50 miles (80km) on Japan’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride 🌊 Shimanami Kaido Guide (Onomichi, Hiroshima)

50 miles (80km) on Japan’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride 🌊 Shimanami Kaido Guide (Onomichi, Hiroshima)

Today we’re biking 50 miles across six Japanese islands as complete beginner cyclists. This is the Shimanami Kaido,
Japan’s most famous bike route, ranked number four in the world
and yes, even Michelin starred. It has breathtaking views
along these massive bike dedicated bridges that feel like giant rollercoasters and
is open to all ages and fitness levels. I’ve had this on my bucket list
since I was a kid, and luckily it’s easy to get to and very welcoming
to international visitors. We’ll be splitting the ride into two days,
which is highly recommended, and if you’ve searched online, you’ll know there are endless questions
about the Shimanami Kaido. Is it hard? What’s there to do? What’s there to eat?
And how much does it all cost? We’re here to answer all that and more. So let’s go. Biking across six Japanese islands sounds epic, but how do you actually fit the
Shimanami Kaido into your Japan trip? It’s 1.5 hours from Osaka,
or one hour away from Hiroshima. And you start from either
Onomichi or Imabari. We’re doing it over two days,
but a lot of people do this as a day trip. You can rent e-bikes, enjoy the scenery,
and stop at any island to return home. In our case, we’re in the middle
of our two week Tokyo to Fukuoka journey, so we took the Shinkansen from
Tokyo to Imabari. Biked the Shimanami Kaido to Onomichi,
then continued West to Fukuoka. Have you biked the Shimanami Kaido? Or are you planning to? Comment below! We would love to know.
Now let’s check in to Imabari. An industrial port city known for Japan’s
largest shipbuilding hub. Right outside Imabari train station,
you’ll find the cycle terminal. With bike rentals, tourist information, changing rooms
and even tools for bike tuning. It’s a Cyclist’s Paradise. In fact, nearly 200,000 people,
international and Japanese, come every year, and the route is lined
with terminals just like this. Ten of them, to be exact. You can rent or return bikes in any one,
so if you get tired halfway, just drop your bike at the nearest terminal
and hop on a ferry or bus ride home. We just checked into the Prime Hotel,
which is brand new and very affordable. It has a bathhouse, laundry room,
and my personal favorite breakfast buffet. For dinner, we walk to Gomidori,
an adorable cash only yakitori spot that feels like you’re
in a little grandma’s living room. Needless to say, the food was fantastic. Back at the hotel lobby,
we got free beer, the perfect nightcap, as we’ll need all the energy
we can get for tomorrow. Our goal today is to clear
27 miles to the halfway point. The nice thing about splitting the trip
into two days is not having to rush. We even stop by the Towel Museum
since Imabari is famous for them. If you want to see that side trip,
check out our Instagram or TikTok. As for our luggage, we actually shipped everything to Fukuoka
and only packed overnight essentials. We’re approaching the starting line
for the Shimanami Kaido, and you can see these huge bike bridges
that will be riding on soon. This point is actually a short ride
from Imabari Station, so we waited to rent our
bikes here at Sunrise Itoyama. To rent your bikes, you have two options. Just show up or make a reservation. We showed up at noon and had no problems,
but during busy seasons, you’ll definitely want to book ahead.
At least three days before your trip. Go to the official Shimanami Bike
Rental website, choose your pick up and drop off terminals,
select your dates and finally, your bike type. Payment will be on pick up
day and credit cards are okay. If you’re only riding for the day,
go for the e-bike as they cannot be rented overnight. Since we’re splitting it into two days, we got the battery assisted bike. For pros
looking for fancy carbon bikes. Giant is your store! There’s one in Imabari,
right next to the station and one in Onomichi in this awesome cycle warehouse
where we’ll be staying in later. Time to tackle our first bridge, the Kurushima Kaikyo, a huge suspension bridge
and the most famous on this route. It’s going to be the toughest climb, but also the prettiest section
of the Shimanami Kaido. Now the route is relatively flat,
but to get on the bridges, you do have to climb
these long spiral ramps. It’s not impossible, but the battery assist
really came in handy here. The grade is around 3 to 4%, which simply
indicates how steep the hills are. As for navigation,
just follow the blue line. We barely use their phones
and even in the dark we didn’t get lost. But more on that later. I first discovered the Shimanami
Kaido back in middle school. It looked so magical and really reminded me of that one
cycling road in Pokémon Ruby. Even though I didn’t train for this like maybe I should have,
I came prepared in other ways. I brought the cycling shorts with padding
and that alone made a huge difference. Butt soreness is real.
That and getting sunburned. So definitely pack sunscreen
and reapply often. Our first island is Oshima
and where we’re having lunch. As you bike, you can almost make this a food tour since
each island has something unique to try. I got sea salt ice cream, a tai burger,
and a mikan drink. Now at this point it would be smart
to bike to the next island, but we detoured to the
Kirosan Observation Deck. It holds by far the most beautiful view
on the entire route, and it just so happens to be one of the toughest
but optional climbs. Remember when I showed you the
different grades? To get on this mountain, It’ll reach up to 10%.
Even at full battery assist. This is no joke. It took over 30 minutes
to make this climb, but I’m proud to say
I didn’t have to walk my bike up. However,
it was too early to start celebrating. Yep, it
ended up raining for an entire hour. We’re here in early September,
which is typhoon season. Fall and spring
is the best time to bike the Shimanami Kaido but it is open year round. Luckily, the rain moves fast and
all that waiting pays off, Now our real challenge begins. We have to get to our hotel,
which is two whole islands away. Definitely do not do what
we’re about to. Biking at night is dangerous since parts of the road
can become pitch black. There’s cars and even wild boars. Now, for the most part,
it was actually pretty peaceful and we just focused on following that
blue line. On the bridges, you have your own dedicated bike lane, and on the islands
you’ll share the road with other vehicles. But at this time it was like a ghost town, like something
was about to pop out from the bushes. And it definitely doesn’t help
when you hear this in the dark. It was like Silent Hill, the Shimanami Kaido edition,
but on we go. From this morning, it took us
a total of seven hours to get here. It was too late to eat somewhere,
so we stopped by a Family Mart and got a huge protein haul. We spent over ¥4,000, the most
we’ve ever spent in a single conbini trip. We were blinded by hunger. And so I even got this interesting
sleep drink. The hotel staff even prepared a snack
for us with homegrown figs and cheese. And so we ate and passed out. We have an early morning today
because we’re going fishing! It’s one of the many activities available at our Hotel Wakka, a hub for adventurers
and outdoor enthusiasts. We couldn’t resist. So we chose two activities for today. Guiding us is Daisuke.
A man who can do it all. Remember those figs from last night? They are actually from his own garden. A short ride to the dock. We arrived at the boat
with everything prepared for us. I do want to mention
that nothing is sponsored in this video, and I’m sharing in hopes
of helping you get ideas for your trip. Daisuke spoke English
and it was very easy to get started. Our goal is to catch tai,
the specialty of the Seto Inland Sea. Moments like this are what I’m
most grateful for when traveling in Japan. I know there’s so much to do,
but the mundane can just be as fulfilling. Just as our our was almost up. Daisuke caught one and let me reel it in. Thanks to him
we won’t be going home empty handed. Or should I say empty stomached because the hotel
will cook the fish for our dinner. Thank you Daisuke! I want to show you around Wakka
before our next activity. Perfect for an overnight
stay or just a pitstop. First up is the shower
and laundry facilities, which you can use even if you’re not staying at the hotel.
For ¥900, you can shower, wash and dry your clothes, plus be provided
lounge clothes and sandals. You can rest on these tatami
mats or sit at the beautiful cafe overlooking the Tatara Bridge,
which will bike on tomorrow. You can also participate
in over 20 activities offered by Wakka. Just be sure to book ahead. Waka also offers a taxi service
for anyone biking the Shimanami Kaido. If you get tired anywhere on the route,
they’ll come pick you and your bike up. And lastly, the lodging. From bunk
beds, tents, and even your own tiny house. There’s lots of options at different price
points. We’re staying in the Ocean View Residence. It has its own kitchen,
washing machine, and soaking tub. It’s also equipped with Snow Peak camping
gear, everything you need to cook, and you can even rent
this massage gun for free. Our next activity is stand up paddle
boarding. We’ll make our way to a small island called Kojojima,
which is currently uninhabited. But it used to be a post for pirates. Back in the 1500s. It’s my first time doing this,
but I got the hang of it pretty quick. Daisuke took these clips of us
and even prepared snacks. We got in the water for a swim and were joined by different wildlife
like these huge jellyfish and stingrays. Looking back,
I’m really glad I took an extra day here. The Shimanami Kaido is incredible,
but it’s also a challenge. Having time to recharge
halfway made it even better. Back in our room, we’re going to shower
and get ready for a special treat tonight. We’re having a Japanese dinner
catered in our kitchen. The theme is seafood from the
Seto Inland Sea, which is known to have fish
with a gentle taste. Our rooms come with these comfy
Imabari towel pajamas, which is perfect right out of the bath. In my Tokyo Hotels video, I mentioned that
Japanese hotels often provide pajamas. Check your accommodations
so you have one less thing to pack. For other dinner options,
you can check out the cafe at Wakka or take the free shuttle
to Oyamazumi Shrine. From the shuttle, you can walk
to local restaurants or Mare Grassia, an onsen with eight different baths
to soak your tired feet. If you’re enjoying the video, please
like and subscribe! Unbelievably,
we recently passed 10,000 subscribers thanks to your continued support. Thank you
and we have more adventures planned soon. Dinner is packed with seafood and every possible form and paired
with yet again, Daisuke’s home grown fruit. The side dishes had crab, shellfish
and everything tasted unbelievably fresh. The tai we caught
earlier is served as sashimi so we could really appreciate its gentle
and slightly sweet flavor. One of the most unique dishes
was this wafer. You pour boiling water over it and it
blooms to reveal the soup hidden inside. But this is hands down
the best thing I’ve eaten on this trip. It’s vanilla custard
wrapped in mochi and bamboo leaves. If you see this in Japan,
definitely try it. We ended the night
with local beers from the fridge. There’s actually two breweries
you can visit on this trip, one here in Omishima and
another in Onomichi. A ten out of ten dinner that totally made
up for last nights conbini food. Tomorrow kicks off the second half of our
journey, so let’s rest up. Wakka sent us off with some electrolyte candy
and we’re back on the road! With 24 miles to go, we need to refill our bike batteries
at Omishima Rental Terminal. That was pretty conservative
with the assist, so it was only around 50%. I would definitely crank it up
if you get this bike because replacing the battery
is very convenient, the staff will pop it out
and replace it with a new one. Quick, easy and free. We’re now approaching Tatara Bridge, designed to look like a bird
spreading its wings over the sea. Easily one of the more picturesque bridges
on the Shimanami Kaido. But don’t be fooled by how close it looks. There’s still a long spiral
maze to climb first. A little fun fact. If you stop underneath the bridge supports
and clap. You could hear the sound
travel up, creating loud reverberations. The locals call it the roaring dragon. Don’t forget to give it a try. The Tatara Bridge marks the border
between Hiroshima and Ehime Prefecture. You can see this line painted on the road. We’re now on Ikuchijima or Lemon Island. You’ll start to see groves of them. These are still unripe, but in spring they turn yellow,
making the scenery so much prettier. While biking at night,
we actually ran into a wild boar. Hence the sign here. Daisuke told us there about five boars
for every person on the islands, so be careful. We also just missed swimming season,
which is from July to late August. While we ride, here’s a quick history
of the Shimanami Kaido. The official name of the route
is the Nishi Seto Expressway, but most people call it the Shimanami Kaido,
which means Island, Wave, Sea, Road. So why was this network
built in the first place? Japan is a nation of islands. When we first began
our journey in Imabari, we were actually on an island separate
from the mainland called Shikoku. For a long time, there were no roads
linking the two regions. Before the bridges. Tragic sea accidents made it clear
that safer, more reliable land routes were needed. To solve this. A bridge association was founded in 1970. Construction began in 73,
and after two decades of work, the final bridge was completed in 1999. Building these was no easy task. Each of the bridges are engineering
masterpieces that vitalized the area. As one quick example. There are now eight times
the convenience stores in Shikoku. So why is this a cycling route? Originally there were no plans for bike
lanes. However,
the association realized that building these would make the lives
of the residents much better. Also in the 70s, biking
had become incredibly popular in Japan, and national guidelines required that bike lanes be implemented on roads
to prevent accidents. Continuously, The Shimanami Kaido Bicycle Road
Utilization Promotion Council has worked with organizations in Hiroshima and Ehime
to keep the bicycle route toll free for over ten years, with a common
sentiment of local governments being, “If there is a toll,
it cannot become a Cycling Paradise.” And don’t forget about Bari-San and
Mican, the wonderful mascots who cheered us on throughout the trip. Bari-San is from Imabari. They wear a towel and have a stylish crown
representing the bridges. Mican is an orange fruit dog riding a bike, so
I don’t think she needs more explanation. But Mican and her evil rotten twin
Dark Mican always wear their helmets. Follow their lead
and stay safe while you ride. Thanks for the history
lesson and unwavering support, Mican. Time for gelato at Dolce,
a classic stop on the Shimanami Kaido. The top three flavors are salt milk,
lemon, and orange. You can’t miss the shop
as it’s right on the path. Before we leave Ikuchijima,
I want to highlight Kousanji Temple, that houses the cave of a thousand Buddhas
and the Hill of Hope. This is a very popular site,
but one we skipped. Reason one, the sun is too strong. Reason two, there’s honestly a lot to see
and do on the Shimanami Kaido. Some people bike
the entire thing in one day, while others will explore a single island
in one day. You can even take the ferry
to other remote islands like Okunoshima or Rabbit Island or Takaikamishima,
an island with only 11 people. But if you want to plan your route, a great resource
would be the official Shimanami Kaido website, which is entirely in English. And don’t worry about the language
barrier here. A lot of tourists visit this route,
and the locals are very welcoming and happy that you came. This is Ikuchi Bridge, the easiest one to climb up. It’s amazing how beautiful the views are
that you’ll see in between your rides. The islands are sleepy and quiet. An interesting fact, Innoshima is known
for once being controlled by pirates who collected tolls from any ships
passing the Seto Inland Sea. Up in the distance
you can see Innoshima Bridge. The route leading up to it, in my opinion,
is the most beautiful, with the beaches and massive size of the structure. This is our sixth and final bridge
on the Shimanami Kaido, and it’s the most unique because of this
covered path beneath the road. On a blazing hot day like today,
this was a life saver. On our last island, Mukaishima. It’s the most residential. We often share the road with students
commuting on their bikes. Down this path is a ferry
that’ll take us to Onomichi. The ferry is ¥110 per person. Bike’s included and cash only. It’s very
important that you take this ferry because technically there is a last bridge
called Onomichi Bridge, but you do not want to take that as it’s not
suitable for bikes and can be dangerous. And finally we made it to Onomichi! We returned our bikes at Onomichi
Cycle Terminal and that’s it. We did it! Childhood dream accomplished!
Dinners at an izakaya, and of course we ordered
the famous Onomichi Ramen to celebrate. This is made from broth simmered with local fish, chicken
and topped with rich pork oil. Now that’s the perfect
end to the Shimanami Kaido! See you in the morning for a tour of Onomichi. We stayed inside
this renovated warehouse at Hotel Cycle. The space is massive,
filled with restaurants, cafes, souvenirs, and even that Giant bike store. There are no walls separating the hotel
from the rest of the shops. So you can freely walk around,
sit and relax. If it was a rainy day, you wouldn’t
even have to leave the building. The hotel has a bike repair station,
a free coffee machine, and a laundry room. Our room is on the first floor and it was
big compared to our hotel in Imabari. There was even enough room
to hang your bike up. Breakfast is right outside our door,
and honestly, nothing beats rolling out of bed and being two steps
away from freshly baked bread. After all that cycling, I felt as if I had
an endless pit in my stomach that could only be filled up with warm,
steamy curry buns and fresh milk. Onomichi is a retro seaside city, layered with steep hills
that feels straight out of a Ghibli movie. It’s also featured in Yakuza 6,
where they did an amazing job capturing the atmosphere. Up the hill, you’ll find the maze of narrow streets
full of cozy cafes, cats and temples. 25 Buddhist temples, to be exact, spread
along a path known as the Temple Walk. The most famous is Senkoji Temple
where you get a stunning panoramic view. If you want to save your legs,
take the ropeway up. In my opinion, ending your
Shimanami Kaido ride in Onomichi is ideal. After all that biking, this is the perfect
place to slow down, explore and rest. Plus access to the Shinkansen. Thank you all for watching and if you have
any questions, comment down below. See you all in our
next video or on our Patreon.

#japan #japanvlog #japantravel

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Our Japan cycling adventure has begun! Join us as we explore the Shimanami Kaido, Japan’s most famous bike route. This cycling road is ranked number four in the world and is full of beautiful views!

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WHERE WE STAYED
🏁PRIMEHOTEL (Imabari): ¥16,600 (~$105) per night (🍙 Includes breakfast)
https://shimanami-primehotel-imabari.com
🏝️WAKKA (Omishima): ¥49,000 (~$310) per night (🍙 Includes breakfast & dinner)

HOTEL

🚴HOTEL CYCLE (Onomichi): ¥19,800 (~$125) per night
https://onomichi-u2.com/stay/

HELPFUL LINKS
Rent Bikes:
https://visitshimanami.com/bike-rental/

Rent Carbon Road Bikes:
https://giant-store-rental.jp/en/rsv/

Shimanami Kaido Route Planning:
https://shimanami-cycle.or.jp/en-pamph/

Reddit Discussion
reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/

CHAPTERS
0:00 Shimanami Kaido Introduction
0:52 How Do You Plan the Shimanami Kaido?
1:27 Imabari – Starting Point for the Shimanami Kaido
1:50 Bike Rental Terminal Overview
2:33 First Day – Starting the Bike Ride!
3:05 How to Rent Bikes on the Shimanami Kaido
4:03 Prettiest Bridge on the Shimanami Kaido!
4:39 What to Pack on the Shimanami Kaido
5:15 Kirosan Observation Deck
5:44 What Season is Best for Biking?
6:11 Best View on the Shimanami Kaido
7:00 Can You Bike at Night?
7:55 WAKKA Hotel Check-In – First Night
8:20 Second Day – Fishing and Paddleboarding
9:05 We Caught a Tai Fish!
9:28 WAKKA Hotel Tour
9:56 Emergency Bike Pickup Service WAKKA
10:12 Wakka Ocean View Room Tour
10:40 Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP)
12:00 Japanese Seafood Dinner!
13:00 Third Day – Final Bike Leg!
13:21 How to Refill Your Bike Battery
14:17 Tatara Bridge
15:00 History of the Shimanami Kaido – Why Was It Built?
16:32 Shimanami Kaido Mascots – Bari-San and Mican
17:09 Famous Shimanami Dolce Gelato
17:19 Things To Do and Planning Your Route
18:20 Ikuchi Bridge
18:35 Innoshima Bridge
19:16 Ferry to Onomichi
19:40 Welcome to Onomichi!
20:08 Onomichi U2 Hotel Cycle Tour
21:04 Onomichi City Tour
21:43 Outro

GEAR
📷 iPhone 15 Pro, Premiere Pro

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