Umashima on the Shimanami Kaido

The first little island on the Ehime side

Anonymous Feb 25, 2013 - 1 min read

<p>Looking down on Umashima from the Kurushima Straits Bridge</p>

<p>A lift takes you and your bicycle or motorbike down to the island</p>

<p>An idyllic scene with a sandy cove with an island topped with both a shrine and a lighthouse</p>

<p>The lighthouse and shrine look rather good together</p>

<p>A little path takes you to another beach on the other side of the island</p>

<p>The current here is savage, so you wouldn't want to try swimming in it</p>

<p>Buddha watches over the ships and islands</p>

<p>The island is holey like a cheese, and you can pass right through it</p>

<p>Even in winter, the sun beats down and the flowers are beautiful</p>

<p>If you take the road past the little pond, you come to a concrete path that leads down to a palm-lined beach. You can have it pretty much to yourself</p>

<p>Umashima offers fine views of distant Mt. Ishizuchi with its snowy peaks</p>

<p>Wherever you are, the bridge is a constant presence</p>

Umashima is the first little island on the Shimanami Kaido. It was once used for breeding war horses, but they didn't thrive on the steep slopes. Today it's a quiet place with little beaches and abundant bird life. Riding across the bridge to Umashima is an undemanding way to get a little taste of the Shimanami Kaido if you don't have time for anything longer. There are no shops or restaurants, so take your own fodder.

Anonymous @rod.walters__archived

I was born in Bristol, England, and I came to Japan in 1991 … which means I’ve lived half my life in this island nation on the other side of the world. The theme of my career in Japan has been communication. I started as an English teacher, and moved into translation as I learned Japanese....