The start of Shimanami Kaido on Ehime Prefecture is Imabari
The start of Shimanami Kaido on Ehime Prefecture will be from Imabari City.
The biggest city in Ehime is Matsuyama City, the oldest hot spring in Japan, called “Dogo Onsen”.
Imabari City is the second largest city in Ehime Prefecture after Matsuyama City.
A convenient way to access Matsuyama City is by plane.
A convenient way to access Matsuyama City from Tokyo or Osaka is by plane.
You can also access Matsuyama by train or boat, but this is a very complicated method and takes time, so it is not recommended.
About 1 hour 30 minutes from Tokyo Haneda to Matsuyama City by plane
The train is convenient from Matsuyama to Imabari.
It is convenient to travel from Matsuyama City to Imabari City by train.
However, there are things you should be aware of here.
There are two Matsuyama Stations in Matsuyama City.
One is “Matsuyama Station” where the JR train stops.
The other is “Matsuyama City Station” operated by a railway company called “Iyotetsu”.
To go to Imabari, you need to use the JR train.
Therefore, to go to Imabari City, you must use “Matsuyama Station”.
Please note that if you use “Matsuyama City Station”, you cannot go to Imabari City.
It takes about 40 minutes by JR limited express train from Matsuyama Station to Imabari Station.
Let’s rent a bicycle at Imabari Station.
When you arrive at Imabari Station, you can rent a bicycle near Imabari Station.
In Shimanami Kaido cycling, the rule is to wear a helmet.If you rent a bicycle, you will also rent a helmet, so be sure to wear a helmet.
After renting a bicycle, you should aim for a facility called “Sunrise Itoyama” on the north side of Imabari.
The distance from Imabari Station to “Sunrise Itoyama” is about 7km, so it takes about 30 minutes by bicycle.
“Sunrise Itoyama” is the starting point for the Shimanami Kaido Cycling Course.
