Onomichi has old and new

Historical Onomichi with the pagoda of Ten-nei-ji temple

Once in a while I have a fad about this port town. It happened already three times and will come back constantly. 

The first should have been about 15 years ago when my friends and I learned the basics of Onomich; the second was in 2011 when nobody came to Japan after the disastrous earthquakes and Tsunami. my friends and I were riding a bike and making up cycling routes by ourselves; the third is happening now and I'm seeing the town from many perspectives including stores, cafes, and restaurants run by the long-time residents and the new comers. The new Onomichi City Hall is another charming addition to the area.

The first time when my friends and I came to Onomichi a number of times in total introduced to us the orthodox Onomichi where 25 major temples and many small shrines lined the alleys on the slopes. We were amazed by how charming and even mystic these alleys were. We also learned how skillful Onomichi masons were by spotting what they made such as stone lanterns or statues. We came to know how Onomich thrived as a significant port town and how wealthy merchants and important samurai warrior members contributed to the creation of this temple town by building them and patronizing them over time. 

The fake castle tower on top of the hill built by the chairman of the Onomichi chamber of commerce and industry in 1964 will be finally torn down soon. I'm so glad about it because Onomichi was not a castle town and does not have to be. There are many former castle towns but there's just one Onomichi which thrived with merchants and some important samurai members from the middle age of Japan. 

The town has been known as the town of slopes where peoples' houses stand. It started after the introduction of the railway to Onomichi in 1891. The modern railway cut through the premises of shrines and temples and an interesting thing happened - unfortunate for some of the temples and shrines whose  grounds were divided into two by the railway. You will see local trains running by right in front of you from some of the temple gates or stone stairs leading to the temples. It's an interesting image symbolizing the modernization Onomichi had to go through. And people began to live on the slopes where only shrines and temples stood before. Now the private houses, shrines, and temples are connected by alleys and slopes, making the town one big maze.  

The town now is a gateway to the Shimanami Scenic Sea Route on which you can walk or ride a bike. The route connecting Honshu and Shikoku over the sea with seven bridges is now one of the most SACRED cycling routes for the bike riders. 

The town is unique as it is. It has old and new. It hosts young people who discovered this town and old members who have lived here for long. You will be sure to talked to by an old local lady if you look curious about the town or look lost. They believe you don't know how you can go to your destinations in mind. It's easy to get lost in Onomichi. You will love it.

Just like any other small cities and towns and villages, Onomichi has suffered from depopulation and lack of strong economy but young people are coming back or coming in. Something about Onomichi attracts these youth and me though I'm not that young.

In this article is introduced this store where Onomichi vintage jeans are on sale. The young founders did not start this to make money but did this to make the town more attractive and cheerful and a happy place for the residents. 

Mostly locals got involved to make new jeans made in the BINGO area that Onomichi belongs to used and old. Locals from every rank and file wear the BINGO jeans for about a year under the periodical check and clean-ups by the store. The tag attached to respective jeans tells the occupation of the original wearer. Accordingly the jeans transformed themselves over a year.

The store is doing well, sustaining itself. What an idea they had!!

Bingo jeans on display

The right is the jeans store and the left a new cafe where lemonade and coffee are served.

Toyoshima where nobody lives but an artwork

a distant view of Kaze-no-oto in toyoshima

This is the third summer the artwork on the island of toyoshima is open to the public. My friend and I landed on the island today and spent about an hour. There are two boat services a day to go there and to come back from there, respectively. It connects the port of habu in In-no-shima and toyoshima port. Inevitably we took one in the afternoon spent a little over an hour until the boat back to the port of habu. 

At a remote uninhabited island of toyoshima, an artwork is just there. More things will come around not quickly but slowly. It will be the way. Staffers told us, hisako and me, to stay in the art as long as we liked and we freely walked around and took pictures. Which we cannot do in the galleries of naoshima or many other art sites. The sun moves, the light changes. Later we had a free drink in a restaurant wing of villa Kaze-no-oto overlooking the sea. Fantastic. Loved it.

approaches to the artwork

fourteen glass panels

strange glass reflection

the Seto Inland Sea in a distance

world-famous artist did this

Kaze-no-oto, very private cottages and a reception/restaurant wing

restaurant and cafe of villa gaze-no-oto

tiny shrine, almost abandoned but it's still there

shimanami cotton gloves look cute

Here's what I got the day before at a store in the shimanami cycling area.  Good during a bike ride. Made in Japan. That's rare!

sunrise!

This was my privilege. Shimanami cycling fun during the day and a stay at a hotel whose rooms without any exception have an ocean view. 
The photo of the sunrise below was taken at 4:58 am from the room window of the hotel.
What an experience!

seto inland sea; the sea below the shimanami bridges

Shimanami cycling before full-fledged summer starts

These are before I started cycling. Just dropped by Manda Hakko biotech company in In-no-shima island. Very pleasant visit. People were friendly and respectful. Their plants were so fresh and healthy. Particularly impressed by their farm filled with vegetables, fruits, berries, and flowers treated with their "nutritional supplement for the plants." I knew the company before I went so what the company was all about was not very surprising but these plants and flowers were so lively and will convince the visitors that the company is doing the right thing! 

pumpkins on a trellis; the stems have to be strong and they are!

sunflowers tall and strong; fat stems!

blueberries; so many!

And a bit of cycling around the Kurushima Strait Grand Bridge Complex:

bike ride on the bridges is incredible but the island explorer route in O-shima island where one end of the bridge complex starts is relaxing and pleasing. It was a luxury to stay at a hot spring hotel in Saijo City, Ehime Pref. in Shikoku, instead of heading back home after a ride. The booking was done at the last minute because I decided to go two days before departure but found a right hotel and it was my first experience to stay at a KYUKAMURA public hotel. No international travelers; not yet found by them but I wonder if they are prepared for greeting guests from abroad. Not much English, rather none. All those hotels are located in the national parks. Clean, affordable, casual, relaxing, and with great food and scenery from the room windows. This one had onsen hot spring. All rooms have an ocean view. Quite relaxing and a sense of being released from anything when I soaked in an outdoor bathtub.

bird's eye view of the bridge complex

his first shimanami ride on a day of perfect weather

my bike and big ships in O-shima

The hotel web page can be reached here.

magical evening after a shimanami bike ride seen from the hotel window

Miraishin-no-oka

This marble garden is behind a colorful temple built in the twelfth century for the founder's mother. It's different from conventional temples, full of filial devotion but different type of atmosphere. Furthermore, it's surprising to find this garden in the back of the temple. You do not have to go to Italy or Greece. You would feel like you were there. The temple and the garden lie in one of the islands along the shimanami scenic sea route, IKUCHI-JIMA. The marble garden is something.

Riding a bike for 75 km is easier than you think

Last year I did not fulfill my new year's resolution. And almost half a year had passed when I firmly decided to complete it this year. And I did it twice and am feeling just right. 

I'm on my reverse way by bus passing the same bridges I crossed by bike on my way along the shimanami scenic sea route from Onomichi to Imabari.

This is a 75-km-long scenic cycling route.

You ride on the islands and cross a number of bridges above the seto inland sea connecting the islands; the more bridges you cross, the closer you are to the final destination of imabari in Shikoku.

Left Onomichi bike terminal at 8:50 am

Had lunch and a break from 11:30 to 12:45 at the Tatara park

Took a break for 15 minutes just before crossing the kurushima bridges

Got to imabari station bike terminal at 3:30 pm

Rode a bike in imabari 

Took a cycle bus bound for Onomichi at 4:50 (the bus came seven minutes late)

The bus will arrive at Onomichi in an hour and a bit more 

I think I'm cleaning or resetting my soul and body by doing this. And the real cleaning should be done at home later today taking a shower just so happily.

Curious about the white ferry boat which has been there probably for weeks. It says Tsugaru Strait ferry. That should be from the northeast of Japan.

Mikyan riding a bike at the Tatara grand bridge park.

The cycle train I'm taking; bikes and cyclists together.

Passing the kurushima strait grand bridge complex consisting of three continuous suspension bridges. About four km. 

Get your bike ready and start riding it in your neighborhood and then someday you will join me with the same joy of life that I appreciated today. 

SHIMANAMI scenic sea route - off the major course

 Iwashijima bridge

This was an easy fun course with a little ups and downs. 

First two of us went to Mukaishima island by car and parked the car at KOKORO Center;

Then we took out our bikes from the car and off we went;

from KOKORO Center in Mukaishima to Iwashijima island via a small bridge;

cycle around the island;

to the In-no-shima Grand Bridge;

crossed the bridge - round trip

and back to KOKORO.

This will be just about 20 kilometers. 

Iwashijima is one of the common islands in the Seto Inland Sea. But that's the point. It was totally fun to ride a bike looking at vegetable fields and local waters. 

Then the In-no-shima grand bridge, one of the major bridges along the SHIMANAMI route, gave a satisfactory feeling that we were visiting SHIMANAMI. 

These two different experiences made our bike ride today very rewarding.

Loved the course.

Sleek lodging in ONOMICHI, great for bike riders

ONOMICHI has been the gateway to the SHIMANAMI scenic sea route since the whole route was completed in 1999. The SHIMANAMI sea route spans the Inland Sea and connects ONOMICHI on the Honshu side and IMABARI on the Shikoku side. This is the only route of bridges in Japan where you can travel the whole way by bike. 

This complex consisting of a hotel, a cafe, and a store, was recently built and just right for cyclists who have quality bikes that they do not want to leave outside the room. They can bring in their beloved bikes and there are proper places to store them.

More travelers are now staying in ONOMICHI, the Holy Land for those who love bike-rides.