Onomichi, Japan (Shimanami Kaido)

Back in 2020, when I first exited quarantine out of my home in southern Japan, some friends took my ex and I on several trips to get to know the surrounding area. We were living in Iwakuni, and about two hours drive north was the Shimanami Kaido – a series of bridges that connected the mainland of Honshu to the south eastern large island of Shikoku. I remember thinking the drive was very pretty, and pretty expensive, and not much else of it. I was blinking away the fog of spending over two weeks locked alone inside with little else besides my master’s program coursework, and that had taken a sizeable chunk out of my brain. The rest of the trip was also overshadowed by a stop in Dogo, the famous onsen town. I do remember the seeing the cyclists and musing that that might be fun, but my ex quickly extinguished that idea and I moved on with my life.

Today, David and I finished biking the 80 kilometers of the Shimanami Kaido. I did not use an electric assist bicycle, either! I had originally considered it, but since we had decided to break the trip over two days, David suggested the extra weight of an electric assist if it ran out of juice would be prohibiting, and so I forwent that. It was nice to know that it was an option, however. Some part of me still can’t believe we did it. That I did it.

Source: Shimanami Japan. "Shimanami Kaido Cycling Route Map." Shimanami Cycling. https://shimanami-cycle.or.jp/cycling/assets/img/fig-02.png.

Let me illustrate a distinct difference for you –

A true cyclist, like David (who did not break a sweat at all) or his brother or father, could do the Shimanami Kaido cycling route in a little over three hours. The uphills are not exerting for experienced cyclists, and not once did David need to dismount and push his bicycle. For the downhills, they would likely have to actually worry about breaking the speed limit. They could get a leisurely start in the morning, grab a cup of coffee on Mukaishima (the first island), get lunch at the Cyclists Sanctuary two islands later, and be in Imabari long before dinner. I am not a cyclist.

In reflection, my lack of being a cyclist has more to do with Cash and Charge than any love of cycling. David was correct about one thing; the efficiency of bikes is no joke. If I could have coasted down the mountains of the Great Walk, I would have been flying through New Zealand. My knees would probably be in much better shape. But I haven’t owned a bicycle in maybe over a decade. I did own a tricycle for a time. When I was living in sunny SoCal, I bought a tricycle for riding alongside Charge because I didn’t trust him not to pull me over and boy was I correct. He was not a great bike companion. He struggled to topple the tricycle, though he did give it a good try a time or two! We would both watch in envy while a sailor and his well-mannered pup would fly through base at top speed, bike and dog side by side in full gallop, and wonder why our partnership was not so perfect. Then he would scream and I would scream and we’d bike around our tiny neighborhood in slow circles. And any time I wanted to experience the great outdoors, I would take one or both boys with me, and so I never felt that I could even have a bike. I forgot how much I loved them. Also, having been side swiped by a truck, my love of bikes within the United States is still quite lacking, though my love of trail riding has grown. I have renewed vigor to take that up soon.

And so, when I planned this section of our trip, our last Great Physical Exertion from the drawer of Silly Jennifer Ideas, I decided I would break it into two days in case I struggled to make it. Well, it turns out, a complete novice can in fact complete the route in a bit over eight hours. So, if one felt inclined, they could get up a little early, skip the coffee, have lunch at the Cycling Sanctuary, and be in Imabari by dinner. This cuts out all of the neat things to do on the islands, but we didn’t actually stray much from the path. So, biker’s discretion, I suppose.

We began our trip on a perfect, sunny 70 degree day in late March. We rented two bicycles and were given a map of the islands, an accounting of their ridiculous number of citrus varieties, and points of interest along the way. I would recommend reading that map before starting, which I clearly did not do. Some part of me probably believed everything of interest would be on the route, and that is not true. I was also too busy surviving to read offshoot signs, and maybe too afraid of getting lost to take them if I did see them. It turns out, after our short ferry ride to Mukaishima, that the route is literally painted there. The blue cycling route is ON THE ROAD. If you get lost, my first question for you would be, HOW? Since we wanted to take that route anyway, we stuck mostly to the blue brick road. And I am still incredibly happy for the adventure we did experience, seeing the amazing bridges in their unique styles, seeing the Japanese countryside and citrus farms, seeing the small towns cradled on the mountainous islands between them. Even if we missed a stop or two.

I am equally glad that we did stop halfway. Around that point we came across the Cycling Sanctuary, which has a sculpture dedicated to the internationally renowned cycling route with one of the bridges in the background. They have hot food and omiyage or Japanese style gifts for friends and family that show off the place you have been. In this case, it was very, very citrusy omiyage. We splurged on a nice room in Omishima, overlooking the same bridge as the center, but further down the road. The hotel offered a shuttle service to the nearest town on the other side of the island (a mere ten minute drive) for better dinner options, as well. So, that evening, we were able to get hot tea and watch out over the beautiful islands, and then head to a nice Izakaya for locally crafted pork and ginger dishes. I’m not entirely sure what all we ate, but whatever it was, it was delectable.

Because we only biked about four hours a day, we allowed ourselves to sleep in a bit and get a later start. The hotel, which was a series of tiny buildings and geodome style tents, offered free breakfast in their small café on the shore of the island with the same stunning view. We had our breakfast, repacked our stuff, and set off. We had thankfully stored most of our belongings in Hiroshima before taking a shinkansen to Onomichi, and would be taking a bus back to Hiroshima afterwards.

I also think our knees hurt before we ever even started, so I’m not certain what affect the biking had. Once we got going, my knees really weren’t bad, but my butt… that’s another story. We did not bring our padded shorts. I would recommend choosing better. On that note, on the second day, David had found that the knees, legs, and feet charm I had bought for him in Fukuoka at the Nanzoin temple, had broken… I think it gave us all of its power to survive the trip and is now used up. That’s what it’s for, though!

The second day was a little hazy and a little chillier. The forecast suddenly called for afternoon rain. We had two options: try to race it or try to wait it out. David suggested we get coffee at a café after our second bridge that day and stay a while, but there was no particularly nice venue on our beloved blue brick road, so I was loathe to find somewhere. We found a small street serving the same food as the center the day before, got a couple pieces of fried chicken, and then I called it. We would try to race the weather.

That was a choice.

We lost.

The weather held for almost our entire bike ride. We passed over the bridge to Hakatajima and then to Oshima. We were on the final stretch to Shikoku, the final and longest bridge. This bridge is apparently called the Kurushima Kaikyo and is actually a series of three connected suspension bridges. It is four kilometers long (about 2.5 miles) and is the world’s longest continuous suspension bridge system. And this is where the storm hit. As we ascended the ramp onto the bridge, we began to feel droplets, which quickly turned into slightly pelting rainwater. The wind picked up into a torrent and the bridge screamed. David yelled, “Type two fun!* At least this will be memorable!” And we took off. Somehow, I miraculously stayed atop my bike, did not fall over, fall off, or give up, and we made it to the other side. We towered over Imabari and began a quick spiral of hairpin turns downward into the city below when the rain became a complete torrential downpour. I kept switching eyes as they were unceremoniously barraged. Somehow, after one of the most exhilarating down ramps ever (with one of the best visages, when I could see it), we made it to Imabari. By the time we reached the bike return center, another 4 km into the city, we were drenched… and the skies had cleared and would remain so for the rest of the day. At the center, David finally, after many Japanese lessons, got to use the phrase…

“いい天気ですね.” Ii o tenkidesu ne.

The weather is nice, isn’t it?

10/10 – World class bike ride literally and figuratively

David & Jennifer cycled the Shimanami Kaido 2025

*Type 2 fun is fun that’s only fun after the fact; I’ll detail the different types of fun another time!