For this part of my journey across Japan I cross the Seto Inland Sea via the Shimanami Kaido Cycling Route. This route takes me from the main island Honshu to Shikoku and is conveniently located between the popular cities of Kyōto, Ōsaka and Hiroshima. Despite it being so close to the mainland, it is a great way to experience a different side of Japan.
If there is one thing I learned about Japan is that the Japanese will not miss out on the opportunity to use a shitload of concrete to make nature more accessible. More often than not it is really hard to see the purpose of all that solid greyness, especially when it is poured quite randomly in the most remote areas. It is quite common to drive in the middle of nowhere and suddenly see a concrete mountain slope… Or to stumble upon one of the many rows of big concrete Tetrapods occupying a dominant part of even the relatively harmless beaches. The use of all this concrete is questionable to say the least and seems to be driven mostly by maintaining budgets of local governments rather than preventing the country from actual disasters.
Building bridges
Though there are also some useful purposes for all this concrete. The most important ones are bridges. Considering the fact that Japan consists of 6,852 islands, of which around 3000 are located in the Seto Inland Sea, bridges do come in handy. I have seen the most impressive looking bridges pop up throughout the country and the islands between Honshu and Shikoku are no exception.
Over the past decennia, Japan has invested a lot of money in making these islands accessible to the general public through the construction of several bridges. And for good reason, as it is a perfect way to see a different side of Japan… almost a Mediterranean side. The atmosphere on the islands is relaxed and it gives a good glimpse of the beauty and charm of Shikoku. The islands are also conveniently located on the route between Kyōto, Ōsaka and Hiroshima. From Kyōto it is approximately two hours by train to get to Onomichi, a small harbour city and the starting point of the route for me. I enjoyed spending some time here, climbing the Temple Walk and trying the famous ice cream at Karasawa (at the recommendation of my dear friend Emiko).
Shimanami Kaido Cycling Route
From Onomichi it is usually possible to rent a one-way bike to cycle the route all the way to Shikoku, which is about 80 km in total. It can be done in a day, or can be split in two (or more) days. The latter is actually a good alternative as it gives you some time to explore the islands you cross. When you get to Imabari on Shikoku, you can hand in the bike without having to return it to Onomichi. To make it even more convenient, you can arrange for your luggage to be forwarded by courier service to avoid having to carry a large backpack across the cycle.
As I always thoroughly enjoy cycling (Dutch roots speaking), I really want to undertake this route by bicycle. Unfortunately, the cycling shops are closed due to the lack of tourists as a result of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. This leaves me with a couple of options A) skip this part of Japan altogether; B) undertake the route by public transportation, i.e. train and/or bus or C) rely on my own two feet and walk the damn thing. As my curiosity to see the islands up close and personal wins from my sense of reasoning I decided to go with plan C. Fortunately there is one guesthouse open on the fifth island of the six I have to cross, which allows me to split it into two days. That sounds like a fun challenge!
Taking off
On a very sunny morning I leave Onomichi with my backpack full of sunscreen, onigiri, Pocari Sweat and my camera equipment. Even though it is only the beginning of May, the sun is already pretty strong which makes the crystal-clear sea ever so inviting.
If the Japanese set out a route you can definitely trust that it is being undertaken with great care for detail and convenience. All the bridges on the route are quite high to enable the big (cargo)-ships to pass underneath but have a particularly long ramps with small inclines to make it more accessible to cyclists. The whole route is marked with a clear blue line and indications of the number of kilometres left.
It is however worthwhile to get off the main route every so often, for example on the third island: Ikuchijima. The main route crosses the south/east side of the island, but the (longer) north/west side is actually much prettier and shows more of the life on the island. This detour also allows me to pass the main village on the island with the beautiful Buddhist temple Kōsan-ji. The temple is located on the hill and is overlooking the small harbour.
The detour also takes me past Sunset Beach, which is not the most idyllic beach of Japan but does give you a beautiful sunset view (yes, what’s in a name right?!) before I return to the main route in the south.
Golden glory
By this time it is getting quite late already and in the glory of the golden hour I cross the last bridge of the day to get to the fifth island: Hakatajima. The atmosphere is phenomenal, locals get out of their houses and make way to the seashore to catch the catch of the day for dinner. The insects are starting to buzz again and the views on the clear blue waters between the lush green trees and bushes are a sight for sore eyes.
All the extra off-route climbing is starting to take it toll though, as well as the lack of conbini’s along the way. As soon as I find a vending machine, I manage to get a hold of a fresh supply of cold Pocari Sweat which gives me a boost to cover the last ten kilometres.
Evening struggles
The guesthouse is unfortunately located on the other side of the island (off-route) and I estimate that at my current pace I will arrive at the guesthouse an hour after the latest check-in time. I already sent the owner a message earlier in the day but based on the lack of any response whatsoever I have the feeling that he did not received the message. At this point I am starting to worry whether the guesthouse is even open. I did not receive a confirmation and I kind of blindly trusted that my booking was accepted…. Hmmm. Normally I would not be too worried and trust that there will be a solution, but the remoteness of my location in combination with the exhaustion of 40 km of climbing up and down in 30 degrees left me longing for a refreshing Japanese bath and lying feet up on the promised futon.
I tried calling the mobile phone number of the owner, which is always a guess in the Japanese countryside as my Japanese is close to non-existent and a minimum level of English is not always present. Calling is unfortunately the only way of communication where Google Translate cannot come to the rescue!
Mr. Sarasaya to the rescue
Luckily, the owner picks up and mentions that he is waiting for me and already prepared a hot bath. I managed to explain to him that I just crossed the last bridge and that I am travelling by foot. The part about walking the Shimanami Kaido gives some kind of error code however and shortly thereafter the line disconnects. Well, all is good, at least my reservation is confirmed and the owner knows I am on my way.
I continue walking, ready for the last agonizing five kilometres when my phone rings again… It is the owner who is looking for me on the last bridge but could not find a crazy white gaijin (foreigner). If I could please tell him where I am, so he could see it with his own eyes. Haha ok… After his message to meet ‘in front of the shop’ the line disconnects again. Leaving me with the important question… which shop of the twenty that are scattered all over this island? Fortunately, it only took one lucky guess before I found the owner who took me in his AC cooled car to the guesthouse. What a treat!
Traditional Japanese breakfast
After a good night’s rest, the owner prepared a traditional Japanese breakfast for me, including dried fish, fish cake and a rice bowl with a raw egg stirred through it. I am not a big breakfast eater and I must admit that the fish and raw egg are a bit intense this early on. At least it is a good protein base to conquer the last 40 km with.
Ever so kind
So after the extensive breakfast and a fresh layer of sunscreen, the lovely owner opted to drive me around the island to show some of his favourite hidden places. An offer I could not refuse! After all his deeds of great kindness I feel somewhat ashamed about my earlier thoughts in Tokyo. Based on my first impressions in that massive city I questioned whether the Japanese were truly kind or whether it was just superficial politeness.
Now that I see more and more of this country and meet more locals, I can wholeheartedly confirm that the majority of the Japanese are genuinely kind. The first layer of extreme politeness is just a cultural thing and usually there is so much more underneath. The further south/west I go, the easier it gets to meet locals on the streets/in guesthouses and connect with them. It just takes a nudge to get past the first acquaintance.
Little detour on the second day
On the second day I decide to push myself a bit extra again and hike an extra four kilometres up on a mountain to get a view of the last lengthy bridge. Not a bridge to be underestimated, as it is the longest one of 4.105 kilometres and actually consists of three bridges.
Once I get to the top of the mountain, the view is worth every drop of sweat. The Japanese built a concrete (!) lookout on the top, giving a spectacular outlook on Imabari and the final stage of the hike.
I will not go in too much detail about the last part of the hike but it is safe to say that I made the classical error of thinking: “oh the last bridge, nearly there…” and totally underestimated this part. But it was certainly a spectacular finish to this amazing route. Next time on a bicycle though!
Matsuyama
Once I get to Imabari, I take the local train to get to Matsuyama, a nice city known for its beautiful castle and practical port. After a good night’s rest and exploring the best bits of Matsuyama the next day I climb the hill located in the middle of the city. On this hill I walk around the gorgeous white castle and celebrate the finish of this beautiful and memorable journey at sunset with a nice cold drink. Looking forward to the next stage: Hiroshima.
Up next: Hiroshima
The best way to get to Hiroshima from Matsuyama is by ferry and that is most certainly not a punishment. The ferry ride of almost three hours turns out to be a very enjoyable ride, which I spend on the top deck in the sun with my Japanese puzzlebook and my e-reader. I am currently reading the book of Paul Muys “Geen zee te hoog” to get a better understanding of Japan, especially from an historical, cultural and political perspective. Looking forward to exploring Hiroshima!
My final thoughts on the Shimanami Kaido
Undertaking the Shimanami Kaido is something I can only recommend. If possible, do it by bicycle though. The route is clearly designed for cyclists, the pace of the variety in landscape and roads are best enjoyed on a bicycle. As hiker you do not necessarily get excited of all those seemingly endless ramps that spiral their way up on the bridge. You just want to go straight up and enjoy the view. That set aside though, walking this route is one of my most memorable experiences in Japan. If you have an extra day or two left on your way to Hiroshima, take a detour. I am sure you will love this other side of Japan!
