Michi-no-Eki Tatara Shimanami Park, Ehime

A roadside station on Omishima by the Tatara Bridge on the Shimanami Kaido. A cyclists' favourite for local seafood, citrus and island-dotted sea views.

The white towers of Tatara Bridge across calm sea, next to a cone-shaped green hill — Photo: そらみみ, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A rest stop at the foot of the Tatara Bridge

Tatara Shimanami Park is a michi-no-eki on Omishima island in Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture. A michi-no-eki (roadside station) is a nationally registered rest area on an ordinary road, with parking and toilets as well as shops selling local products and places to eat. This one has also been chosen by the national government as a Priority Roadside Station.

It sits roughly halfway along the Shimanami Kaido, the route that links Onomichi in Hiroshima Prefecture and Imabari in Ehime Prefecture by hopping across the islands. Right in front of it is the Tatara Bridge, which connects Ikuchijima island in Hiroshima Prefecture with Omishima in Ehime Prefecture.

The Tatara Bridge and the "Sanctuary of Cyclists"

The Tatara Bridge, opened in May 1999, is a cable-stayed bridge (one whose deck hangs from cables stretched diagonally from its towers), 1,480 m long in total. When it was completed it was the largest cable-stayed bridge in the world, and it is still the longest in Japan. It has a lane for cyclists and pedestrians, so you can ride across it.

The Shimanami Kaido is famous as a route you can cycle, and the park has a "Sanctuary of Cyclists" monument celebrating this. The Tatara Bridge is visible beyond the stone monument, and many people take photos here with their bikes.

At the foot of one of the bridge's towers is a spot called the Tatara Naki-ryu (Tatara Singing Dragon): clap your hands and the sound echoes back from inside the tower.

Seafood and island specialities

The facility has a local products centre, a restaurant with sea views and a farmers' market selling local produce and fish. The restaurant serves dishes made with local fish such as flounder and sea bream, and the products centre sells things like juice made from Ehime citrus.

In the seaside park you will find the Bell of Happiness, a gift from the Normandy region of France, and a lookout shaped like a samurai helmet. In spring the cherry trees planted in the park come into bloom.

Getting there and bike rental

By car, it is right by the Omishima Interchange on the Shimanami Kaido (Nishiseto Expressway). You can also get there by bus from Imabari.

The park has the Kamiura Rental Cycle Terminal, where you can hire a bike and ride the Shimanami Kaido. Entry to the park is free. Check the official website for the opening hours of the shops and restaurant.

Tips

The restaurant closes earlier than the shops. If you want a meal, stop by early.
If you plan to cross the Tatara Bridge by bike, the rental cycle terminal here is convenient. Check in advance where you can return the bike and under what conditions.
The "Sanctuary of Cyclists" monument is the place for a photo with the Tatara Bridge behind you. On a fine day the bridge's white towers and the blue sea stand out beautifully.