JAPAN / SHIMANAMI KAIDO / ONOMICHI JIMOTO TOUR

You know that feeling when you’re traveling, doing a group tour or traveling solo, and every day is full of cool stuff, great food, lovely views and awesome riding - but after 5 days of hotel, unpack, shower, eat, sleep, wake, re-pack, ride - you‘ve seen a lot but you never really got a sense of the rhythm of the places you sped through?

Just passing through…

This tour is the opposite of that. Stay a while, catch your breath, get a feel for the place.

When we ourselves travel to scout our tours, we enjoy the chance to stay in one location for a few days, riding out and back on different routes, wandering the town in the afternoon, meeting locals, finding a favourite cafe, a few good places to eat, and generally - for a few days at least - living like a ‘local’.

And that is exactly the meaning of jimoto, in Japanese.

Our co-founder, Lee, lived in Japan for ten years until 2010, speaks Japanese and recently purchased a small house in the charming seaside town of Onomichi, known as a location featured in several famous films and anime movies. It is also the starting point for the famed Shimanami Kaido, a 77km cycling route that crosses 7 magnificent bridges before ending in Imabari City, in Shikoku.

People flock to ride the route throughout the year, in deep winter and even scorching summer. Yet they usually stop for just one day in Onomichi, and, when doing the Kaido, they speed along the bridges to Imabari and almost never get off the main route to explore the little islands that those bridges connect. But it’s in Onomichi and on these islands where the ‘real’ Japan resides - wonderful beaches and forests, amazing local foods, classic old ryokan, and a warmth from the people that is unmatched.

On this tour, with the aid of Lee’s ‘local’ knowledge and support from staff from the Onomichi Tourism Board, you will see a side of Japan that most people do not, go places most don’t go, and come away with a little piece of this wonderful slice of Japan in your heart…

Dates / Oct 14th-20th

Cost / $4995

Days / 9

Stages / 7

Distance / 711km

Daily Average / 89km

Elevation / 10,250

Rating / Intermediate - Challenging

Road Type / 100% Road

Group Leaders / 2

Support / Van Support

Contact

THE LOWDOWN

DAY 1 | Oct 6th

ARRIVAL | ONOMICHI
Day 1 of 3 days in Onomichi, Hiroshima, features an optional though recommended ride around the town. There are two excellent bike stores here which we will pop into, and we will also visit a local bakery for a coffee and a light lunch. After that we will check-in, and there is nothing scheduled until our official Welcome Dinner later that evening. We will provide a map of the town and some notes on our recommended places to visit.
DAY 2 | OCT 7th

ONOMOCHI - TOMONOURA 117km / 1040m
Stage 1 and this is a great introduction to the beauty of riding in this area. Leaving Onomichi, the adventure begins immediately as we hop on a ferry for the 4-minute ride to Mukaeshima, then we head to the islands of Tajima and Yokoshioma. These two are very charming with excellent views, very few cars and some pretty steep little climbs - and both are almost never visited by people coming to Onomichi. Then it’s off to Tomonoura, a once bustling seaside town that has retained its charm, old houses and stunning temples. After a nice climb out of the village, we head to visit Shinshoji Zen Gardens, and then back to Onomichi.
DAY 3 | OCT 8th

ONOMICHI - SERA 114km / 1960m
Stage 2. This is a ride into the mountains of Hiroshima, and offers a chance to ride through lush thick forests by picturesque rivers and to also visit briefly a tea farm run by a young entrepreneur. The first 45km or so are more or less all uphill, but not overly challenging, and then we will be atop the plateau in which the pretty town of Sera sits. Renowned for its flower fields, this is a day where we really get off the beaten track and glimpse a little deeper into the ebb and flow of countryside life in rural Japan. Last night in Onomichi for a while.
DAY 4 | OCT 9th

SETODA - KAMIJIMA ISLAND 84km / 985m
Stage 3 sees us on the ferry again for a very pleasant 30 minute ride to the picturesque town of Setoda on Ikuchi Island. This town, like Onomochi, has seen considerable investment, tied to a solid vision of the future and led to it becoming quite a success story, attracting younger people looking to take a break from city life. Starting our ride here after a coffee, we head to Omishima Island which has a distinctly rural feel. It is home to the ancient Oyamazumi Shrine and some interesting art museums. Then we head off to Osaki-Kamizima Island, where we will spend the night at Kinoe Onsen, a traditional ryokan (Japanese Inn). Sea-kayaking may be on the menu if the weather is good!
DAY 5 | OCT 10th

KAMIJIMA - YUGESHIMA 126km / 1120m
Stage 4 and it just keeps getting more beautiful! We ride over to our oceanside onsen hotel on Yugeshima, which sits furthest of all the Shimanami islands from Onomichi, and it feels that way too - the first time we cycled over here we were lost for words. Pristine beaches and clear bright blue ocean, towns that look from afar as if they come from a miniature model set, and sushi and sashimi that still has the zest of the sea on it - delicious! If time has stood still in a place anywhere on this tour, this is it…
DAY 6 | Oct 11th

YUGESHIMA - IMABARI 42km / 400m
Stage 5’s optional ride on this morning will take us to a fantastic little bakery that specialises in bagels and great coffee and is often sold out in hours. We will be traveling 10km later in the day (16:00) to catch the ferry to Imabari, leaving plenty of time for you to mooch around the lovely hotel, or relax on the inviting beach that sits before it, and to potter about on your bike in the town.
DAY 7 | Oct 12th

IMABARI - UFO LINE 138km / 3660m
Stage 6 is the Queen Stage, without a doubt. We will ride the famous - or infamous - UFO Line. The route, in Imabari, Ehime, is a truly stunning bike route. It follows a ridgeline at an elevation of 1,300 to 1,700 meters. While the name ‘UFO Line’ sounds otherworldly, it actually refers to the majestic peaks (Yūhō) of the Ishizuchi Mountain Range. Tough day this, but immensely rewarding. We transfer in the van to and from the route start.
DAY 8 | oct 13th

THE SHIMANAMI KAIDO 75km / 650m
Stage 7. Last ride and it is the iconic Shimanami Kaido, 75km long and offering stunning views from its 7 bridges. This will be a relaxed ride, and that will be welcome after yesterday’s exertions!
DAY 9 | oct 14th

It’s Sayonara Day, the last day of this lovely jimoto tour. Our hope is that by the end of this tour, you’ll have experienced a different side of Japan from that you see in the cities, feel like you’ve slid back in history a little, gained a deeper understanding of the culture and gained some new friendships too. The memories created here will linger on for sure, and you’ll likely want to come back here again one day, such is the charm of the place…