Synopsis

The seventy-kilometer Shimanami Kaido, a ribbon of road connecting Honshu and Shikoku across a series of bridges and islands, draws cyclists from all over Japan—and beyond. During our journey along this route, we encountered a father and son who made the pilgrimage annually, a farmer recapturing the freedom of his youth on two wheels, and a middle-aged couple cherishing newfound time together. What makes this path so compelling? For three days, we spoke with cyclists undertaking the Shimanami Ka