A Mecca for Cyclists which was once a Pirate Base

The Shimanami Kaidō expressway is a Mecca for cyclists from around the world. We recommend renting a bike and taking a ferry over to it. Ships and bicycles are an everyday sight in Onomichi. You might encounter middle-schoolers on their way to class, or senior citizens riding one-handed to the wharf to await the ferries.

Head to Mukaishima Island on the opposite end of the Onomichi Waterway. Following the canal further and alighting the ship, you’ll see a blue line demarking a cycling course. Pedal on for a little longer, and eventually you’ll come upon a blue wide open seascape. When you look up from there, you’ll see a brilliant white bridge leading to Innoshima Island.

The Shimanami Kaidō is an expressway that connects Onomichi with Imabari in Ehime prefecture, as well as the six islands between their shores. However, unlike other expressways that link Honshu to Shikoku, it features pedestrian and bike-friendly lanes to every island it can access. They were made so locals could easily use them, but in practice they have come to attract cyclists from all over the world. At any rate, one third of the cycling courses are located on a bridge, and you can also enjoy a stroll above the Inland Sea.

Speaking historically, the islands along the Shimanami were actually a base for Japan’s largest band of pirates, the Murakami Pirates. The Inland Sea may look calm at a glance, but the currents are quite fast. Reefs are numerous, especially in this clustered area of the Inland Sea, and combined with the confounding tides, it made for ideal hunting grounds for the Murakami Pirates, who were familiar with the region.

Generally, we imagine pirates attacking ships and plundering their booty, but the Murakami Pirates were actually said to be rather more like business men that kept order and peace. They prepared checkpoints and assured the safety of ships that paid their toll, and if need be, guarded or deployed pilots and navigators to assist. They were even hired by daimyo during the Warring States Period to serve as their navy. It’s said that merchants circulating high-class goods as well as fishermen that propped up the fishing industry of the Inland Sea numbered among their ranks. They were not only canny businessmen, but they were also known as worldly men of culture who possessed many unique talents.

As you dash through on your bike, we hope you think of the pirates who once served and protected the Setouchi Region.