Mukaijima

After spending the morning exploring Onomichi's temple walk it was time to head off on my walk from Honshu to Shikokju along the Shimanami Kaido.

The easiest and most convenient way is to take one of the small ferries that cross the narrow channel seperating Onomichi from Mukaijima. There is a bridge but it is out of the downtown area and is very busy with traffic so cyclists on the Shimanami kaido are recommended to take the ferry.

There is not a lot to see along the way for the first few kilometers until you reach the west side of the island where the town ends and the nice coastline and views begin. Muakaijima is connected to the small island of Iwashijima by bridge.

From then on the views are great as you walk down the west coast of the island to the first big bridge to crossm the Innoshima Suspension Bridge.

Onomichi City Museum of Art

The Museum of Art in Onomichi, Hiroshima, is located on top of the mountain overlooking the town and the nearby islands.

It was designed by world-famous Japanese architect Tadao Ando, and while the combination of modern glass and steel with the traditional curved roof is interesting, it is in my opinion not one of his better designs.

The museum hosts various changing exhibitions and has a cafe with great views.

It is possible to drive up, but the easiest way is to take the Senkoji Ropeway. The museum is a few minbutes walk from the mountaintop station.

It's open from 9 to 5 and is closed on Mondays.

Mount Senkoji Ropeway

Mt. Senkoji is only 140 meters high, but it does go right down to the sea and is fairly steep, so the ropeway is a good way to get up.

I havent been on to many ropeways that are so urban. On the way up it passes directly over a lot of houses and of course offers nice views.

Its not often you get to look down on a cemetery.

Closer to the top it passes near Senko-ji, the temple the mountain is named after.

From the top there are great views over Onomichi and across the channel to the islands...

Onomichi Temple Walk, Myosenji

After visiting Ushitora Shrine, it was still too early for the first cable car/ropeway  up the mountainside so I carried on exploring temples. Nearby was Myosenji.

It has quite an impressive approach and gate.

With its raked gravel garden one might think it was a zen temple, but in fact it belongs to the Nichiren sect and was founded in 1354.

The only interesting piece of information I have been able to find out about Myosenji is that behind the main hall is a Kiyomasa Kato-do, a memorial hall to the famous warlord who was known to be a big supporter of the Nichiren sect.

Onomichi temple walk Houdo-ji

The path to the second tempel on Onomichis' temple walk is easy to follow and narrow

Like the temples and houses of Onomichi, the graveyards are crowded together...

Founded in 1387, Houdo-ji now belongs to the Jodo sect (Pure land). The bell in the bell tower dates  from the end of the 15th century.

The main deity enshrined here is Amida Nyorai.

A Walk from Honshu to Shikoku Day1

There was a spell of fine weather last week so I took the opportunity to go for a walk. My route was along the Shimanami kaido, a new 70k road that connects Onomichi in Hiroshima on Honshu with Imabari in Ehime on Shikoku. The road passes through 6 islands via 7 bridges. I spent the morning on the Temple walk in Onomichi, a route that zig-zags up and down the hillside visiting 25 temples and several shrines. From the top of Senkojisan there are fine views down on the town and across the channel to the first of the islands Mukaijima.

The bridge across to Mukaijima doesnt have any sidewalks, so its recommended for cyclists and pedestrians to cross over on one of the frequent ferries. there isnt a lot to see on Mukaijima, and the first part of the route, well marked with blue lines along the road, passes through the built up area but then heads south down the west coast where the views become nicer.

The Innoshima Ohashi is the suspension bridge that connects Mukaijima to Innoshima. It was built in 1983 and is 1.4 kilometers long and  has a main span of 770 meters.

Pedestrians, cyclists, and mopeds travel under the bridge. My plan had been to head up to the top of Mt Shirataki , the highest point on the island, to spend the night and enjoy the views over the Inland Sea at sunset and sunrise, but it was only 3pm so I decided to push on across the middle of the island.

Roughly in the middle of the island is what is the main tourist attraction of the island, the Murakami Suigun Castle. Sometimes called a navy, sometimes pirates, they are best described as privateers who controlled the waterways of the Inland Sea for much of the medieval period. The reconstructed castle houses a museum. Woirth a visit if you are passing by but not worth a special trip unless you are into that kind of thing.

the sun was getting low when I reached the other side of the island and the Ikuchi Bridge that connects Innoshima with Ikuchijima. With a span of 790 meters, this was the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world when it opened in 1991.

I went a few more k once I got to Ikuchijima before I made camp on the sea wall on some waste ground between two small shipbuilding yards.