The Shimanami Kaido links Imabari in Ehime with Onomichi on Honshu by a chain of bridges and islands across the Seto Inland Sea. It is one of Japan's best cycling routes — long enough to feel like a real journey but manageable for fit casual riders, with protected cycling lanes the whole way. The road was engineered for cars, but those lanes turned it into a pilgrimage of a different kind: riders cross island after island with the sea below, citrus groves beside the road, and suspension bridges that feel improbably graceful at bicycle speed.
You can ride the full 70 kilometres in a day or break it overnight on one of the islands — Omishima, with its ancient Oyamazumi Shrine, is a favourite halfway stop. Even non-cyclists can sample parts of the route by bus, car, or short rental rides from either end. Bikes can be rented at one terminal and returned at the other.