Inland Sea Views on a 2 Day Walk Across the Aki Nada Islands

 

The Aki Nada Islands are a chain of islands in the Inland Sea between Hiroshima on Honshu and Ehime on Shikoku. Pictured above is Sannose Port on Shimo Kamagari Island with the bridge to Honshu in the background.

A series of 7 bridges connect most of the islands and the cycling route along the islands is called the Tobiishima Kaido. Kamikamagari is the next island after Shimokamagari. Pictured above is Oura on the eastern edge of the island.

From the bridge connecting Kamikamagari Island to Toyoshima, looking north to Honshu.

At the end of the first day I reached Toyohama on the eastern edge of Toyoshima, looking across at Osaki-Shimozima Island.

Next morning, looking back at Toyohama from the bridge connecting to Osaki Shimozima.

Looking back at the bridge connecting Toyoshima with Osaki Shimozima.

All the following shots are from the southern coast of Osaki Shimozima Island.

The final photo is of the harbour at Yutakamachiocho on the NE coast of Osaki Shimozima.

The previous post in the series was on Shotoen the garden and museums on the first island.

Aki Nada Bridge

I started my walk along the Aki Nada Islands by crossing the Akinada Bridge from near Nigata in Hiroshima over to Shimokamagari island. The bridges website claims it is the 9th longest bridge in Japan. Its total length is 1,175 meters with a central span of 750 meters. It opened in 2000.

One of the cool things about walking these big bridges is that they are so high that they afford great views, as in this photo looking back to Nigata.

Where the bridge ends on Shimokamagari is a small park, Shirozaki-en with this strange sculpture.

A rough translation of its title is [life] soil fire knowledge sky water, and it is by the artist Imai Makimasa.

There is a male and female figure.... the male being the more "muscular" one. The base of the sculpture is composed of more than 3,500 tiles...