Shimanami Kaido- A December Island hopping ride in the Seto Inland Sea

In my university days I lived near the art museum in Philadelphia. Traffic swarmed and zig-zagged through merge lanes, and on ramps around the museum in high-speed confusion. In the midst of all this high octane traffic there was this puny bike line with its two white stripes maniacally squeezed in between a merge lane heading out to west Philly and other lanes for Kelly Drive.  As you might know automobilists, as I would like to call them herein, have a lot on their mind including, you may be surprised, which lane they should take. Therein lies the problem: the bike lane is no longer a barrier, but rather a new half-a-lane for automobilists to use. Those memories popped in and out of my head as I pedaled along this wonderfully constructed and maintained bike route in the Seto Inland Sea.

The Ikuchibashi Bridge. 790 meters long, connects Innoshima and Ikuchijima.

Maps and Guides: The maps in English issued by tourist offices and cycle stations around the route are detailed enough so you

Not all signs are in English. The sign on the left is for motorbikes and the sign on the right is for cyclists.

probably will not get lost. Maps and guides are also available in a pdf format on the shimap website, but only in Japanese, Korean and Chinese. The English maps are actually more detailed than the Japanese versions, showing alternate routes in blue and orange. The recommended route is dotted in red. The English map also has color pictures of the main bridges that will be crossed. Both maps have elevation charts and blown up details of tricky spots that mainly involve bridge crossings.

The Route: The recommended route is 70 kilometers and starts in Onomichi on the JR San-yo Line about an hour away from Hiroshima airport and roughly 30-40 minutes from Fukuyama station, the closest shinkansen stop. The Cycling Japan guide route starts at Fukuyama station and winds southward along the coast of Honshu and makes a ferry crossing at Tozaki to Mukaishima. It also veers from the recommended route in Omishima, taking intermediate and difficult level routes to travel the entire circumference of the island. All told it is a 161 kilometer ride. Please note that if you start from Fukuyama station you might not be able to rent bicycles from a Shimanami cycle center. My wife and I started in Onomichi and followed the recommended route until Omishima where we cut  through the island to stay at a ryokan near Miyaura Port and did the intermediate loop along the coast that heads back to Tatara bridge the next day. We also followed the coastal route on Oshima, so in total we rode about 100 kilometers.

I recommend the Omishima intermediate route for its beautiful ocean views and intimate meanderings through bamboo forests and farmland. The section which cuts through the center of the island has at times the feeling of a nature hike because the cycling road veers from the main road into forest and farmland. From Minoura Port you will pass a small factory which hugs the cycling road so you can get an up close peak at daily life. You will then rise up into mandarin orchards and farmland before reaching a peak where you will get timeless views of the ocean and passing ships.

Views of Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge from the intermediate route in Oshima.

However the intermediate route on Oshima is not nearly as fun as the one in Omishima. Judging from the map the route would appear to take in lots of ocean views, but they are all blocked by Quarry Machinery until you ascend into the hills and then descend into a flat port area where there are great views of  Kurushima Kaikyo brigde.

Each of the bridges to be crossed have a toll. Four of the bridges are 50 yen, the Tatara bridge is 100 yen and the Kurushima Kaikyo bridge is 200 yen.  A ticket book can be purchased at any of the cycling centers on the route, so you don’t have to rustle for change every time you come to a bridge. In addition the Mukaishima ferry costs around 100 yen.

The ferry to Mukaishima from Onomichi even runs in the evening.

When you descend from Kurushima Kaikyo bridge the route takes you into regular city traffic until you reach Imabari station where a cycle drop off is nearby. It is a bit tricky to find, but turn left at the station and its about 2 minutes away under the elevated tracks. From Imabari station there are express trains headed to Matsuyama as well as buses to Dogo Onsen.

The hotspring in the animated feature, Spirited Away, is based on Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama.

*Note. Many cyclists prefer starting in Imabari because it is said the selection of rentals is much better.

Cycle rentals: Details about cycle rentals can be seen on the shimap English site. Daily rentals are 500 yen plus a 1000 yen deposit.

Onomichi cycle center across from the Dai Ichi Hotel about 5 minutes from the station. From the station head to the water and turn right.

You can drop them off at any of the cycle centers along the way or hold onto them overnight at an inn or minshuku. If you are bringing your own bicycle you will have to transport it in a bag or box for either trains or planes. The rentals all seemed to be in good condition. I rented a mountain bike type with shocks and the gear shifting was smooth the whole way through. My wife’s bike was also sturdy although it had some problems with first gear that seemed to correct itself half way through the ride. The selection is eclectic ranging from road bikes to single gear shopping bikes. Arrive early so you can get the best one for you. If you rent a single gear bike you might find yourself walking up inclines and the assorted bridge ramps.

Accommodations: Inns and minshukus are abundant throughout the islands and shimap lists many of them on their site, unfortunately only in Japanese. We stayed in Chaume 旅館茶梅 in Omishima near a beautiful shrine called Oyamazumi Jinja.　Their phone number is (0897)82-0008. They are about 10000 per night per person which includes a feast at dinner and a well-balanced breakfast. Do not leave this trip without eating red snapper. This place is a food odyssey replete with sashimi, baked fish, shrimp, octopus, oysters… it’s like they bring the whole ocean to you and prepare it in the freshest healthiest way possible. In Onomichi we stayed at the Dai Ichi Hotel (0848)23-4567 which costs around 5000 yen per night per person. It has a substantial all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet and wifi inside the building. Rooms are small, but there is cable and it is right across from the Shimanami rental cycle. They can provide  tickets for the bridge tolls. In Dogo Onsen we stayed at Tsubaki, a sparkling clean inn for about 11000 yen per night per person including dinner and breakfast. The hot springs are well-kept. I ran my finger along the top of the wooden lockers in the changing room and there was not a trace of dust. From top to bottom this place is clean… and again with the food. It was beautiful.

 

Weather and Road Conditions: It is said that it rarely rains in the Seto Inland Sea and during our ride it may have sprinkled for all of two minutes. The wind off the coast can be bitter and stifling at times, but never for too long. Partly cloudy skies meant intermittent periods of body shivers and sudden sweat-inducing rays. It is the kind of weather that makes you appreciate zippers. Early mornings were about 1 degree centigrade and made it up to about 10 degrees at the warmest point, so if you are coming in winter I would suggest wearing long comfortable pants, a long sleeve shirt, a thin fleece and a wind breaker in addition to neck and ear warmers. I also brought along gloves which were handy during cloudy windy periods.

December is not the high season for this trip so there were few cyclists and automobiles on the road which made for a very relaxing ride. The course is well paved and well marked. Most of the bridges have ramps leading up to them so there is a bit of a climb from time to time. Much of the course has a separate cycling road from car traffic , but even during long stretches of shared road it is a pleasant comfortable ride. If you are not in shape like myself the slight inclines up mountains will burn your thighs, but there aren’t many of these along the recommended route.

Here is a gallery of Highlights.

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