Driving the Shimanami Kaido: From Innoshima Island to Tatara Bridge

This route follows the Shimanami Kaido southward by car. On Innoshima Island, you will visit Innoshima Suigun Castle, associated with the Murakami Suigun, and Mt. Shirataki. Crossing over to Ikuchijima Island, you will see Kosanji Temple before heading to Tatara Bridge, which spans the border between Hiroshima and Ehime Prefectures.

History and Local Charm

From the Nanboku-cho period through the Sengoku period, the Murakami Suigun seafaring warriors were active in the Seto Inland Sea. The Murakami Suigun was divided into three families: Innoshima, Noshima, and Kurushima. Among them, the Innoshima Murakami clan was the family that controlled the coastal shipping routes on the Hiroshima Prefecture side. The story of the Murakami Kaizoku was designated as a Japan Heritage in 2016. On Mt. Shirataki of Innoshima Island, it is said that Murakami Yoshimitsu, who established his main castle in Aoki, built a Kannon-do hall on the mountain peak.

Today, the islands are connected by the bridges of the Shimanami Kaido. Tatara Bridge, connecting Ikuchijima Island and Omishima Island, is a cable-stayed bridge opened in 1999 (Heisei 11); at the time of its completion, it was the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. From Innoshima Island with its surviving suigun history, to the temple on Ikuchijima Island built in the Showa period, and to the massive bridge constructed in the Heisei period, you can encounter different eras on each island.

Key Highlights

• ​Innoshima Suigun Castle​​: Built in 1983 on a hill in Innoshima Nakanosho under the supervision of historian Naramoto Tatsuya, this is a museum shaped like a castle. The honmaru (main bailey) serves as the Suigun Historical Museum, the ninomaru (second bailey) as an exhibition hall, and the sumiyagura (corner turret) as an observation platform. Through armor and ancient documents passed down in the Murakami family, as well as an Important Art Object known as the Otounomiya Ryoji (Prince Otounomiya's decree), visitors can connect with the history of the Innoshima Murakami clan.
• ​Mt. Shirataki​​: A mountain with an elevation of 226.9 meters located in the northern part of Innoshima Island. A Kannon-do hall stands at the summit, and along the path from the approach to the peak stand stone Buddhas known as the "Five Hundred Arhats" (Gohyaku Rakan), numbering approximately 700 in reality. It is said that the stone Buddhas were completed around 1830. From the summit, you can overlook Innoshima Bridge and islands of various sizes floating in the Seto Inland Sea.
• ​Kosanji Temple​​: A temple belonging to the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha sect, built by the businessman Kosanji Kozo to express gratitude and filial devotion to his mother, also referred to as "Mother's Temple." Modeled after classic historic Japanese architecture, 15 of its hall structures are Registered Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan, and the entire temple grounds are open to the public as the Kosanji Museum. On the uppermost tier lies the "Hill of Hope (Miraishin-no-Oka)," a garden made of white marble.
• ​Tatara Bridge​​: A cable-stayed bridge with an overall length of 1,480 meters and a center span of 890 meters. The top of the main towers rises 226 meters above sea level, making it the tallest among the bridges on the Shimanami Kaido. Directly below the main tower, clapping your hands produces an echo reflecting upward into the sky known as "nakiryu" (roaring dragon), an experience unique to this bridge along the Shimanami Kaido.

Recommended Itinerary and Travel Time

The estimated time required is approximately 7 hours. Innoshima Suigun Castle is about a 5-minute drive from the Shimanami Kaido's Innoshima-Kita Interchange, and parking is available. After viewing the castle, head about 2 kilometers north-northwest to Mt. Shirataki. From Innoshima-Kita Interchange, it takes about 10 minutes by car to the parking lot at the mountain's eighth station, from which it is about a 10-minute walk to the summit. As you will be walking on mountain paths, please wear comfortable walking shoes.

From Mt. Shirataki, cross over to Ikuchijima Island via the Shimanami Kaido and proceed approximately 7.7 kilometers southwest to Kosanji Temple. Kosanji Temple has parking facilities. The grounds are divided into three levels—lower, middle, and upper; ascending sequentially from the bottom will eventually lead you to the Hill of Hope (Miraishin-no-Oka).

Finally, travel approximately 5.4 kilometers south-southwest from Kosanji Temple to Tatara Bridge. Just driving across the bridge by car will not allow you to experience the nakiryu echo. Walk out onto the bridge either from Setoda Parking Area (downbound) on the Shimanami Kaido or from the roadside station Tatara Shimanami Park near Omishima Interchange. Located on the Omishima Island side, Tatara Shimanami Park is regarded as the premier spot for viewing Tatara Bridge. After admiring the bridge, return toward Onomichi via the Shimanami Kaido.

Experience Summary

A castle conveying the history of the Murakami Suigun, a scenic mountain lined with stone Buddhas, a temple born from maternal devotion, and a magnificent bridge spanning the prefectural border. Take a full day to savor the distinctive character of each island while driving along the Shimanami Kaido.