The Shimanami Kaido is an expressway that connects Onomichi in Hiroshima prefecture, to the Shikoku city of Imabari. A series of roads that cross several islands, along with the bridges that connect them. It also incorporates a well marked and similarly well thought out cycle path that avoids the main thoroughfares and so covers more of the islands.
When sticking to the designated route, the cycle course is somewhere in the region of 70km, but with a couple of days to complete it, my friend and I did over double that, along with a fair bit of walking in between. An approach that allowed us to see even more of the islands, and in doing so, get something of a sense of life there. Or perhaps more accurately, a sense of how life once was, as unsurprisingly, the population in the area isn’t what it used to be.
The photos below then are what we saw on day 1. A really enjoyable exploration that provided much more to look at inland, rather than out to sea, whereas the resultant photos from the second and final day are more a mixture of the two.
YesterdaysHero says
So much to enjoy here Lee. I’m looking forward to seeing the remainder of your documentation.
Lee says
Thanks ever so much. It really was a fascinating couple of days. Way more to see than I imagined too, which made it ever better.
Denise says
The elderly lady going under the shutters! 😮
Lee says
Yeah, that was quite the moment. I was definitely not expecting her to go into that building.
Richard says
I like the elderly lady, too! The rest, however, sadden me.
Lee says
Cheers. Very glad I captured that moment. I know what you mean. Sad and interesting at the same time. A microcosm of so much of Japan these days.
john says
Nice landscape minus tripod!
#8 looked at first like a cat lying on the pipe.
#9 looks like a special agent about to get special pot noodles on his shirt – hot noodles; cool look.
:O)
Lee says
Haha, yes, definitely no tripod!
That Bond picture was a very surprising find in there. Not at all what I was expecting.