Onomichi-Imabari Ferry Route Revival Demonstration Project (2nd Phase)
- Aiming to revive the route as an essential part of tourism in the Setouchi and Shimanami regions.
The ferry routes that once connected Onomichi City and Imabari City were discontinued or had their services drastically reduced following the opening of the Shimanami Kaido in 1999.
However, in recent years, the Shimanami Kaido has become a "holy land for cyclists," attracting many tourists from both Japan and abroad, and there is a growing demand for new forms of transportation that include cycling, island hopping, and boat trips.
Against this backdrop, we have been conducting a pilot project since last year (2025) to revive the ferry route between Onomichi and Imabari.
Based on the results of last year's operations and feedback from those who used the service, we have reviewed the plan and will continue the pilot operation this year.
In this demonstration project, a ferry service will operate on weekends only in October and November 2026, connecting Onomichi City in Hiroshima Prefecture and Imabari City in Ehime Prefecture
The cruise uses a "cycle ship" that allows you to load your bicycle directly onto the ship,
making it ideal not only for cyclists but also for those who want to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Seto Inland Sea islands from the water, or those who want to travel around the islands.
Please take this opportunity to enjoy a unique Seto Inland Sea cruise and the charm of the Shimanami Kaido.
▶The release date and details of the Shimanami Cruising Pass will be announced at a later date.