Shimanami Kaido: Cycling Across the Seto Inland Sea
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The idea behind the Shimanami Kaido was road infrastructure — a second fixed link between Honshu and Shikoku to supplement the existing rail and ferry connections. Six bridges were built across six islands between 1999 and 2006, carrying Route 317 from Onomichi to Imabari across 70 km of island-studded sea.
What nobody fully anticipated was the cycling dimension. The bridges were built with separate cycling and pedestrian lanes on their sides, the islands between them have quiet rural roads with minimal traffic, and the combination of ocean views, island villages, citrus orchards, and the specific light of the Seto Inland Sea in the morning or late afternoon produces a cycling experience that has attracted international attention. This is now one of the routes — alongside the Great Ocean Road and Tuscany — that cycling-inclined travelers plan trips specifically to ride.
The Route
Honshu end: Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture — a compact hillside port city with an extraordinary density of temples, a cat-populated hillside, and a film and literary tradition (several Yasujiro Ozu films were set here; Onomichi appears repeatedly in postwar Japanese cinema). The first segment requires a ferry from Onomichi to Mukaishima island (¥110, 5 minutes).
Shikoku end: Imabari, Ehime Prefecture — a working city without the character of Onomichi, but with the Imabari Castle and the access point for the Shikoku island proper. The Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama is 40 minutes by JR from Imabari.
Direction: Either direction works. Most cyclists do Onomichi → Imabari because Onomichi is more interesting to arrive in (and easier to access from Hiroshima); Imabari is easier to leave from. The prevailing wind typically comes from the west, slightly favoring Onomichi → Imabari.
The Islands
Mukaishima: The first island after Onomichi. Small, agricultural; the ferry crossing sets the mood immediately — the narrow channel, the boats, the hills rising on both sides.
Innoshima: Larger island with a history of piracy (the Murakami Kaizoku, the dominant naval power of the Seto Inland Sea in the 16th century, based their western fleet here). The Innoshima Suigun Castle is a small hilltop museum on piracy history.
Ikuchijima (Setoda): The island with the most to see. Kosanji Temple — a temple built by a local businessman in the 1950s–80s as an homage to the most famous temples in Japan, with replicas of Nikko’s Yomeimon gate and other famous architectural elements assembled in one place. Strange and genuine simultaneously. The Hill of Hope sculpture park adjacent to the temple has panoramic views across the sea.
Omishima: The most important island historically. Oyamazumi Jinja — one of the most significant Shinto shrines in Japan, dedicated to the god of mountains and sea. The shrine’s treasure hall contains one of the largest collections of ancient armor and swords in Japan, including pieces from the 8th–12th centuries. 80% of all designated national treasure armor in Japan is stored here. The ancient camphor trees on the shrine grounds (over 2,600 years old by legend) are among the largest trees in Japan.
Hakatajima and Oshima: The final two islands before the long Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge to Imabari. The Kurushima Kaikyo (Kurushima Strait) is a historically significant channel — tidal currents here produced one of the most tactically complex naval battle sites in Japanese history.
Cycling Logistics
Rental bikes: Available at both ends and at several points along the route. The main rental system (Giant Store Onomichi, Sunrise Itoyama in Onomichi, and multiple island rental points) allows one-way rental — pick up in Onomichi, drop off in Imabari (or vice versa). Fee: approximately ¥3,000–4,000/day plus ¥1,000–2,000 deposit.
Bike types: Flat-bar road bikes and hybrids are standard rental options. The route has some hills (bridges have long ramps up and down) but nothing requiring a mountain bike. E-bikes are increasingly available for those wanting less effort on the bridge ramps.
Cycling path: Dedicated cycling paths (separated from car lanes) exist on all the major bridges. Between bridges, blue lines painted on the road indicate the cycling route through island villages and along coastal roads.
Toll gates: Cyclists pay small tolls at bridge entrances — typically ¥50–200 per bridge. Keep small coins available. Total toll costs for the full route: approximately ¥500.
Pacing the Route
Full route (70 km): 1 long day (8–10 hours cycling + breaks) or 2 relaxed days.
2-day structure (recommended): Day 1: Onomichi → Ikuchijima (Setoda). 38 km. Ferry from Onomichi, two bridges, arrival at Ikuchijima by early afternoon. Visit Kosanji, swim at Sunset Beach (summer), stay at Setoda’s ryokan or guesthouse.
Day 2: Ikuchijima → Imabari. 33 km. Morning start, Omishima shrine visit, Kurushima Kaikyo bridge crossing, arrive Imabari by early afternoon.
One-way considerations: Shinkansen connections from Imabari (via JR to Matsuyama, then Shinkansen from Matsuyama toward Osaka) or bus from Imabari back to Onomichi (2 hours, ¥3,000) cover the return.
What to Eat Along the Route
Lemon: Ehime Prefecture (Shikoku) is Japan’s primary lemon-growing region; the Shimanami islands are in the same belt. Lemon tart, lemon sour drinks, grilled fish with Setouchi lemon are the island specialties.
Tai (sea bream): The Seto Inland Sea is the primary production area for farmed and wild sea bream. Tai-meshi (sea bream rice, cooked with the whole fish or with raw fish pressed into seasoned rice) is the regional specialty at most island restaurants.
Octopus: Oshima and the surrounding waters are octopus territory. Octopus sashimi, octopus balls (takoyaki), and dried octopus snacks appear throughout the island stops.
Citrus soft serve: The island convenience stores and rest stops sell citrus varieties (iyokan, setoka, hassaku) as soft-serve ice cream — significantly better than the generic matcha soft serve available everywhere.
Onomichi — Before or After the Ride
Onomichi deserves time independent of the cycling route. The city climbs a hillside above the harbor; the Temple Walk (Saikoku Suigun Kaido) links 25 temples along the hillside, accessible by foot or by ropeway to the hilltop. The alleyways are narrow and cat-populated (the city runs a famous cat colony, photographed by generations of Japanese visitors). The harbor front has coffee shops in old wooden buildings and a specific melancholy that is not depressive but atmospheric.
Cat Alley (Neko no Hosomichi): The specific narrow passage through the hillside temple district where the colony lives. Cats on stone walls, cats on torii, cats on temple steps.
Literary Onomichi: The city appears in Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story (the Onomichi scenes at the film’s beginning and end); in Nobuhiro Suwa’s work; and in multiple novels. For travelers interested in Japanese cinema, arriving by train, walking the harbor, and then leaving toward the islands has a specific resonance.
Practical Notes
Season: Spring (April–May) and autumn (October–November) are ideal — temperatures 15–25°C, lower humidity than summer, best light for photography. Summer (July–August) is hot and humid but functional; winter is cold but the route is passable.
Accommodation on the islands: Setoda (Ikuchijima) has the best island accommodation — several ryokan and guesthouses, including the Shimanami Guesthouse Maruishi. Omishima has a small selection. Both book out on Golden Week and autumn peak weekends.
What to bring: Water (distances between convenience stores can be 10–15 km), sunscreen, basic repair kit if you have one. Rental shops provide helmets.
The Shimanami Kaido is one of those routes that sounds like a travel marketing concept and turns out to be entirely real. The light on the water between the islands in the late afternoon, the silence on the small island roads except for the wind, the feeling of having crossed an inland sea one bridge at a time — it delivers what the description suggests, which is unusual enough to be worth noting.
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