Sunrise Itoyama — Local services in Imabari

Rented bicycles here to cycle to Onomichi in one day. There was no wait since it was Monday morning and even without a reservation we got our bicycles for the day quickly, which were in good enough condition to ride the 70kms. However, I would recommend bringing some kind of seat cushion to make the ride more enjoyable. Everyone was very friendly, the man who handed over the bicycles and instructed us on them even gave me a rubberband for my pant leg as it was quite wide and could get stuck in the gears, very considerate! My Japanese is still intermediate, but all the important information is also written down in English on the slip they give you, so if you're unsure about your comprehension abilities you don't have to worry.

We also used the one-day luggage shipping to Onomichi for 2200 yen a piece. You can drop off luggage between 8 to 10 am and pick it up at a hotel in Onomichi between 6 to 7 pm, even if you do not stay there!

We started the ride at 9:30 am and returned the bicycles in Onomichi at approximately 4:15pm, so it's definietly doable in one day even if you're not a...

This is the southern terminus of the 70 km bike ride that goes across the island chain to the north. If you arrive here early, for example at 8:00 a.m., you can get a bicycle fairly quickly and head on your way. The staff are professional, they've done this before, and they'll get you what you need. That being said, this company is not informative about how to catch a highway bus to get back to the start. Take a look in advance to figure out how you're going to return to pick up your car, if you came by car, because there are highway buses, but they could be a long distance from where you end. I would have expected the staff to have some information about this, but when I asked they told me to go to JR, which made no sense at all because I needed a bus...

What a lovely place!!! The view from the lobby is out of this world. Especially at night. The place has a slightly 70s/80s feel to it, and some of their facilities are a bit dated, but it makes it even more authentic and lovable. The staff, while their English is very poor, are super-lovely, and go out of their way to help you. The bike rental place is right next door, so you don't have to walk much to get ready for your island hopping trip. The restaurant has mostly Western food, which is actually quite decent, it was the first time in three weeks that I had Western food. (The breakfast was Japanese food. VERY GOOD.) Would love to return one day...