The Shimanami Kaido is a 60 kilometer long toll road that connects Japan's main island of Honshu to the island of Shikoku, passing over six small islands in the Seto Inland Sea. It is also known as the Nishiseto Expressway. There are two other land connections between Shikoku and Honshu, but the Shimanami Kaido is the only one traversable by foot or bicycle.

The Shimanami Kaido begins on Honshu in Onomichi City. It then leads across the six islands of Mukaishima, Innoshima, Ikuchijima, Omishima, Hakatajima and Oshima, before terminating on Shikoku in Imabari City. The route was opened in 1999, so the bridges are modern and attractive. Along the way, travelers can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Seto Inland Sea and the islands' small towns.

In addition to the scenery, there are a few other attractions on the way between Honshu and Shikoku: On Ikuchijima Island there is the Hirayama Museum, which is dedicated to one of Japan's most famous painters, Hirayama Ikuo, who was born on the island. Nearby is a unique temple, Kosanji, which was built by a rich business man for his mother. There are a number of minshuku and camping grounds on the islands for those who want to extend the journey over multiple days.

Cycling is a popular means of experiencing the Shimanami Kaido among tourists. The bicycle route is well marked and maintained, and diverges from the expressway on the islands. The ramps leading up to the bridges were built at small inclines with cyclists in mind. At about 70 kilometers, the bike route is a bit longer than the toll road, but because there are no large inclines, it can be comfortably completed in a day by intermediate cyclists.

A convenient bicycle rental system is in operation, which allows tourists to rent a bike at one cycling terminal and drop it off at one of twelve others along the way. This allows tourists to rent their bicycles at one end of the route and drop it off at the other end, or to stop anywhere in between when they become tired and take a bus for the rest of their journey.

Many types of rental bicycles are available, including children's bicycles and electronic-assist bicycles. All types are available at the largest cycling terminal, Sunrise Itoyama Cycling Terminal in Imabari. Sunrise Itoyama is open from 8:00 to 20:00, while the other cycling terminals have shorter hours and a limited variety of available bicycles. Electronic-assist bicycles are only available at a few of the cycling terminals, and must be returned to the station from which they were rented. Bicycle reservations can be made by phone at 0898-41-3196, but are not mandatory.

Regular bicycles cost 500 yen per day, children's bicycles 300 yen per day and electronic-assisted bicycles 800 yen for four hours. There is a 1000 yen deposit that is forfeited when bicycles are not returned to the same cycling terminal. Small tolls (totaling 500 yen) must be paid when crossing the bridges, not including the bridge between Honshu and Mukaishima Island, which is best replaced by a short ferry ride to/from central Onomichi (around 100 yen one way for an adult with bicycle).

Travelling the Shimanami Kaido is of course also possible by car. Expressway tolls total around 5000 yen one way. Travelling between Onomichi and Imabari by bus cannot be done directly, and requires a transfer on Innoshima. There are, however, direct buses from Imabari to Hiroshima and Fukuyama.