The Shimanami Kaido is a 60km toll road connecting Honshu to Shikoku, starting in Onomichi and ending in Imabari. The driving route is also known as the Nishiseto Expressway. It is also a paved cycling route designed for casual cyclists and experienced roadies, alike. Officially, the well-marked Shimanami Kaido is 70km long. There are other routes, also marked, across the islands. These are labeled as the Island Explorer route, and adds extra miles through more scenic areas. The Island Explorer version of the Shimanami Kaido is sort of a choose-your-own-adventure, and is lesser traveled. We saw very few people on the version we did. The majority of the cyclists we saw were when the Island Explorer route intersected with the official Shimanami Kaido, primarily at bridges and michi-no-eki.
Read on for all the details on bike touring the Shimanami Kaido.
- How to get to the Shimanami Kaido
- Transferring Your Luggage on the Shimanami Kaido
- What bike should I bring on the Shimanami Kaido
- Best Time to Ride the Shimanami Kaido
- Shimanami Kaido Itinerary
- Shimanami Kaido Bike Touring Gear
- Shimanami Kaido Bike Touring Clothing
- Shimanami Kaido: The Verdict
How to get to the Shimanami Kaido
We took the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Fukuyama Station and then transferred to a JR line that took us to Onomichi Station. If you’re traveling via the Shinkansen, you’ll need to reserve a seat so you can put your bike in the oversized luggage area.
You can also get there via bus or by ferry.
Transferring Your Luggage on the Shimanami Kaido
If you’re staying in Onomichi or Imabari, your hotel can forward your luggage to your next destination, whether that’s your next hotel along the route, or the end.
If you’re bike touring on the Shimanami Kaido, aka bringing everything you need with you, you can have your luggage sent to a Yamato/Kuro Neko on either end of the route.
The Yamato in Onomichi is located in the Onomichi Hondori Shopping Arcade. The Yamato in Imabari is right next to Imabari Station.
As of writing, the cost to transfer two bike bags (Dakine Bike Roller Bag and Post Carry Co Transfer Case) from Onomichi to Imabari was ¥6,136, or approximately $42 USD. This was payable only with an IC card or cash.
What bike should I bring on the Shimanami Kaido
We brought our gravel bikes for Grinduro Japan and also used them on the Shimanami Kaido. That being said, this is an entirely paved route so any road bike will do.
You don’t have to bring a bike. You can rent (and return) bikes from the Onomichi Port Bicycle Rental Terminal or the i.i.imabari! Cycle Station (next to Imabari Station). There are also various points along the route that you can pick up or drop off a bike if you’re short on time.
If you want higher quality bikes, there is a Giant store in Onomichi and a Giant store in Imabari that you can rent and return bikes from.
Best Time to Ride the Shimanami Kaido
The spring and fall are perfect times to ride the Shimanami Kaido! It’s not too hot and humid, and it’s not too cold. Spring means longer days. Fall means less crowds. We saw very few people on the Island Explorers route. Additionally, if you start riding in the afternoon, you’ll miss the morning cyclists. There were times where we never saw another cyclist. Catching golden hour around the bridges was perfect.
Shimanami Kaido Itinerary
The Shimanami Kaido can be easily done in a day if you’re an experienced cyclist and/or you enjoy suffering. This was my first time in Japan, so I wanted to see and eat as much as possible, not just zoom along. I broke our route down into three days, with each day being roughly 30 miles. That fit within the timeframe we had available before we needed to be in Kyoto for some pre-booked reservations.
Shimanami Kaido Day 0 – Onomichi
We had a short timeline that we were working with, so we took the first train from Tokyo to Onomichi. We got there as early as we could, built our bikes, and started riding. That being said, I wish we had time to explore Onomichi. It’s a very cute city. The Onomichi Hondori Shopping Arcade has a ton of cute shops, coffee shops, and restaurants. The Onomichi Creators Market is a fantastic place to pick up souvenirs and art from local artists. Senkoji Park is supposed to be a phenomenal stop, along with the Temple Walk.
Shimanami Kaido Day 1 – Onomichi to Setoda
After building our bikes, we ride over to take the ferry from Onomichi to Mukaishima to start the route. The ferry costs JP¥70 per person for a very short ride. You board the ferry and pay when you get to Mukaishima. Because we get such a late start today, most things are closed when we bike by. We do, however get to Ushio Chocolatl for some samples and a to-go treat for the future. Unfortunately, the cafe had already shut down when we got there.
We see no other cyclists today due to our late start, but we do get a beautiful golden hour going up to Innoshima Bridge, the first bridge of the day. From there, we ride in the dark on the Island Explorers route, over Ikuchi Bridge and into Setoda.
We barely make it to our dinner reservations at Minatoya. Hauling butt was absolutely worth it. The food is incredible. After, we check into our hotel down the street, owned by the same hospitality group. They brought us stands for our bikes and showed us around. We go to sleep early so we can backtrack over Ikuchi Bridge to get confections at Hassaku Kobo MATSURA in the morning.
Shimanami Kaido Day 1 Food
Ushio Chocolatl – Small batch, fancy chocolate, with a small cafe serving coffee and chocolate drinks.
Hassaku Kobo MATSURA – This place is cash only and closes when they sell out. They are known for their specialty fruit mochi. Well worth the visit! We backtracked 7 miles on the Shimanami Kaido to visit.
Dolce Ice Cream – I swear that ice cream and soft serve in Japan hits differently. Try the salty soft serve, an area specialty, topped off with crunchy flakes of sea salt. The citrus soft service is also a delight.
Minatoya – Make a reservation for this spot! It may look quiet, but the tables are full. It is more expensive than surrounding options for dinner, but it’s phenomenal, and well worth it after a long day of cycling. Occasionally they’ll have a tasting menu. Breakfast and lunch are sets.
hi fu mi – Available only in the middle of the day, hi fu mi sells pre-made bento boxes for you to heat up and enjoy.
Overview Coffee – Open only in the afternoons, Overview Coffee sources and roasts beans from regenerative coffee farmers. Get your quick fix here.
Shimanami Kaido Day 1 Lodging: yubune
yubune is right off the Shimanami Kaido in Setoda. The hotel allows you to bring bikes inside. They even provide bike stands for your bike. We stayed in one of the doma rooms with twin beds, a tatami-style living area, and a private bathroom. The rooms are spacious, clean, and modern. Amenities include free water, local orange juice, locally brewed orange beer, loungewear and slippers to borrow, and more. yubune has a public bath, or a sentō. The sentō has three hot baths and a cold plunge pool, along with a sauna. This is available for guests to use, free of charge, between the hours of 7AM and 10PM. The yubune sentō is also tattoo friendly, provided you don’t have any Japanese tattoos. According to the sign at the front desk, you have to sign a document stating your tattoos are not Yakuza related if they are Japanese tattoos.
If you’re on a budget, you can stay at sister property SOIL Setoda which has hostel-style accommodations. If you feel like splurging, stay at the luxury sister property Azumi across the street, which also gives you access to the sentō.
Shimanami Kaido Day 1 GPS track
Shimanami Kaido Day 2 – Setoda to Hakatacho Kinoura
It’s an early start for us on Day 2, mostly because I wanted to get some time in yubune’s sentō before setting off for the day. An early rise means I had it all to myself, which is great because I definitely forgot to google how to use a public bath/onsen before going in. No one had to see me flail my way through this.
Our plan is to backtrack 7 miles for confections at Hassaku Kobo MATSURA, visiting the Boat Library, and getting soft serve from Dolce Ice Cream. Check out of our hotel is at 12PM, so we can dilly dally around Setoda for a bit before starting our 30ish mile day.
We pack up our things and I tinker with some of my setup to make everything fit a little better. We grab a bento lunch at hi fu mi before taking off. The best part about doing lower mile days is that we have time for side quests and stopping to look at random things. We see a cool looking building and stop to explore the Tokoro Museum Omishima. Omishima and Setouchi is famous for having many art galleries and museums. Down the street is also the Toyo Ito Museum of Architecture, another neat looking building with fantastic views.
We make sure to stop at bubuka, a recommended restaurant on our route. Unfortunately, we are too late for lunch, but we are able to squeeze in dessert. The location is beautiful, with views of Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge leading to Imabari where we end our tour tomorrow. Don’t miss this spot for lunch, and make sure you make reservations.
Our route takes us past the Hakata Shipyard. We stop and watch them build a ship for a few minutes. It’s very neat! I’ve never really thought about how ships get built and the scale of it all.
We get to our hotel for the night, Sarasaya Ryokan, in the late afternoon with plenty of time to sort our things and shower before dinner.
Shimanami Kaido Day 2 Food
Roadside Station Tatara Shimanami Park – One of the best parts about Japan are the michi-no-eki! They have great snacks and food, and soft serve. Each one has its own distinct style, and if you’re into collecting stamps, each michi-no-eki has its own stamp as well. Great place to stop!
Co-Living & Cafe SANDO – We accidentally completely breezed through this section of Omishima. This spot came highly recommended!
Hakata Salt Co., Ltd. Omishima Factory – You can take a self-guided tour here, try salt samples, and most importantly, get salty soft serve.
bubuka – Make reservations!!! Eat here if you can. There is a lunch set or sandwich set available. All ingredients are locally sourced and lovingly crafted into some of the most delicious and aesthetic food I’ve ever seen. We arrived after lunch service was finished, but managed to grab one of each dessert to try. Absolutely worth it. The view from the restaurant is also incredible. It felt like eating in someone’s little house!
Shimanami Kaido Day 2 Lodging: Sarasaya Ryokan
Sarasaya Ryokan is traditional Japanese lodging and has been on the island for over 120 years. We slept in washitsu or tatami rooms on futons. It is a slightly older facility, but is well kept up. It’s slightly off the main road and tucked away. The owner speaks some English and let us bring our bikes inside off the street. We were the only guests there who were not Japanese.
Each washitu was spacious and had ice cold air conditioning. The bathrooms are communal with a sentō inside. The toilets and showers are in separate rooms. The men’s bathroom was significantly larger than the women’s. For women, there is only one toilet and one shower.
Dinner was sea bream, a local specialty, prepared several different ways. Breakfast was a traditional Japanese breakfast. Both had all you can eat rice. It was so dang delicious.
The window of our room faced the main road, so we could hear a bit of car traffic. Ear plugs are a must if you’re a light sleeper.
Shimanami Kaido Day 2 GPS Track
Shimanami Kaido Day 3 – Hakatacho Kinoura to Imabari
Our last day on the Shimanami Kaido! We need to have our bikes packed up and ready to go at Imabari Station by 5PM or so to catch our train. We went to bed early the night before, and we end up waking up quite early. Originally, we’d scheduled our breakfast to be around 8:30AM, assuming we’d sleep in. We ended up moving our breakfast to 7AM so we could start the day.
Our first recommended stop of the day is Patisserie T’s Cafe Tamaya. Unfortunately, we get there too early and they are closed. In the interest of time, we keep going. After a few miles, we end up at the Hakata S-C Park michi-no-eki. We stop here for soft serve and coffee. This spot has excellent views of Hakata-Ōshima Bridge, and a nice, sandy beach.
We continue over the bridge and navigate around the west side of Ōshima Island. On our way, we ride pass a house that kinda looks like a bike shop with a Cycle Oasis sign. We circle back to investigate and meet an American. He and his wife purchased a house here and he got it registered as a Cycle Oasis on the Shimanami Kaido. There’s a bike stand and a pump. He also offers us refreshments and grapes.
From the Cycle Oasis, we find ourselves biking by ute and Cafe Shozan. It’s been a bit since we’ve had a snack and it was still early in the day. We grab a sandwich to share from ute. Then I check out the menu at Cafe Shozan. It also looks delicous, and the interior is so very cute. We decided to pop in there and split a beef curry.
Bellies full, we continue on. Our last stop of the day is Kirosan Observatory Park. This is not on the route, and 100% optional. The climb up is steep, gaining roughly 800 feet/244 meters in about 2 miles/3.2 km. It is also on a narrow road with many cars. There were, however, a fair number of cyclists on the way up and down. Despite the misery, the views from the top are phenomenal. You can see the distance you covered, and where you’ll end up. There’s also a snack station up here for celebratory soft serve after all that climbing.
We zoom down from the top of Kirosan and ride over Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge in record time. The best part of cycling! Going up sucks, but going down is so fun.
Shimanami Kaido Day 3 Food
Patisserie T’s Cafe Tamaya – delicious pastries along the route! Came recommended by a friend.
Roadside Station Hakata S-C Park – fantastic place for drinks, soft serve, small souvenirs. Each michi-no-eki has it’s own “flavor” and unique goods. They also have stamps if you’re collecting those.
ute – Delicious sandwiches on the Island Explorer route. We happened to bike by this and decided to check it out. We grabbed a sweet potato, mochi, whipped cream sandwich as a snack.
Cafe Shozan – Cute little record store/bookshop/café with delicious orange juice and food. Try the beef curry. If it seems empty inside, it’s because they don’t pack the entire restaurant with people. Definitely stop here.
Kirosan Observatory Park – It’s a steep climb, but the views make up for the burning in your legs. There’s a little snack stand up here with soft serve.
Roadside Station Yoshiumi Iki-iki-kan – We did not stop here, but making note of it, if you need additional provisions, like more softs serve.
Shimanami Kaido Day 3 GPS Track
Shimanami Kaido Bike Touring Gear
Road Runner Bags West Coast Burrito Bag 5L – I brought this primarily to carry my camera in case of bad weather. I also kept my GOREWEAR Spinshift jacket in here, along with an emergency snack. My Squid Bikes Gravtron is XS so I don’t have much clearance between my bars and my tire. I had to velcro the bag to my Garmin mount to keep it from rubbing too much on my tire.
Road Runner Bags Bluff Top Tube Bag 1.5L – This carried all my valuables and stuff I wanted to have accessible, like passport, wallet, and chapstick. It also ended up using it to carry “trinkets” that I collected to tape into my journal.
Road Runner Bags Sleeper Bikepacking Saddle Bag 6L – Clothes, toiletries, electronics, and my repair kit were packed in here. I strapped my lightweight Eddie Bauer camp sandals to the top. This can definitely be dialed down more but for a three day trip, I was able to haphazardly shove everything in with plenty of room. For bikepacking, this might be a bit small for me.
Garmin Edge 840 – Having a bike computer is a no brainer for me at this point, after going my first year of cycling without one. It doesn’t work great in Japan with where to turn, but having a route to follow is better than nothing. Relying on just the painted lines on the ground wasn’t super helpful. There were points where they disappeared. The regular Shimanami Kaido route may differ from the Island Explorer route, and may be more well marked.
Shimanami Kaido Bike Touring Clothing
Tera Kaia Low Cut TOURA basewear top – This bra is the only bra I wear. It’s cute and comfortable. Great for climbing, hiking, and cycling.
Ridge Merino Solstice Hoodie – If I only had one shirt to bring, and I did only bring one shirt for cycling, it’s this. Perfect for long days on the bike and it’s merino so my sweaty stench is mildly bearable.
Handup Gloves Most Days Gloves – Handup Gloves are the only bike gloves I’ll ever use. They’re lightweight. The touchscreen compatability never goes away. And best of all? They come in fun colors.
Ornot Women’s Droptail Cargo Bib Shorts – Bibs with cargo pockets are life, especially when you’re not wearing a jersey. I use my pockets to carry my phone. Droptail bibs are also where it’s at for fast peeing on the side of the road. The Ornot bibs are pricy, but high quality.
Ornot Merino Base Layer – Once again, I am a big fan of merino. A base layer keeps me cool when it’s hot and warm when it’s cold. This one also makes my sun hoodie a little less stinky.
GOREWEAR Spinshift GORE-TEX Cycling Jacket – This is a new one for my cycling kit. It’s lavender! It’s lightweight, packable, and waterproof for when a storm hits. Luckily, we had great weather on this trip, so it stayed in my bag.
Darn Tough and Farm to Feet socks – I’ve tried many a cycling sock, and I keep returning to my hiking socks. I’ve managed to destroy every pair of cycling socks I’ve owned. These are dependable with a lifetime guarantee if I ever destroy them.
Ridge Merino Wander V-Neck and Arc’teryx leggings – This is what I brought for town and sleeping in to be a mildly presentable human being. We did, however, spend very little time in town. The hotel and ryokan we stayed in also had clothes for us to wear. I think I wore these once? I could have left them behind and made do.
Shimanami Kaido: The Verdict
Is the Shimanami Kaido beginner friendly?
Yes. You don’t need to bring your bike to do this. You can shorten the days even further. There are ways for you to forward your luggage from location to location. Even the more adventurous Island Explorer variations are relatively flat for the amount of miles. There are plenty of food and snack stops. In a worst case scenario, you can also call a cycling taxi for support.
The area is incredibly bike friendly. None of the cars felt dangerous or threatening. Along with seeing other cyclists, there were plenty of people and kids commuting to/from school and work.
Would I bike tour on the Shimanami Kaido again?
100%. Absolutely. It was incredible. It was beautiful. It’s been several months since our trip, and I think about it all the time. I would, perhaps, do it even more slowly to really soak in the sights, the food, and the things to do. We were on a rushed schedule, so we didn’t get to see things like Kousanji Temple or the Hakata Salt Factory. There were many more places I want to eat. It would also be fun to do it with a few more friends so we can try more food. In fact, I am going to invite myself on everyone’s trips and convince them to do the Shimanami Kaido.
Any questions about the Shimanami Kaido? Let me know in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer!
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Last updated on January 14, 2025.
