The Shimanami Kaido is easy enough. I have ridden it three times. 63, 65 and 67 years old. 2015, 2017 and 2019. First time it was my partner and me. She is a year younger. Second time four of us. Third time my partner and I took ten others with us, some in their 70s. There was no shortage of food stores and eateries along the way. We used hybrid/cross bikes.

Thank you for making a video with actual actionable information! We need more of that regarding Japan content.

Fabulous advice. Thank you

Very informative! Thanks! ❤

This was exactly the kind of useful information that I've been looking for. Thanks very much for the video!

Thanks for this very helpful video! Going to try tackle the road at the end of this month D:

amazing useful video ! it is on my list and while preparing this trip i felt on your channel and video ! thank you so much !

I'll keep this vid in mind when I go to Japan next year and try the Shimanami Kaido. Those were definitely helpful tips that I didn't see or read elsewhere. Thanks, Mike!

That video makes me want to pack my bag and head over. Well maybe I’ll wait til spring. Great tips! Thanks for sharing your experience.

Hi Mike, I enjoy your videos and thanks for the tips. I'm riding the shimanamikaido tomorrow for 3 days. Unfortunately, the forecast is for heavy rain on Sat/Sun so I might bail out with the ferry mid way. Definitely call ahead and get the latest ferry schedule as the timetable on the maps have changed. Edit Aug 2023: I had a leisurely ride over 2 days in early July, thinking that the heat would be unbearable. Fortunately, the rain worked in my favor with cooler temperatures. I avoided getting soaked by watching the real-time weather radar maps and timing my departure during the rain gaps. Only got drenched for the last 20 minutes at Imabari. I rented a car there and drove back in heavy rain with my 7 speed folding e-assist bike in the trunk. The climbs to the bridges were relatively easy, but I used to be an avid mountain biker many years ago. Yes, there are several small bike rental shops that aren't online. I inquired at 3 different bike rental shops in the opposite direction from the parking garage where the more popular bike renters are located. Go left toward the covered shopping street after exiting the Onomichi train station and crossing the main street. I paid a lot less and had more bike options, and they gave me a charger to take with me. If you have the time, I recommend exploring areas outside of the main blue line. I ended up driving the rental car to areas that I didn't bike.

I love your videos Mike, this is awesome, very honest and helpful 😊 and I was smiling all the way! We plan to do the Shimanami Kaido next year, probably October or early November and in fact one of the main headaches is the rain… hard to plan and with all the precooked hotels etc it’s also hard to accommodate.

Great information.

Thank you so much for this video! It was very insightful :) My partner and I will be cycling the Shimanami Kaido this coming November, we are sooo excited.. and fingers crossed for good weather!

some great advice

Thanks Mike, I am planning to do Shimanami kaido this April. Your video really helps.😊

As someone living in Imabari, I’m finally cycling the Shimanami this weekend! Thank you for the tips!

Hi mike - really enjoyed this vid. I commented on your last one that you posted the night before your trip that I have been fortunate enough to have cycled the shimanami 6 times. Here are a few comments addressing some of your points for you and your viewers: There are many bicycle rental places in Onomichi, at least 10. Unless renting on a weekend with great weather or a national holiday where domestic tourism is high, renting on the day is normally fine. If you do wish to lock a bike in for piece of mind - it can be / will be quite challenging to communicate with the bike stores. Many have little or no English, while using their English translated websites can be difficult also. There is a difference between an e-bike (no pedalling required) and an electric assisted bike, but sometimes they are referred to collectively the same. You can rent both types of these bikes for multiple days from many of the rental shops. It is only the popular under car park rental place and a couple of others that have a same day return policy. Most shops that allow multi day hire, provide you with the charger and expect you to return it to the same place your hired it. Some allow dropping of at another location for a fee. You’re right about there being sections where food and drink are not readily available, but if you have your gps / phone, you are never more than a couple of km’s away from some shop, albeit not always on the blue lined road. Be mindful that although following the blue line is “almost” fool proof, there are occasions where the line splits. One direction for the most direct route to the next bridge and the other to circumnavigate the island you are on - yes, I made that mistake only once  Easiest thing is to ALWAYS look for the IMABARI km marker or ONOMICHI marker, depending on which direction you’re cycling. They appear VERY often on the blue line. Also, although there are dedicated cycle paths, be aware that there is a lot of riding on regular roads. Generally speaking, it all feels quite safe as Japanese drivers are very aware / mindful of cyclists. For those looking to video preserve their trip, be aware since 2022, it is illegal to fly drones ANYWHERE in JAPAN without registering your drone and can be subject to fines up to 500000Y - even if you have a drone licence. You need to register on the DIPS-REG site and pay the registration fee. The process takes about a week or two usually and therefore should be done before arriving. Yes, I also highly recommend a multi-day trip, even if you are an avid cyclist and can do the return trip in a day. It is a beautiful area and exploring the islands and just relaxing over a few days is fantastic. Yes, I can concur riding in heavy rain is not fun - did it from imabari to onomichi in winter and it p##sed down the whole way.

Great fun that ride. I thought it was fairly easy. Just take your time.

Hi Mike! This was a very entertaining and informative video. My Japanese partner is a cycling aficionado so I would love to experience this with him, I’ll definitely need the electric bike 😂 After a long wait of 3 years due to COVID restrictions, I finally had the great opportunity to go back to Japan last November for two weeks. I missed. It incredibly. When I did my reservations the exchange for 1USD was 150JPY and by the end of my trip, the yen was much stronger 1USD to 142JPY and now it’s at 136JPY. The decision to let foreign travelers back in Japan was the right choice. ❤

Great video! Thank you so much for the insights.I will travel to Japan in two weeks and been thinking about cycling the Shimanami Kaido from Onomichi to Imabari. It's such a shame that the e-bikes need to be returned to the same shop, because I don't think I my friends can do the whole route in one day and enjoy it. But I'm coming from Kurashiki and my journey continues from Imabari to Matsuyama. So I'm not really sure what to do...

Hi Mike, this is a great video for tourists considering cycling the Shiminami Kaido route. I agree that thorough planning is key to a positive and safe experience. We rode this beautiful route twice- March of 2021 and 2022. We took the Orange Ferry from Osaka and rented Giants and used backpacks to carry everything. Each trip we stayed at Wakka, a fabulous bike resort that I would highly recommend. We are back in Canada now and our fondest memories are of this remarkable journey through rural, traditional Japan. Thanks! Gregg

Been in matsuyama /ehime-ken just a month ,might try cycling matsuyama to shinminami kaido on holidays wml lol

Mike Sensei: Thanks for this video. The description of the geography is a bit confusing, but the route looks wonderful! I’m ready to go! Additional tips: ride it with a friend? If you cannot rent an e-bike overnight (?), are you saying you have to ride the entire route in one day? I’m ready to ride it; let me know when you are again. Thanks always for your tips about Japan, Mr. Man in Japan.

Thank you so much for your video it's so helpful !! I knew it wouldn't be easy... Can you cycle from Imabari to Onomichi or is only the other way allowed ?

What an excellent and informative video! I hope to do the Shimanami Kaido on my next visit to Japan. I'd plan to stay overnight on one of the islands and break it up into two days, but that means I wouldn't be able to use an e-bike. Maybe the rental companies can figure out a way to do a halfway point or multiday rental for ebikes. I also fear that I'd plan this whole trip and the weather would be terrible. In reality I can only do 2 week trips since I work full time and can't take off for extended periods. I wish I could take off a month and give myself a week buffer in case of bad weather and just book a few days before! What season do you think is best for cycling the Shimanami Kaido. I assume Summer is miserably hot and humid. Winter is probably the least rainy.

Hi, love your video. Very insightful. Mentioned “My age” - curious how old you are? Mamachari can be tough. I am 60 and do regular 60 km plus rides on weekends averaging around 20 km/h plus. I am not a great climber but can grind up hills - made easier and possible because of 2 X 11 gearing. Previous bike had 1 X 8 and that was tough on steeper gradients. Thanks!

Hi Mike thank you for the video! If you start in onomichi and bike all the way to imabari, how do you get back to onomichi after?

Is there such a thing as an official route saved in google maps that we can download and use? That would be much better than looking for signs.

I did it on a folding bike with no gears suitable for climbing hills. Didn't help that I had heavy bags on it too. 😂 I just walked up the hills, I wasn't in any hurry.

I am going to jog it when I visit next March 😅 pray for my legs

Tq your information.....how to go i am from north Borneo Sabah Malaysia i One to go touring this island

Is there a ferry from Maibarin to Onomichi where we will leave our car so we can come back on the same day? We will have 4 road bikes that needs to be on the ferry.

Thank you for making this video! Myself and two friends are planning on doing the Shimanami Kaido in one day next year and you've been a huge help! We are all young and quite fit so one day should be fine, but even still we plan on going with e-bikes just to be safe. Do you know how one would return their e-bikes though? I know that if we start in Onomichi and end in Imabari we'd still need to return the e-bikes at the same shop, so is there some sort of bus or ferry we can take with the bikes back? If not, can always just lose the 5000 yen deposit fee worst case, but we'd still need to get back somehow. Also, is there anywhere online I could check the bus/ferry schedules? Thank you so much!!

Thank you for the video!! Very useful!! Is it possibel to rent a bike or e-bike just for crossing the Kurushima Bridge and back? I'll have a short time to do this in my itinerary, and I want at least a glimpse of the experience.... is November ok to do this or maybe too cold/windy up there? Great video!

If I recall, Onomichi Base lends a charger if you plan to rent an E-bike for multiple days. Perhaps that is still the case? If someone in the comments can get back with me on that, I'd appreciate it.

Great video in managing expectations and giving more consideration to planning the Shimanami Kaido, Mike. Do you mind if I share on our SNS? Regards Gareth

Hi Mike! Thank you for the good information! With the ebike charging at the Cyclists Sactuary, what does it cost? Do you need to bring your own charging unit? And where abouts at the Sanctuary is the charging available? I couldn't find any information with a Google search in English, and even searching 充電スポット しまなみ海道 doesn't show me any EBIKE charging, only EV charging.

Very helpful, thank you! Do you think it would be possible to take a taxi from Imabari to Innoshima? I was trying to figure out how to get back to my hotel at the end of the day.

Hi Mike, any advice for non Japanese speakers on how to pre book accommodation? Thanks

Where can i book the bikes in Advanced?

Hi Mike, I had a question regarding the cycle route. Do you know of a way to get back to Onomichi from Imabari? (Bus, train?) Thank you!

Would a foldable bike like brompton be suitable for doing this route?

Hi Mike, You are a very adventurous guy taking the ‘ Mama Chari’ for this trip. I am a retiree from HKG planning to do the same this year. I like your ad-hoc planning which can only come from experience. ❤🫡