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The Shimanami Kaido 60 kilometer long toll road connects Japan's main island of Honshu to the island of Shikoku, passing over six small islands in the Seto Inland Sea. AKA the Nishiseto Expressway. There are two other land connections between Shikoku and Honshu, but the Shimanami Kaido is the only one traversable by foot or bicycle.
The Shimanami Kaido begins on Honshu in Onomichi City. It then leads across the six islands of Mukaishima, Innoshima, Ikuchijima, Omishima, Hakatajima and Oshima, before terminating on Shikoku in Imabari City. The route was opened in 1999, so the bridges are modern and attractive. Along the way, we were in our element seeing the most beautiful scenery of the Seto Inland Sea and the islands' small towns.
In addition to the scenery, there are a few other attractions on the way too.
Cycling is a popular means of experiencing the Shimanami Kaido, of course being golden week national holiday season doesnt help numbers. The bicycle route is well marked and maintained, and diverges from the expressway on the islands. The ramps leading up to the bridges were built at small inclines with cyclists in mind. At about 70 kilometers, the bike route is a bit longer than the toll road, but because there are no large inclines, it is most comfortable, even for intermediate cyclists.
A convenient bicycle rental system is in operation, which allows tourists to rent a bike at one cycling terminal and drop it off at one of twelve others along the way. This allows tourists to rent their bicycles at one end of the route and drop it off at the other end.
Weather predictions are for rain, so we have packed as best we could...but this is sure going to add to the fun, laughs and adventures! I don't have windscreen wipers for my glasses, I don't have a waterproof case for my ruck sack of luggage either...do you see what I see ahead? Oh dear...
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