Imabari

Imabari is a port and industrial city on the north coast of Shikoku, in Ehime Prefecture, best known across Japan for two exports: towels and ships. For travelers it matters as the Shikoku end of the Shimanami Kaido, the bridge-linked cycling route across the Seto Inland Sea.

The Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge, a triple suspension span across swirling straits, gives the route its grand finale, and riders roll off it straight into town. Imabari Castle draws sea water into its moat, a rarity among Japanese castles, and towel factory shops sell the city's prized soft weave at the source.

Order the local yakitori, pressed flat on a griddle rather than skewered, and watch the strait's tidal currents from the bridge viewpoints. Trains connect Imabari with Matsuyama and the rest of Ehime, while cyclists usually spend a night before or after the crossing. Sea bream from the straits headlines menus.