Imabari Station to the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge by Bicycle: A Local Route Guide (Hills, Water and the Two Ways There)
You have sorted out a rental bicycle in Imabari — now how do you actually get to the bridge?
Every guide to the Shimanami Kaido shows the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge.
Almost none of them explain the 6 km between JR Imabari Station and the moment you finally roll onto it.
This is that missing piece, written from local knowledge of the road: which of the two routes to choose, where the one real hill is, and what to buy before you cross.
The basics: 6 km, about 20 minutes, hard to get lost
From JR Imabari Station to Itoyama, the cycling gateway at the foot of the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge, is about 6 km.
Expect around 20 minutes of actual riding at a steady pace — a little more if you catch the traffic lights.
Navigation is the easy part.
The way runs almost dead straight, there are signboards along the road, and the route itself is painted on the tarmac, so you follow the coloured line the whole way.
Getting lost here is genuinely difficult.
Two ways to ride it: smooth and quiet, or shops and stops
The main route runs right beside the elevated railway line.
The road surface is well maintained and it is the easier riding of the two — but there is very little along it.
If you are hoping for a coffee or a snack stop partway, this route will not offer one.
The alternative runs closer to the sea, through the streets where the shops are.
Cafes and places to eat are easy to find on this side — Ondata Coffee, the seaside cafe that looks out at the very bridge you are heading for, is easier to reach from this route.
The trade-offs: more traffic lights, and small kerb gaps where the roadside strip rises and drops, which get tiring over a full ride.
You do not have to commit to one.
Where the route crosses a small river, turn right and ride about 300 metres toward the sea, and you connect from the main route over to the shop route.
A simple way to use them: take the railway-side route outbound and arrive at the bridge fresh, then drift back through the shop route afterwards and stop wherever looks good.
The one real hill — just before the bridge
The ride is easy until the end.
The climb up to Itoyama, just before the bridge, is the one honest hill of the day: not a wall, but a steady gradient that quietly keeps going, and being out of breath near the top is normal.
The route line painted on the road takes the easier way up, so follow it rather than improvising a shortcut.
If the hill worries you, e-bikes are among the types available at the rental terminals — this climb is exactly what they are for.
At Itoyama: rest, refill, and look at what you are about to cross
The entrance to the bridge’s cycling path is colour-coded and easy to spot, and there is a rest space just before it — you will usually see other riders pausing there, which makes it a landmark in itself.
The Kurushima Strait Observation Hall at Itoyama has free toilets, plus a shop and vending machines.
Buy your drinks here.
There is nothing to buy on the bridge itself, and Umashima, the island partway across, has no shop and no vending machine either.
If you have a few minutes to spare, the free observation decks of Itoyama Park, on the hill right above, give you the whole sweep of the bridge you are about to ride — the classic Shimanami view.
On the bridge: who goes where
The lane rules differ from bridge to bridge on the Shimanami Kaido.
On the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge, pedestrians and cyclists share the same path, and mopeds run on a separate one.
The routes are colour-coded at the entrance, so taking the wrong one is hard to do.
Crossing costs nothing at the moment: the toll exemption for bicycles has been extended to the end of March 2028 (mopeds are not included).
Two things locals will tell you.
First, there is nothing on the bridge — rest spaces appear only here and there, so cross on your own supplies rather than planning a proper break.
Second, when you stop for photos (you will), remember that other cyclists and walkers are moving past you on the same path, and that the expressway runs directly alongside — fenced off, but worth treating with respect.
Wind and weather
The bridge has a windy reputation, but on an ordinary breezy day the crossing is not a problem.
The working rule is simple: if the bridge is open, you can ride it; in a typhoon, or whenever closures are announced, do not try.
If the weather takes the ride away, what to do in Imabari on a rainy day covers the indoor alternatives.
In summer the enemy is heat rather than wind — there is almost no shade on the bridge, so carry water and cover up.
What time to set out
Early morning is the local answer: the riding is cooler and the views are at their best.
Sunset over the strait is beautiful too — but once the sun goes down it gets properly dark out there, so if you ride out for the evening light, plan to be back before nightfall.
Luggage: leave it at the station
The simplest solution is the coin lockers at the station-front rental terminal, right by JR Imabari Station.
There are toilets there as well, so you can sort yourself out completely before setting off.
Not cycling? Your realistic options
A taxi from the station to Itoyama takes about 15 minutes.
The Setouchi Bus (Koura line) takes about 22 minutes to the Tenbodai-iriguchi stop, about a minute’s walk from the Itoyama terminal at the bridge approach — but the buses are genuinely infrequent, so check the timetable before you rely on one.
Ask a local and the answer is unanimous: the bicycle is the best way there.
Open the Kurushima Strait Observation Hall (Itoyama) in Google Maps
Quick FAQ
How far, and how long? About 6 km and roughly 20 minutes of riding from JR Imabari Station.
Is it hilly? Mostly easy going until the final climb up to the bridge, which is genuinely tiring but soon over.
Follow the painted line for the easier gradient, or choose an e-bike.
Where do I rent the bicycle? Two terminals — one at the station, one at Itoyama by the bridge.
See our Imabari bicycle rental guide for how it works.
Does the crossing cost anything? No — it is free for bicycles until the end of March 2028 (mopeds excluded).
Toilets and water? Free toilets, a shop and vending machines at the Itoyama observatory facility; toilets and coin lockers at the station-front terminal.
Nothing on the bridge itself.
Putting it together: a natural first morning
Leave your bag in a locker at the station terminal, ride the railway-side route out (about 20 minutes), catch your breath after the Itoyama climb, buy drinks at the observatory shop, take in the whole bridge from Itoyama Park, then cross — dropping down by lift to Umashima halfway if you fancy the strangest little detour on the Shimanami.
Prefer the water?
The ferry from Hashihama Port to the old fortress island of Oshima makes a fine afternoon instead.
And when you roll back into town, Kisuke no Yu, the hot spring beside the station, is the classic way to end a riding day.
Information as of July 2026.
Route conditions and tolls can change — please check official sources before you travel.
Original article in Japanese: 今治駅から来島海峡大橋への行き方｜自転車ルートは2本・最後の坂と補給ポイントまとめ
