Getting to Shimanami Kaido & Imabari
Every practical way to reach Shimanami Kaido & Imabari from Matsuyama and the main gateways, with times, rough costs and how to get around once you arrive.
Imabari is the southern end of the Shimanami Kaido and the base for the Ehime islands. It is on the JR main line between Matsuyama and Okayama, and highway buses cross the bridges from Fukuyama and Hiroshima. See also the region-wide transport guide.
Routes to Shimanami Kaido & Imabari at a glance
| From | How | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matsuyama | JR limited express Shiokaze / Ishizuchi | 35–40 min | About hourly; local trains take 1 h 10 min or more |
| Okayama | JR limited express Shiokaze | About 2 h 10 min | Direct; connects with the Shinkansen |
| Fukuyama (Shinkansen) | Shimanami Liner highway bus | About 1 h 30 min | Crosses the whole Shimanami Kaido; reserve seats at busy times |
| Hiroshima | Highway bus | About 2 h 40 min | A few departures a day via the Shimanami Kaido |
| Onomichi | Bus with a change on Innoshima, or cycle | 1 h 30 min – 2 h by bus | No bikes on ordinary buses; ferries link Onomichi with Mukaishima, Innoshima and Ikuchijima |
| Imabari Station | Bus to Omishima (Oyamazumi Shrine) | About 1 h | Several a day; useful for non-cyclists |
Times are typical journey times; fares are rough guides. Timetables change every spring — check the operator before you travel.
From Matsuyama
Limited expresses run about hourly from JR Matsuyama to Imabari in 35–40 minutes, making a day ride on the first bridge and islands perfectly feasible from the city. Local trains are much slower. Highway and local buses also link the two cities in a little over an hour. By car, allow about an hour.
From Honshu
If you are coming from Hiroshima, Osaka or Tokyo, the usual plan is to start at the other end: Shinkansen to Fukuyama or Shin-Onomichi, local train to Onomichi, and ride south to finish in Imabari. To start from Imabari instead, take the Shimanami Liner bus from Fukuyama Station across the bridges, or the Shiokaze limited express from Okayama.
Bike rental
The public Shimanami rental cycle system has around ten terminals along the route, including Imabari Station and Sunrise Itoyama at the foot of the first bridge. Ordinary cross bikes and city bikes can be dropped off at any other terminal for a one-way fee; e-bikes and tandems generally have to be returned where they were hired. Expect to pay a few thousand yen a day, and book online for weekends and holidays.
Giant runs stores at Imabari Station and in Onomichi with higher-grade road, cross and e-bikes; one-way rental between the two stores is possible for an extra charge if arranged in advance. Helmets are provided or rented by both.
Luggage transfer
Same-day luggage forwarding between hotels in Imabari and Onomichi (and some island lodgings) is offered by delivery companies and several hotels — typically you hand bags over by about 8:00 and they arrive that evening. Arrange it through your accommodation the day before. Coin lockers are available at both stations and at Sunrise Itoyama.
Getting around Shimanami Kaido & Imabari
On a bike, simply follow the blue line: it is painted continuously on the road from Imabari to Onomichi, with distance markers. The bridges are reached by dedicated ramps graded at about 3 per cent, so the climbs are long but gentle. If you run out of energy or daylight, local buses and small ferries link the islands with Imabari and Onomichi — but ordinary buses do not carry unbagged bicycles, so return your rental at the nearest terminal first. In Imabari itself, buses from the station serve the castle and the port.
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