Cycling across islands while enjoying the beautiful sea and the flesh sea breeze
On your bike seat, get ready to encounter amaizing scenery you will never experience in a car seat.
Setting out from Hakatajima Island's rest stop, Michi-no-Eki S.C. Park Marine Oasis Hakata, we head out to cycle around the Shimanami Kaido's biggest island, Omishima Island.
From Hakatajima Island, we cross over to Omishima Island via the Omishimabashi Bridge. It's a gradual slope up to the bridge. Looking down at the sea from on top of the bridge, I was shocked by the speed of the current. Omishimabashi Bridge is a 328-meter arch bridge. The ride across is refreshing, with views of the sea along the way. It felt really great! After getting off the bridge and cycling for a little while, we came to a spot with great views back toward Omishimabashi Bridge.
We have arrived on Omishima Island! Coming down off the cycling lane and heading right on the main road to the left, we spotted a sign that read "横殿宮跡," Yokodono Miya Ato. Curious, we decided to stop by right away. Yokodono Miya Ato is surrounded by a grove of camphor trees with a lone torii gate that gives off a solemn atmosphere. Legend has it that this is where the old main shrine of Oyamazumi Jinja Shrine used to be. The spot really has a mysterious feel to it.
There's another sign that indicates Route 51 to Shimosaka. Route 51 is a road that runs along Omishima Island's coastline. Today we plan to take this route clockwise all the way around the island. Discovering a signboard that read "Mitarashi no Mizu," we decided to check it out. At first glance, it just looks like an old well, but water is still welling up inside. According to legend, a god caused this pure, fresh water to spring forth from the seawater in order to perform a purification ritual. Yet another legend of the gods... No wonder Omishima Island, with its famous Oyamazumi Jinja shrine, is called "Island of the Gods!"
The road toward Shimosaka is pretty easy, but it does have some elevation change. From the "Mitarashi no Mizu" well to the Shimanami Kaido underpass, it was all uphill. Once we made it over the crest and to the bottom of the hill, we came upon a small sign that read "七曜工房" Nanayo Kobo.
When we stepped into the old house called Nanayo Kobo, the smiling woman inside came to greet me. The shop is run by her and her husband, who moved here from Shiga Prefecture after being captivated by the beautiful nature on Omishima Island. They run this coffee shop in addition to farming citrus. Outside in the garden, there are many herbs growing. "This garden is our menu!" the lady told me with a smile. Here you can taste fresh herb tea brewed from sprigs picked right from their garden. The wife also jointly runs a woodcraft shop. The shop was lined with crafts, interior accessories, flutes, and other items that she had carved from the wood of mikan trees. The lady played the mikan flute for us to demonstrate its sound. What a playful and charming person!
After departing Nanayo Kobo and cycling for a little while, we came to an old house called Omishima Coffee Roasters. It looks like the coffee roasting place I heard about at Miyakubo Shima no Dining in Oshima Island. But unfortunately, it wasn't open today... Next time I'll have to come by and check it out.
Uphill, downhill, uphill, downhill... There's not much distance between the hills, so even though they aren't very steep, it's not the nice flat coastal road I was imagining. Spotting a sign that read "地獄谷観音," Jigokudani Kannon Temple, we decided to stop by. The temple grounds enclose a statue of the goddess of mercy, Kannon, for senility prevention and some stone Buddhist images. It's very tranquil. You can see the ocean through the trees when you descend the stone staircase. Feeling refreshed, we started out again, leaving the temple behind us.
The road begins to go uphill after passing Jigokudani Kannon Temple. From here on out, the uphill-downhill repeats for a while. But it's actually quite nice because the road is wide and there are few cars passing. Since the route follows along the coast, you can see Omishima Ohashi Bridge, Hakata-Oshima Ohashi Bridge, and even Kurushima Kaikyo Ohashi Bridge at different points along the way! Since there are many beautiful viewpoints, I recommend taking this road at your own pace and enjoying it without trying to power through.
Along the way we found an unmanned stall selling citrus fruits and vegetables. There are very few people and cars passing through here, though, so I wondered if there are ever any customers. Feeling piqued, I wanted to buy a bag of citrus which was a steal at 100 yen, but I knew it would end up making my bag heavier so I gave up on it.
Nonoe Tunnel is a somewhat long tunnel, and it felt a little strange riding through it on a bicycle. A steep hill was waiting for us when we got through the tunnel. we followed the mountain road, going uphill and downhill for a little while. This section is one of the bigger challenges along the route. I was really impressed by a beautiful beach we spotted along the way. Apparently, it was used as a location in the 2014 movie "Setouchi Kaizoku Monogatari" (Samurai Pirates), an adventure film featuring the Murakami pirate clan of the Seto Inland Sea. We took a short break from cycling and gazed out at the sea for a little while.
Everything is downhill once you get through the pass. The downhill road felt really great! This is also the place where Masami Nagasawa and the others were riding their bikes in the 2013 movie "Kiyoku Yawaku" (Beyond the Memories). I think it's a fantastic location!
The area at the bottom of the hill is called Munakata. Going along the coast a little, we discovered a retro-looking building. It's an establishment called "Omishima Furusato Ikoi no Ie" that's occupying the building of a school that was closed down. The school building is made out of wood, something you rarely see these days. In the old days it used to be Munakata Elementary School. This building was used as the main filming location for the 2002 movie "Fune wo Oritara Kanojo no Shima" (Her Island, My Island) starring Yoshino Kimura. Come to think of it, Omishima Island has been used a lot as a filming location!
Right next to Omishima Furusato Ikoi no Ie is a fashionable building housing the Iwata Ken Haha to Ko no Museum (Ken Iwata Mother and Child Museum). Featuring pieces mostly based on the theme "Mother and Child," the museum displays the sculptures of Ken Iwata, who is known for his warm artistic style. The display area is mostly outdoors, and there are benches to sit on. I recommend enjoying the sculptures at leisure while feeling the sun and the breeze of the Seto Inland Sea. The building, designed by architect Toyo Ito, is also worth appreciating.
We head out from the Furusato to Ikoi no Ie and the Ken Iwata Mother and Child Museum on Route 51. From the Munakata-ko port area, it's yet another uphill. There's a curious-looking building on the other side of the hill - it's the Toyo Ito Museum of Architecture, Imabari, a museum that displays architectural works of a renowned architect, Toyo Ito, 2013 Pritzker Laureate. His drawings and some architectural works are housed in the museum.
Near the Ito Toyo Museum is a curious, near-future looking building. It's the Tokoro Museum, creatively built on sloping land. When I entered the museum, I was taken by surprise. The view is incredible. Your eyes follow the sloping earth down to the sea, and the beautiful, meticulously planned scenery unfolds before you. The works of art on display are all exquisite pieces by celebrated artists. I was able to forget about time and lose myself in looking at the artwork. The lowest floor opens onto a terrace where you can gaze out at the sea. It's truly a wonderful place! I wish we could spend just a little more time here, but there's a lot more to see. Off we go!
There's an area called Nonoe after you go through Kuchisubo no-toge Pass. The port here was featured in the 2013 Fuji TV drama, "Umi no Ue no Shinryojo" (The Clinic on the Sea). At the time it was quite popular, so we wanted to go see it at least once. Let's check it out. Ah, I remember this red pier. It looked quite big in the drama, but the actual pier is surprisingly compact.
Going past Utena from Nonoe, we head toward Miyaura. Miyaura-ko Port is Omishima Island's entrance to the sea. If you go along the coast from Miyaura-ko Port, there's a small shrine on tip of the cape called Anaba Jinja Shrine. It may not be very famous, but actually, I've always wanted to go there. There's a sign that says it takes about twenty minutes on foot to the shrine, but by bicycle we arrived in no time. Anaba Jinja Shrine is dedicated to Iwanagahime, who appears in the Kojiki, or Records of Ancient Matters. These writings recount some of Japan's most ancient mythology. Iwanagahime is the daughter of Oyamatsumi, the deity enshrined at the main Oyamazumi Jinja Shrine. Iwanagahime has been revered as the goddess of wealth, long life, and fertility since ancient times. I've also heard that she's a goddess who will grant the prayers of women.