it never ends due to the constant hills and switchbacks. I look at it as getting great exercise, Jill on the other hand was not as thrilled about it. There are some beautiful beaches along the route and after passing the Shonan Beach area, the ride gets smoother and easier passing by small towns. We didn’t really make any stops besides a small grocery store called A-Coop to refill our water bottles. We pedaled through all the way until we got back to the parking lot which was our starting point. At the end both Jill and I were exhausted, but cycling around Suo Oshima is such an incredibly beautiful experience, I would have no issues doing it again and again!  Don’t have a bike? no problem! Although biking is my preferred method to explore Suo Oshima, there are many other ways to get here and explore. Many people come here to relax on the beaches during the summer months. Obviously, the easiest way to get here is by driving, it is only 40 minutes from Iwakuni. You can also take the Japanese Rail line to the Obatake station and walk from there, not ideal but it can be done.  During the summer months, once the water warms up, swimming and snorkeling  are also great options. There are several beaches around the island, some maintained while others are more natural. Most of the beaches are on the southern part of the island, including some “Resort like” beaches that are very well maintained but can get crowded. Last time I visited Suo Oshima, I went to Shonan Beach and snorkeled the waters. Snorkeling was alright, there are a few areas that support vegetation for fish, so I saw quite a few fish on the smaller side and a jelly fish.  There are a few dive spots around the island as well. For my open water certificate, we dove at one of the coves on the southern side of the island. Visibility was horrible when we went. I don’t know if I would recommend it for diving, but I guess dive spots on mainland are rare, so why not dive here! In the town of Suooshima there are quite a few restaurant options. On another trip we stopped at a Hawaiian restaurant called Aloha Orange and they had great pancakes! There are quite a few ramen restaurants here and other restaurants, I can’t wait to try again!  There is also a Dog rescue here on the island that has a petting zoo as well. On Google, it is simply listed as “Dog Petting Zoo Store,” so not sure what it is actually called.  I stopped here with Kimball and a few other friends, we had a fun time! There was a small entrance fee, but you get to play and pet dogs, what’s not to love about that? Hopefully they all get adopted and live happy lives! There are also other animals (horses, pigs, llamas, rabbits, etc..) across the road that are part of the same rescue. If you want to see these animals they charge another fee, so we just decided to hang out and pet the doggies! Enjoying my photos and want to see more? 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