Day 06 – Hikari (Hikari Station) to Iwakuni (Iwakuni Station)
85km – Following the scenic Route 188 along the Seto Inland Sea coast, we’ll take two detours, first around the Yanai peninsular and then onto the island of Suooshima. It’s then back onto the main route to finish in the castle town of Iwakuni, our last stop before crossing into Hiroshima prefecture.
Today’s ride will take us along the Seto Inland Sea coastline around the Yanai Peninsular, before heading over the Oshima Bridge onto the island of Suooshima. This will be our third Japanese island, but not our last!
While we won’t spend too much time there, we’ll get to experience life in another interesting part of Japan. The island has a long history of emigration with Hawaii, and is well known for Hawaiin themed restaurants and cafes. If we have the time, we’ll make a quick side trip to the “Museum of Japanese Emigration to Hawaii,” and of course sample some of the local take on Hawaiin food, which is heavily Japanese influenced.
After our brief detour to Suooshima, we’ll back onto the main island of Honshu and ride up to Iwakuni, a city known for the Kintai-Kyo Bridge, one of Yamaguchi’s biggest tourist attractions. If time permits it, we’ll also take a ride up the Iwakuni Ropeway to Iwakuni Castle, which was reconstructed in the 1960s.
Highlights
- Suooshima Island
- Japanese links with Hawaii
- Kintai-Kyo Bridge
- Iwakuni Castle
Food & Accommodation
Sampling some Japanese-Hawaiian food will be the highlight of the day, before staying in Iwakuni for the night and trying the local steamed ramen. If the weather is good, there is also an abundance of ice cream stores on Suooshima Island.