The Shimanami Kaido Islands : Places to Eat & Stay
The Shimanami Kaido (しまなみ海道) is a spectacular 60km long series of bridges and roads that connect some of the hundreds of islands in the Geiyo Archipelago located at the heart of Japan's Seto Inland and link these islands to Onomichi City on Honshu Island in the north and Imabari City on Shikoku Island in the south.
With separate dedicated lanes for walkers, cyclists, and mopeds, there are a variety of ways, in addition to driving, to travel the Shimanami Kaido and explore the islands, eat at hidden culinary gems, and rest at the increasing array of inns and hotels.
Akakichi Sushi (あか吉寿司)
1203-8 Kitaura-ko, Hakata-cho, Hakata Island, Ehime Prefecture 794-2304
Tel: +81 (0897) 73 0627
Michelin cites Akakichi Sushi as one of the most remote stars in its constellation of restaurants. It’s worth making the effort to go there because of the beauty of the journey as well as the deliciousness of the food. Chef Junji Akase sources his seafood freshly-caught from around the island and also from Tokyo's main Toyosu fish market and other parts of Japan. His preparations are exquisite and many are original. Because of the relaxed, friendly environment he creates, it's easy to spend hours endlessly eating whatever you'd like of whatever is in season. Akakichi Sushi is open nightly for dinner. If you call ahead, he’ll happily also open for lunch.
Nojima Suigun (能島水軍)
1293-2 Miyakubo-cho Miyakubo, Oshima Island, Ehime Prefecture 794-2203
Tel: +81 (0897) 86 3323
Web: www.noshima.jp
Located at the port across the street from the Murakami Kaizoku (Pirate) Museum on Oshima Island, Nojima Suigun is a local restaurant run by fisherman Murakami and his family. The specialty is sea bream, served as slices of sashimi on top of rice, in ramen, and other ways. Some of the best sea bream in the Setouchi is caught around the island. Nojima Suigun also offers do-it-yourself seafood barbecues on a deck overlooking the sea. At the ferry terminal next door, you can get boat tours to Nojima Island, the fortress island of the Noshima branch of the Murakami family of pirates.
Omishima Minna no Winery (大三島みんなのウィナリー)
5562 Omishima-cho Miyaura, Omishima Island, Ehime Prefecture 794-1304
Tel: +81 (0897) 72 9377
Web: www.ohmishimawine.com
Sponsored by the godfather of Japanese architecture, Toyo Ito, Minna no Winery (which means “Winery for All”) is one of several community projects he has pursued on Omishima Island to help revitalize its economy while sustaining the island’s beauty and traditional way of life. Started in 2015, grapes are grown on anbandoned citrus orchards. The first wines—admirable whites and reds—were released in 2017. They can be bought at Minna no Ie (“House for All”), a cafe, gallery, and gathering space located (address above) on the old main street leading from Miyaura Port to Oyamazumi Shrine.
Omishima Minna no Winery’s vineyards are located on the south coast of the island, near the Omishima Bridge linking the island to Hakata Island. Left: Yusuke Kawata, managing director and vintner. Right: Ryu Morimoto, founding member of the winery.
Shima de Cafe (しまでcafe)
830-1 Yugeshimoyuge, Kamijima Island, Ehime Prefecture 794-2506
Tel: +81 (0897) 77 2232
Web: www.shimano-kaisha.co.jp/cafe/
Ritsuko Murakami, the owner-cook at Shima de Cafe, is a leading expert on Yuge Island’s tsumina—the island’s edible wild flowers and greens, including the seaweeds found in its surrounding ocean waters—and she creatively and nourishingly uses these in soups and salads, simmered dishes, pickled and topped on rice, and pressed decoratively into cookies. A variety of these foraged delicacies can be had on the daily “Tsumina” lunch set that also includes a whole pickled sea bream. Another Yuge specialty, Lemon Pork, which is pork from pigs fed on the island’s lemons, is served either as sauteed slices draped over a bowl of shredded cabbage and rice or as a steak smothered in a hearty caramelized sweet-salty-sour sauce.
Yuge Island is not on the Shimanami Kaido route but is one of four nearby islands connected by their own set of bridges and roadways called the Yumeshima Kaido (Island Dream Road). Still, it’s very easy to get to. Just take a 1-minute ferry ride from Innoshima Island to Ikina Island, cross the Ikina Bridge to Sa Island, and continue on over the Yugeo Bridge to Yuge Island. Shimade Cafe is located just to the left of the exit from the bridge. If you’re not hungry when you get there, still stop by to browse its local food products, including handmade sea salt and dried nori seaweed.
Ume ga Hana (梅が花)
791-6 Kinoura, Hakata Island, Ehime Prefecture 794-2305
Tel: +81 (0897) 74 0150
Web: www.umegahana.com/#
Perched at the edge of a hill above the quiet fishing village of Kinoura on Hakata Island, Ume ga Hana offers views as compelling as its delicious, reasonably-priced, and filling seafood dishes. The restaurant features locally-caught specialties—sea bream, octopus, anago eel, and shima-aji sardines, as well as all kinds of other seafoods—prepared as sashimi and sushi or deep-fried, broiled, or braised nitsuke style with sweetened soy sauce. Open every day except Wednesday for lunch and dinner.
Wakka
6691-1 Kamiura-cho Inokuchi, Omishima Island, Ehime Prefecture 794-1402
Tel: +81 (0897) 72 8705
Web: wakka.site
A new boutique resort created by Arashi Murakami on Omishima Island in 2020, Wakka offers everything you need to magically experience the Geiyo Islands, including delightful rooms and creative cooking using seasonal local ingredients, beach bonfires at night, sunrise views in the morning, bike rentals, water taxis to other islands, fishing trips, and boat cruises. It’s conveniently located midway across the Geiyo Island chain. Stop by here for lunch or a snack when traveling the length of the Shimanami Kaido. Use it as a base from which to explore the islands. Or, best yet, make it a destination in itself.
