Tobishima Kaido Cycling 🚴‍♂️

On the last Saturday and Sunday of October, in the clear autumn weather, I went cycling on the
Shimanami and Tobishima routes 🚴‍♂️
This time, I'll be writing about the second day, the Tobishima Kaido ✏️

Click here for the first day on the Shimanami Kaido 👇

About the Shimanami Kaido and Tobishima Kaido

Shimanami Kaido
Officially known as the Nishiseto Expressway (a road for motor vehicles only), but since sidewalks are installed on six of the bridges, excluding the Onomichi Bridge and Shin-Onomichi Bridge, it is possible to travel by bicycle.
However, since you will be riding on public roads within the islands,
there are always ascents and descents on the bicycle paths for the bridges.
(Some people who ride it for the first time don't know this)

Tobishima Kaido
Officially called the Akinada Islands Connecting Bridges,
it is a collective term for the eight bridges connecting Kure City on the Honshu side and the
Akinada Islands located to its southeast,
and its nickname is Akinada Tobishima Kaido.
At present, seven bridges have been completed,
and I rode across them this time 😙

The difference from the Shimanami Kaido is that
the entire route is on public roads (roads where bicycles can also travel),
and except for one bridge (Akinada Bridge), they are free,
so they are frequently used as daily roads and have less traffic,
allowing me to feel the calmness of the islands along the way.

The route this time

The route is below 👇
As usual, Google map has lines and text added.
Thin red line: Route for the first day
Thick red line: Route for the second day
Green line: Shimanami Kaido route
Blue line: Tobishima Kaido route

Calm, with little traffic,
and you can ride along the sea for a long time, the Tobishima Kaido

is very attractive, but the drawback is
that you cannot pass through by bicycle alone.
It is connected to the Honshu side, but
you need to use a boat from the tip of Okamura Island onwards,
and since I was coming from the Shimanami Kaido this time,
I took a boat for about 20 minutes from Munakata Port on Omishima Island.
There are also boats that go directly from Imabari Port to Okamura Island,
but both have few departures, which is a bottleneck 😓

I think that's exactly why it has such a calm island feel, so
for those who can bring their own bicycles,
I recommend it more than the Shimanami Kaido 😆👍

If you can't bring one, you'll have to rent a bicycle, but
be aware that it's not as well-equipped as the Shimanami Kaido.
Below, it says that vehicle dispatch and drop-off are also possible.

It is possible to take a bicycle rented in Imabari City onto a boat
and head to Okamura Island, but
even if there were a breakdown or something,
they cannot come to pick it up because the bridges are not connected.
Considering the risks, it wouldn't be realistic 😓

Heading to Munakata Port via the Omishima Island perimeter route

Actually, the biggest worry for these two days was
leaving the inn in the morning and heading to Munakata Port.
This is because the ferry to Okamura Island (the eastern end of the Tobishima Kaido)
departs at 9:40 AM,
and the next one is at 2:35 PM, five hours later 😱
So, missing the boat = giving up on Tobishima was the case.

I was anxious about various things like the inn's meal times and the checkout chaos,
but I left the inn at 8:30 AM
and hurried to Munakata Port, about 15km away.

If I could ride at over 15km/h, it would be easy, but
the drawback for me, who is bad at uphill slopes, is the three mountain passes.
Basically, it's a road along the sea, but
there are many sudden uphill slopes,
and due to anxiety, being full, and the fatigue from the previous day,
as expected, I slowed down on the climbs... 😓

However, I was able to speed up on the downhill slopes,
so I arrived earlier than the scheduled time
and made it to the ferry terminal 🙌
It felt like it was over even though it was just the beginning...

A boat trip taking about 20 minutes 🚢
I started to doze off while sitting
but arrived at Okamura Port before I fell asleep
I wish I could have stayed on for another hour 😆

Off to the Tobishima Kaido

This is my third time on the Tobishima Kaido
but it's my first time starting from Okamura Island
The scenery looks different when you head in a different direction
so I was a little excited ♪

Tetrapods on Okamura Island
The sky here is cloudy due to the early morning rain
but it was clearing up to the west ♪

The road from Okamura Island to the neighboring Osakishimojima Island
There are two small islands in between
and you cross three bridges in no time
It's a place that really feels likeTobishimaitself

On the first bridge from Okamura Island (Okamura Bridge)
you enter Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture
Just crossing the prefectural border over the sea is exciting 😆

Mitarai district of Osakishimojima Island

Perhaps the best tourist spot on the Tobishima Kaido
I stopped by the Mitarai district
which is also designated as a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings

I would have liked to take my time sightseeing if I had the time
but I had a long way to go, so I took a quick walk to enjoy the townscape

The torii gate of Ebisu Shrine
The way it stands facing the sea is 👍
I could also see the three bridges I crossed from Okamura Island

After this, I rode non-stop along the southern coast of Osakishimojima Island
for about 10km along the seaside road
With the sea on my left and mountains on my right
riding along a road with nothing else around while feeling the scent of the tide
It was such a luxurious time 🤩

I didn't even take photos of that overly luxurious road
so if you're interested, I definitely want you to go ride it yourself 👍
Beyond the long coastline, I could see the bridge to the next island

Crossing to Toyoshima via the Toyohama Bridge

Mari-chan of Toyoshima

It was almost 12 o'clock and I was getting hungry, so
I headed to a shop I'd been curious about for a while

After passing through an alley from the seaside street,
you can eat Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki atMari-chan
The moment I entered the alley,
the appetizing aroma filled the air,
and my stomach started rumbling💦

I ordered the simplest one.
It was 650 yen here😋
I sat at the counter in front of the griddle
and chatted with the shop owner (Mari-chan).
That seems to be the style of this shop😆
We even talked about some pretty personal things,
and after the meal, she gave me coffee and snacks.
I felt healed by spending such a pleasant time.

I haven't had this kind of interaction lately,
so maybe my heart was a little starved for it...🙄

To Kamikamagari Island via the Abi Bridge

After healing my heart and stomach on Toyoshima,
I finished riding across the island in no time
and climbed the slope to the Toyoshima Bridge (Abi Bridge).
Since it's the highest of all the bridges I crossed from Okamura Island,
the slope is long,
and I really felt glad I'd already had lunch😆

This bridge is the newest in the Tobishima Kaido,
having opened in 2008.
With the opening of this bridge, the mainland and Okamura Island were connected,
and it seems the nickname 'Akinada Tobishima Kaido' was born.

The sign at the entrance of the bridge said 'Nickname: Abi Bridge'...
I searched to see what 'Abi' was,

Abiis a bird that has long been familiar in this region
and is also the prefectural bird of Hiroshima Prefecture.

The view from the high bridge is also great👍
And now, I enter Kamikamagari Island.
With so many 'ka's, it sounds like a tongue twister♪

The southern route of the island
is also the main route for traveling between islands,
so there is relatively more traffic,
making it feel less laid-back than Osakishimokita Island.

On the way, there was a rocky mountain that caught my eye.
It seems to be Nishidomari Kannon and the surrounding rocky mountains,
and there appears to be a hiking course as well.
I'd like to climb the mountain next time too~♪

Looking out over Shimokamagari Island from Hotokegasaki Observatory
Located at the western tip of Kamikamagari Island, the surrounding area offers spectacular views
The slightly colored leaves, blue sea, and sky look stunning

A scenic spot I stop at every time I come to Tobishima ✨
There is a souvenir shop nearby, but
since I can't carry much luggage, I skipped it
and headed to the final island

Tobishima Kaido completed

The Tobishima Kaido route on the final island, Shimokamagari, is
only a few kilometers on the northeast side, and I've passed through there twice before,
but this time I decided to go clockwise and ride almost the entire perimeter

The Kamagari Bridge, which connects the two Kamagari islands, is
the oldest on the Tobishima Kaido, completed 40 years ago
but maybe it doesn't feel that old because of the bridge's elegance ♪
The bridge I saw from Hotokegasaki looked cool 👍

And the bridge looks nice from the south side too
Truss bridges are rare these days, which is perhaps why
they stand out so well~

The coastline of Shimokamagari Island is similar to Osakishimojima,
with little traffic, allowing me to just keep riding along the sea
I'm tired toward the end, but it feels so good that
my speed increases, yet
I'm conflicted because I don't want it to end and want to slow down

And the final bridge connecting to the mainland,
the Akinada Bridge, came into view, marking the end

After crossing the bridge and riding for about 3km,
I arrived at Aki-Kawajiri Station, the closest station to Tobishima
Once I crossed to the mainland, the heavy traffic
suddenly brought me back to reality...
and a wave of exhaustion hit me 😓

This time, I took the train back to Kansai from this station...
Since trains only run once an hour at Aki-Kawajiri Station,
it's easier to head to Hiro Station in Kure City to go home,
but this time I chose to prioritize cost over speed

Day 2 Itinerary

08:30 | Depart from accommodation
09:20 | Arrive at Munakata Port
09:40 | 🚢 Depart from Munakata Port
10:03 | 🚢 Arrive at Okamura Port
10:25 | Enter Hiroshima Prefecture
10:50 | Explore Mitarai district (Osakishimojima)
11:55 | Lunch at Marichan (Toyoshima)
13:40 | Break at Hotokegasaki Observatory (Kamikamagari Island)
15:20 | Cross Akinada Bridge
15:35 | Arrive at Aki-Kawajiri Station and prepare for train travel
16:26 | 🚃 Depart from Aki-Kawajiri

Thank you for sticking with me through this long post
For those who haven't been to either,
I recommendShimanami Kaidofirst
Shimanami has many spots along the way,
so it's great because you can enjoy cycling and sightseeing at the same time ♪
Conversely,Tobishima Kaidois more about the pleasure of just riding along the sea
and experiencing the raw, natural scenery of the islands rather than entertainment along the way
I recommend it for those who aren't satisfied with just Shimanami 👍