Shikoku Road Trip

Onomichi · Senkoji Chain Path

After arriving in Fukuyama by Shinkansen and picking up our rental car, we headed straight to Onomichi — the city of slopes. The Senkoji pilgrimage route features a "chain path" (kusarimichi) where you haul yourself up iron chains bolted into sheer rock faces, a surprisingly serious bit of scrambling. Reach the top and you're rewarded with a sweeping panorama over the Onomichi Strait and its jumble of islands.

Onomichi Food Walk — Tenmusu · Keima Kamaboko · Café

Working our way down the slopes from Senkoji, we hopped between Onomichi's greatest hits. First up: tenmusu (shrimp tempura onigiri), a local take on the classic rice ball eaten on the go while navigating narrow alleys. Next, Keima Kamaboko (KEIMA STORE), a shop dating back to the Meiji era — their deep-fried fish cake (age-kamaboko) made from Seto Inland Sea seafood is crispy outside and pillowy within. We wrapped up at Kissa Yotaro for a classic Japanese "kissaten" spread: cream soda, pudding, and an iced latte. Onomichi alone is worth a trip just for the food walk.

Mukaishima Scooter → Innoshima Suigun Castle

We hopped the Onomichi ferry to Mukaishima and rented scooters from "Shima Rider." Crossing the Innoshima Bridge brought us to Innoshima, home of the Innoshima Murakami clan — one of the famous Murakami pirates who controlled these waters. Their hilltop keep (a modern replica) offers a stunning view across the island-dotted Seto Inland Sea. Riding from island to island on a scooter, with the salt breeze in your face, is simply unbeatable.

Shimanami Kaido Bridges

Mopeds and scooters can use the dedicated bike-and-moped lanes on each bridge — no toll booths, just wide open road. Riding with the islands cascading into the distance, drenched in the afternoon light bouncing off the sea, this is Shimanami Kaido at its purest. Cars simply can't touch this experience. The evening glow over the water was almost unfair in its beauty.

Kaisosen Sake-Gura Betchaa no Ifukuro

After returning the scooter and catching the ferry back, we plunged straight into Onomichi's evening scene. Our izakaya of choice was "Kaisosen Sake-Gura Betchaa no Ifukuro," set in a renovated merchant warehouse that once served the shipping trade. The menu is anchored in Seto Inland Sea seafood. Conger eel (anago) shabu-shabu in a light ponzu broth was delicate and refined — pure Onomichi on a plate. Whelk (tsubugai) tsuboyaki brought a chewy, briny punch; you slowly coax the meat out of the shell with a skewer, which is half the fun. Shrimp and vegetable tempura rounded things out, and a cold beer never tasted so deserved after a full day on two wheels.

Murakami Kaizoku Museum

Driving across the full Shimanami Kaido in the morning, we stopped at the Murakami Kaizoku Museum on Oshima Island (Miyakubo, Imabari). It picks up exactly where Innoshima Suigun Castle left off — going deep on the strategies, vessels, and culture of the Murakami pirate clan who ruled the Seto Inland Sea. A quieter but genuinely rewarding stop that shows another side of the Shimanami route.

Nakatsu Gorge (Niyodo Blue)

It rained all morning, but there was no way we were skipping Nakatsu Gorge. And honestly? Rain made it better. The blue-green clarity of the Niyodo River — what locals call "Niyodo Blue" — was still startlingly vivid against the wet, dark rock faces. Higher water levels amplified the gorge's drama. With every bend of the riverside trail the color deepened. "Niyodo Blue" stopped being a marketing slogan and became something I understood with my own eyes.

Hirome Market — Straw-Seared Bonito Tataki

Kochi's legendary indoor food market, Hirome Ichiba, is equal parts izakaya, food hall, and community gathering spot. The bonito tataki is made to order: a thick fillet is dramatically seared over blazing rice straw right in front of you, then sliced thick and served with ponzu and garlic. Eating it surrounded by locals and tourists alike, washing it down with Kochi sake — this is Tosa (Kochi) food culture in its purest form.

Kashiwajima Buggy Tour (Lagoon Racing)

Kashiwajima (Otsuki-cho) is home to some of the clearest water in all of Japan, and "Lagoon Racing" lets you explore it from the driver's seat of a four-wheel buggy. The 3.5-hour tour winds through mountain trails and coastal cliffs, always with that improbably blue sea glittering below. The early-morning drive from Kochi was absolutely worth it. Engine roar, salt wind, jagged cliffs, cobalt sea — pure adrenaline for grown-ups.

Ashizuri Kaiyo-kan SATOUMI

Right beside Cape Ashizuri stands SATOUMI, a beautifully renovated aquarium showcasing the marine life of the Kuroshio Current. The centerpiece tank — massive, crystal-clear, filled with the pelagic fish of the Pacific — is breathtaking. Sea turtles, local crustaceans, deep-sea creatures: there's something astonishing around every corner. The lighting design is genuinely artistic. A wonderful place to cool down, recover from the buggy tour, and let the ocean do the talking.

Oshokujidokoro Ashizuri

Just a short walk from Ashizuri Therme, this restaurant is the place for Tosashimizu seafood. The star of the show was the Cape Ashizuri specialty: Nagotaro-gai (a large local shellfish) baked golden in butter-soy sauce — plump, juicy and umami-packed. Bonito tataki was served in the local Kochi style, topped with spring onion and a dollop of mayo, full of the bold, brawny flavour the Kuroshio Current brings. A stir-fry using dried whitebait (jako) rounded out the meal with a fragrant, hometown warmth. The perfect final dinner for a trip that had the whole coast of Shikoku as its backdrop.