Cycling story

Part 6 of 10: The Shimanami Kaido to Hiroshima

Dates: 29 March–27 April 2025
Distance: 2,304 km1,432 mi
Climbing: 18,902 m62,014 ft
Riding days: 20
Countries: Japan, South Korea

This part's Dates: 13–16 April 2025
This part's Distance: 242 km150 mi
This part's Climbing: 2,717 m8,914 ft
This part's Riding days: 2

Full route

Privacy-trimmed; some starts and finishes are shortened.

A tall white suspension tower of the Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge against a cloudy sky, with the cycle path curving below and a car crossing the road deck

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Matsuyama, Imabari, and the Shimanami Kaido

On the rest day I went to Matsuyama, somewhere I don’t think a lot of tourists actually visit. You can see the building said to be the inspiration for Spirited Away’s bathhouse there. And of course, another amazing castle, plus a pretty cool clock.

A traditional multi-storey wooden bathhouse building with dark timber and white walls, said to have inspired the bathhouse in the film Spirited Away — The inspiration for Spirited Away's bathhouse.

Matsuyama Castle’s white stone walls and turret rising above trees, with visitors walking near the base — Another amazing castle.

A view down a tree-lined approach path from Matsuyama Castle over the city below — Another amazing castle.

An ornate wooden karakuri clock tower on a Matsuyama street corner, with a red umbrella and modern buildings behind — A pretty cool clock.

Though I did kind of like the vibe of the castle in the place I was staying in Imabari, too. Just the one nighttime look at what I was going to tackle tomorrow…

Imabari Castle’s white walls and turrets illuminated at night, reflected in the surrounding moat — What I was going to tackle tomorrow.

A dark night view over hills and water, with the faint silhouette of the islands to be crossed the next day — What I was going to tackle tomorrow.

Today was guaranteed to be a treat: the famous Shimanami Kaido, an incredible cycle route through a bunch of islands in the Seto Inland Sea. I expected this to be a highlight of the trip, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. One of the best things about it: there’s a transport service for bikepacking bags, so I could take a good bit of weight off the bike to really enjoy it.

The Imabari Cycle Station building with loaded touring bikes parked outside and a cyclist walking past — Ready for the Shimanami Kaido.

The first challenge was a windy bridge, the Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge, which offered some incredible views already. Right after it I’d added a bonus climb for a nice view and the lay of the land - what I was going to be tackling today, and a great view of the bridge I’d just crossed.

The first challenge was a windy bridge.

A curving road at a hilltop viewpoint overlooking scattered islands in the Seto Inland Sea — The lay of the land.

A wider hilltop view over the Seto Inland Sea’s islands under a bright sky — The lay of the land.

The cycling infrastructure here, especially compared to the rest of the roads I’d been on so far, really did make it feel like a cycling theme park: great cycle lanes everywhere, and these incredible bridges weaving their way across the islands.

A cycling theme park.

These incredible bridges weaving their way across the islands.

A small harbour with moored boats beneath a conical island hill on the Shimanami Kaido route — These incredible bridges weaving their way across the islands.

Amazing blue waters.

Now, you can probably notice in the videos if you had the sound on, it was really windy (what a surprise 😂). It was coming from the west, and my route snaked north, west, north, east, north, west, so I got the joy of headwind, a super fast tailwind, and then a headwind to finish. Thankfully I didn’t have too many moments of dodgy bike handling from the crosswinds, but it did add an extra edge to the cycling 😂. Generally it’s a bit of a cheat code to get a great view from a bridge in Japan, but the Shimanami Kaido takes that to the next level.

A cheat code to get a great view from a bridge.

Though very often it’s the bridge itself that is the view, they’re just stunning.

A cable-stayed bridge over glittering water, seen with the sun low over the sea — The bridge itself is the view.

Small green islands scattered across calm blue water, seen from a Shimanami Kaido bridge. — Just stunning.

And of course, of course, at the end of this incredible cycling theme park of a route, it ends with a ferry.

It ends with a ferry.

I want to come back to do this again (and maybe again, again!). It was incredible. The only issue: I nearly think the mountain stage the day before was better. But perhaps that was just the cloudy weather.

Hiroshima and Itsukushima

Onwards to Hiroshima. This was one of those days where, thanks to strict planning, I had to commit to cycling through in the rain. Once you get a certain amount of wet from the rain, it starts to bother you less.

A calm reservoir surrounded by green hills, with a small red marker buoy floating on the water — Nice views before the rain properly started.

Cherry blossom trees along a paved riverside path, with houses in the background under an overcast sky — Nice views before the rain properly started.

A wooden shrine gate and small shrine building beside a parked car in a residential street — Nice views before the rain properly started.

Nice views before the rain properly started.

But yes, it did start to rain pretty heavily.

Rain pretty heavily.

Still quite beautiful in the hills, though I imagine on a clear day it would have been magnificent.

A wet road running beside a railway line and houses, with misty hills beyond — Still quite beautiful in the hills.

Still quite beautiful in the hills.

I survived. Now, a few days’ rest in Hiroshima.

The first rest day I took it pretty easy and went to the Peace Memorial Museum, which is fantastic, though obviously not a fantastic subject. Otherwise, just a generally relaxing day.

Small architectural models of Hiroshima buildings displayed in the Peace Memorial Museum, with an information plaque in front — The Peace Memorial Museum.

The Atomic Bomb Dome’s skeletal ruins surrounded by modern Hiroshima buildings on the riverbank — The Peace Memorial Museum.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Atomic Bomb Dome) illuminated at dusk, reflected in the river — The Atomic Bomb Dome at dusk.

Day two had, you guessed it, a ferry.

A calm sea view with a hazy coastline and small islands on the horizon — A ferry, day two.

It was kind of a speedboat thing with seats, tbh, I should have taken a picture. It brought me to the island of Itsukushima. I can’t recommend it enough. I started with a hike, as it was pretty busy near the town, so it was nice to get back to some peace.

Back to some peace.

A hazy view over a bay and hills from the hiking trail on Itsukushima — Back to some peace.

An ornate shrine building with two guardian statues flanking the entrance — Back to some peace.

Coming down, I got some snacks, a beer or two, and enjoyed the view of the Otorii gate, sunset just amplifying its aesthetic.

The Itsukushima floating torii gate seen across exposed mudflats at low tide, with people walking out to it — The Otorii gate at low tide.

The large orange Otorii gate standing on the exposed mudflats, with visitors gathered at its base — The Otorii gate at low tide.

A hand holding a drink can in silhouette against the sun setting over the bay — Snacks, a beer or two.

The Otorii gate silhouetted against a vivid orange sunset, with visitors gathered on the sand nearby — Sunset amplifying its aesthetic.

Back on the road! Of course starting with a nice view from a bridge.

A view along a river through a small town, with houses on the bank and a road bridge crossing — A nice view from a bridge.

Though I also stumbled upon a bridge that is better looked at than looked from.

A touring bike leaning against the railing overlooking an arched wooden bridge crossing a wide river. — A bridge better looked at than looked from.

The multi-arched wooden Kintai Bridge crossing a wide river, with hills in the background — A bridge better looked at than looked from.

Something that cycling in Japan provides, unbeatable on all my trips, is just the pure peace of their towns; I’ve talked about the quiet, but it always hits me, and there are constant incredible views, generally from the top of a bridge.

The pure peace of their towns.

An ornate orange lamp post on a red bridge railing, overlooking a river and hills — Constant incredible views, generally from the top of a bridge.

A river valley stretching toward hazy hills under a bright midday sun — Constant incredible views.

I’d just gawk at the hills constantly (partly what inspired a future trip), though the camera rarely does it justice.

Gawking at the hills constantly.