{"id":37752,"date":"2021-02-07T17:22:23","date_gmt":"2021-02-07T08:22:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/?p=37752"},"modified":"2021-02-01T23:06:54","modified_gmt":"2021-02-01T14:06:54","slug":"bike-packing-weekend-imojizo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/","title":{"rendered":"Bike Packing Weekend<br>Follow the Imo-Jizo<br>Back to Omishima Island"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LLpIvOM7Acw?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>To the island-hopping Mecca for cyclists<\/strong><br><br>In the premodern Edo period, a Buddhist priest introduced the Satsuma (Kagoshima) Domain\u2019s specialty <em>satsuma-imo<\/em> (sweet potato) to the islands of the Seto Inland Sea and saved the residents from the Kyoho famine of the early 1730s. The priest was Asami Kichijuro, and he came to be venerated as the Imo-Jizo (\u201cpotato bodhisattva\u201d) of Omishima Island. Inspired by the story of the Imo-Jizo who risked the death penalty to smuggle out sweet potatoes, in 2014, our editor in chief Lucas B.B. planned a trip to return the potatoes, on behalf of the Imo-Jizo, from Omishima Island to Kagoshima Prefecture. We departed Kounji Temple, which worships the Imo-Jizo on Omishima Island, traveled by boat to Oita Prefecture, and from there took a 300-kilometer journey on foot from Usuki City in Oita to Ijuin in Kagoshima, where Kichijuro originally received the seed potatoes. Seven years on, the five potatoes that we returned to Ijuin multiplied into one ton thanks to local farmers, and then they were transformed into a shochu labeled IMO-JIZO at the hands of a local distillery. Late last year, Lucas rode his bike from Kagoshima to Omishima Island carrying bottles of shochu as an offering for the Imo-Jizo. As he pedaled through Ehime Prefecture, a thought occurred to him. How about if we french fried the sweet potatoes grown in Ehime and paired it with this shochu? And that settled our goal for this trip: Follow the Imo-Jizo around the theme of shochu and french fried sweet potatoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3272-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37758\" srcset=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3272-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3272-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3272-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3272-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3272-1366x2048.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3272-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We invited Masashi Hiraiso, owner of the bicycle and car shop Groove, in Matsuyama City, to be our guest. He was our guide to Imabari City, the starting point of the Nishiseto Expressway, aka the Shimanami Kaido. Being a hill climb buff, Mr. Hiraiso suggested that we cross the mountain along National Route 317 instead of taking the route along the coast. Despite the ride being a gentle climb up to the Mizugatoge Tunnel, and the narrow road shoulders in some areas meant we needed to be careful of car traffic, there were highlights along the way like Lake Tamagawako and Nibukawa Onsen. We breathed a sigh of relief as a nostalgic satoyama landscape came into view on the approach to the hot spring resort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3118-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3118-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3118-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3118-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3118-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3118-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3003-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37760\" srcset=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3003-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3003-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3003-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3003.jpg 1378w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In Imabari, we visited two centers of the local cycling scene. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sunrise-itoyama.jp\/archives\/english\/welcome-to-the-sunrise-itoyama-2\/\">Sunrise Itoyama<\/a>, the hub of Shimanami Kaido cycle tourism on the Shikoku side, reopened following renovation and provides bicycle rental services including e-bikes. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/www.cyclonoie.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Cyclonoie<\/a>, the favorite guesthouse of cyclists, is run by Kazunari Utsunomiya, a \u201cpottering\u201d guide who takes visitors \u201cputtering around\u201d on aimless, pleasant rides. Having traveled around the world on a tandem bicycle with his wife and fellow bike aficionado, Tomoko, Mr. Utsunomiya is an icon of the local bicycle culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3181-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37766\" srcset=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3181-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3181-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3181-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3181.jpg 1378w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCycling across vast continental expanses makes me recognize that each road connects with the next into infinity. And yet the people that pop in and out of view along the road\u2014their language, diet, and character\u2014keep changing like mosaic art. Traveling by bicycle is like connecting the world with a single line. Maybe that\u2019s why I find it fascinating.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Right now, Mr. Utsunomiya is working to promote cycle tourism and sharing his fascination with bicycle journeys here in the Shimanami Kaido.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3222-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37762\" srcset=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3222-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3222-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3222-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3222.jpg 1378w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Over the bridges reaching up to the heavens<\/strong><br><br>At last, we were ready to depart Imabari and cycle along the Shimanami Kaido. The 70-kilometer-long expressway connects Imabari in Ehime with Onomichi in Hiroshima via seven major bridges. On this trip, we opted to pedal 30 kilometers to Omishima Island and focus on exploring the island highlights. The Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge, comprising three continuous suspension bridges stretching a total 4.1 kilometers between Imabari and Oshima Island, commanded a picturesque view of the Seto Inland Sea. The waters shimmered a majestic cobalt blue, and the tidal currents of the Kurushima Strait, known as one of the three fastest in Japan, seemed somewhat gentle on this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3502-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37776\" srcset=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3502-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3502-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3502-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3502-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3502-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We stopped at the Kirosan Observatory Park on Oshima Island, passed through Hakata Island, and arrived in Omishima Island in about three hours. The largest island of Ehime Prefecture, with a circumference of about 45 kilometers, Omishima Island is the well-known home of Kounji Temple, which worships the Imo-Jizo, and Oyamazumi Shrine, dedicated to the god of the mountain, the sea, and warfare. Also dotted with unique spots like Omishima Brewery, Shimanami Kaido\u2019s first craft beer producer, and Daishin, a restaurant that traps wild boar considered a pest by farmers and serves the game meat, it\u2019s worth spending a full day on Omishima Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3565-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37764\" srcset=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3565-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3565-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3565-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3565.jpg 1378w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At our destination of Kounji Temple, we met with Toshiaki Asami&nbsp; who chairs the Society for Preservation of Imo-Jizo Historic Sites. He guided us through the temple grounds to the statue of the Imo-Jizo, where we offered a prayer along with our \u201ccollaborative\u201d shochu IMO-JIZO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We spent the night at <a href=\"https:\/\/wakka.site\/hotel\/\">Wakka<\/a>, boasting a spectacular view of the Seto Inland Sea and Tatara Bridge. In addition to lodgings, it arranges water taxi services and Seto Inland Sea cruises for cyclists, offers activities like standup paddleboarding tours, and otherwise coordinates nature and leisure experiences on Omishima Island. Here, we settled into a cottage, opened a bottle of IMO-JIZO, french fried sweet potatoes grown by Hiroya Matsuoka, a farmer of the Seto Satsuma-imo Club in Ikata Town, and celebrated our arrival in Omishima Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3630-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37770\" srcset=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3630-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3630-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3630-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3630-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3630-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"last\">That night, we sat gazing at the waters and Mr. Hiraiso said with a tinge of melancholy, \u201cAll of this is impressive, the view of the Seto Inland Sea and the bridges linking the islands. But at the end of the day, it\u2019s those once-in-a-lifetime encounters. The best part of traveling by bike is meeting people.\u201d Mr. Utsunomiya, the guesthouse owner in Imabari. Mr. Matsuoka, the sweet potato farmer, and all the other residents of Omishima Island. Remembering the many encounters we had thanks to IMO-JIZO and this bikepacking trip, we sat there for a long time listening to the music of the gently lapping waves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3702001-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-37948\" srcset=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3702001-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3702001-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3702001-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3702001-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/ATY_3702001.jpg 1754w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Seven years ago, the Sky Walkers \u2013 a group of hikers dedicated to discovering Japan\u2019s \u2018Old Japanese Highways\u2019. took a journey across Kyushu on foot inspired by the true tale of the Imo-Jizo. Last year two of the Sky Walkers (Lucas B.B. and Ryoko Kuraishi) decided to once again cross Kyushu but this time instead of carrying Imo Jizo\u2019s potatoes the mission was to carry shochu that had been laboriously made from the potatoes carried in the first journey. And now for our third Imo-Jizo adventure we have decided to do a PAPERSKY-style bike packing weekend tour along the Shimanami Kaido and to create some Imo-Jizo original French fries in the process. From Matsuyama via Imabari to Omishima Island, where the Imo-Jizo in all his goodness awaits, we pedaled through the mountain and across the water with a local triathlete, meeting amazing cyclists, admiring the Seto Inland Sea, and smacking our lips over the local food along the way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":37757,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[119,118],"tags":[31,32,2068,34,2074,1429,2077,2075,2076,2073,2072],"place":[207],"writer":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-37752","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-local-guides-en","8":"category-hike-and-bike-en","9":"tag-bike-packing-2","10":"tag-bike-packing-weekend-2","11":"tag-bike-packing-weekend-en","12":"tag-cycling-2","13":"tag-ehime-2","14":"tag-imabari","15":"tag-imo-jizo","16":"tag-matuyama","17":"tag-omishima","18":"tag--en","20":"place-ehime-en"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Bike Packing WeekendFollow the Imo-JizoBack to Omishima Island - PAPERSKY<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Seven years ago, the Sky Walkers \u2013 a group of hikers dedicated to discovering Japan\u2019s \u2018Old Japanese Highways\u2019. took a journey across Kyushu on foot inspired by the true tale of the Imo-Jizo. Last year two of the Sky Walkers (Lucas B.B. and Ryoko Kuraishi) decided to once again cross Kyushu but this time instead of carrying Imo Jizo\u2019s potatoes the mission was to carry shochu that had been laboriously made from the potatoes carried in the first journey. And now for our third Imo-Jizo adventure we have decided to do a PAPERSKY-style bike packing weekend tour along the Shimanami Kaido and to create some Imo-Jizo original French fries in the process. From Matsuyama via Imabari to Omishima Island, where the Imo-Jizo in all his goodness awaits, we pedaled through the mountain and across the water with a local triathlete, meeting amazing cyclists, admiring the Seto Inland Sea, and smacking our lips over the local food along the way.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Bike Packing WeekendFollow the Imo-JizoBack to Omishima Island - PAPERSKY\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Seven years ago, the Sky Walkers \u2013 a group of hikers dedicated to discovering Japan\u2019s \u2018Old Japanese Highways\u2019. took a journey across Kyushu on foot inspired by the true tale of the Imo-Jizo. Last year two of the Sky Walkers (Lucas B.B. and Ryoko Kuraishi) decided to once again cross Kyushu but this time instead of carrying Imo Jizo\u2019s potatoes the mission was to carry shochu that had been laboriously made from the potatoes carried in the first journey. And now for our third Imo-Jizo adventure we have decided to do a PAPERSKY-style bike packing weekend tour along the Shimanami Kaido and to create some Imo-Jizo original French fries in the process. From Matsuyama via Imabari to Omishima Island, where the Imo-Jizo in all his goodness awaits, we pedaled through the mountain and across the water with a local triathlete, meeting amazing cyclists, admiring the Seto Inland Sea, and smacking our lips over the local food along the way.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"PAPERSKY\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/papersky\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-02-07T08:22:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/DJI_0961-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1706\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Akira\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@paperskyonline\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@paperskyonline\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Akira\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Akira\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/7f7d2856215ca469e9a7515ab0df97fe\"},\"headline\":\"Bike Packing Weekend Follow the Imo-Jizo Back to Omishima Island\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-02-07T08:22:23+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/\"},\"wordCount\":1018,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/DJI_0961-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"bike packing\",\"bike packing weekend\",\"bike packing weekend\",\"cycling\",\"ehime\",\"imabari\",\"imo-jizo\",\"matuyama\",\"omishima\",\"\u5927\u4e09\u5cf6\",\"\u677e\u5c71\"],\"articleSection\":[\"LOCAL GUIDES\",\"HIKE &amp; BIKE\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/\",\"name\":\"Bike Packing Weekend Follow the Imo-Jizo Back to Omishima Island - PAPERSKY\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/DJI_0961-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-02-07T08:22:23+00:00\",\"description\":\"Seven years ago, the Sky Walkers \u2013 a group of hikers dedicated to discovering Japan\u2019s \u2018Old Japanese Highways\u2019. took a journey across Kyushu on foot inspired by the true tale of the Imo-Jizo. Last year two of the Sky Walkers (Lucas B.B. and Ryoko Kuraishi) decided to once again cross Kyushu but this time instead of carrying Imo Jizo\u2019s potatoes the mission was to carry shochu that had been laboriously made from the potatoes carried in the first journey. And now for our third Imo-Jizo adventure we have decided to do a PAPERSKY-style bike packing weekend tour along the Shimanami Kaido and to create some Imo-Jizo original French fries in the process. From Matsuyama via Imabari to Omishima Island, where the Imo-Jizo in all his goodness awaits, we pedaled through the mountain and across the water with a local triathlete, meeting amazing cyclists, admiring the Seto Inland Sea, and smacking our lips over the local food along the way.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/DJI_0961-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/DJI_0961-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1706},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Bike Packing WeekendFollow the Imo-JizoBack to Omishima Island\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/\",\"name\":\"PAPERSKY\",\"description\":\"A DIFFERENT WAY TO TRAVEL\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/#organization\",\"name\":\"PAPERSKY\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/JapanStories_logo_small.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/JapanStories_logo_small.jpg\",\"width\":2518,\"height\":960,\"caption\":\"PAPERSKY\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/papersky\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/paperskyonline\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/papersky_store\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/KneeHighMediaJapan\/playlists\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/7f7d2856215ca469e9a7515ab0df97fe\",\"name\":\"Akira\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0aef751bbb54d5643dde10435ffa10c19ea8275f4e7d4e377f907fbeacd600cf?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0aef751bbb54d5643dde10435ffa10c19ea8275f4e7d4e377f907fbeacd600cf?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0aef751bbb54d5643dde10435ffa10c19ea8275f4e7d4e377f907fbeacd600cf?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Akira\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/author\/akira\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Bike Packing WeekendFollow the Imo-JizoBack to Omishima Island - PAPERSKY","description":"Seven years ago, the Sky Walkers \u2013 a group of hikers dedicated to discovering Japan\u2019s \u2018Old Japanese Highways\u2019. took a journey across Kyushu on foot inspired by the true tale of the Imo-Jizo. Last year two of the Sky Walkers (Lucas B.B. and Ryoko Kuraishi) decided to once again cross Kyushu but this time instead of carrying Imo Jizo\u2019s potatoes the mission was to carry shochu that had been laboriously made from the potatoes carried in the first journey. And now for our third Imo-Jizo adventure we have decided to do a PAPERSKY-style bike packing weekend tour along the Shimanami Kaido and to create some Imo-Jizo original French fries in the process. From Matsuyama via Imabari to Omishima Island, where the Imo-Jizo in all his goodness awaits, we pedaled through the mountain and across the water with a local triathlete, meeting amazing cyclists, admiring the Seto Inland Sea, and smacking our lips over the local food along the way.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Bike Packing WeekendFollow the Imo-JizoBack to Omishima Island - PAPERSKY","og_description":"Seven years ago, the Sky Walkers \u2013 a group of hikers dedicated to discovering Japan\u2019s \u2018Old Japanese Highways\u2019. took a journey across Kyushu on foot inspired by the true tale of the Imo-Jizo. Last year two of the Sky Walkers (Lucas B.B. and Ryoko Kuraishi) decided to once again cross Kyushu but this time instead of carrying Imo Jizo\u2019s potatoes the mission was to carry shochu that had been laboriously made from the potatoes carried in the first journey. And now for our third Imo-Jizo adventure we have decided to do a PAPERSKY-style bike packing weekend tour along the Shimanami Kaido and to create some Imo-Jizo original French fries in the process. From Matsuyama via Imabari to Omishima Island, where the Imo-Jizo in all his goodness awaits, we pedaled through the mountain and across the water with a local triathlete, meeting amazing cyclists, admiring the Seto Inland Sea, and smacking our lips over the local food along the way.","og_url":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/","og_site_name":"PAPERSKY","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/papersky","article_published_time":"2021-02-07T08:22:23+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1706,"url":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/DJI_0961-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Akira","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@paperskyonline","twitter_site":"@paperskyonline","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Akira","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/"},"author":{"name":"Akira","@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/7f7d2856215ca469e9a7515ab0df97fe"},"headline":"Bike Packing Weekend Follow the Imo-Jizo Back to Omishima Island","datePublished":"2021-02-07T08:22:23+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/"},"wordCount":1018,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/DJI_0961-scaled.jpg","keywords":["bike packing","bike packing weekend","bike packing weekend","cycling","ehime","imabari","imo-jizo","matuyama","omishima","\u5927\u4e09\u5cf6","\u677e\u5c71"],"articleSection":["LOCAL GUIDES","HIKE &amp; BIKE"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/","url":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/","name":"Bike Packing Weekend Follow the Imo-Jizo Back to Omishima Island - PAPERSKY","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/DJI_0961-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2021-02-07T08:22:23+00:00","description":"Seven years ago, the Sky Walkers \u2013 a group of hikers dedicated to discovering Japan\u2019s \u2018Old Japanese Highways\u2019. took a journey across Kyushu on foot inspired by the true tale of the Imo-Jizo. Last year two of the Sky Walkers (Lucas B.B. and Ryoko Kuraishi) decided to once again cross Kyushu but this time instead of carrying Imo Jizo\u2019s potatoes the mission was to carry shochu that had been laboriously made from the potatoes carried in the first journey. And now for our third Imo-Jizo adventure we have decided to do a PAPERSKY-style bike packing weekend tour along the Shimanami Kaido and to create some Imo-Jizo original French fries in the process. From Matsuyama via Imabari to Omishima Island, where the Imo-Jizo in all his goodness awaits, we pedaled through the mountain and across the water with a local triathlete, meeting amazing cyclists, admiring the Seto Inland Sea, and smacking our lips over the local food along the way.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/DJI_0961-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/DJI_0961-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1706},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/bike-packing-weekend-imojizo\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Bike Packing WeekendFollow the Imo-JizoBack to Omishima Island"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/","name":"PAPERSKY","description":"A DIFFERENT WAY TO TRAVEL","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/#organization","name":"PAPERSKY","url":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/JapanStories_logo_small.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/JapanStories_logo_small.jpg","width":2518,"height":960,"caption":"PAPERSKY"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/papersky","https:\/\/x.com\/paperskyonline","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/papersky_store\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/KneeHighMediaJapan\/playlists"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/7f7d2856215ca469e9a7515ab0df97fe","name":"Akira","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0aef751bbb54d5643dde10435ffa10c19ea8275f4e7d4e377f907fbeacd600cf?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0aef751bbb54d5643dde10435ffa10c19ea8275f4e7d4e377f907fbeacd600cf?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0aef751bbb54d5643dde10435ffa10c19ea8275f4e7d4e377f907fbeacd600cf?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Akira"},"url":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/author\/akira\/"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/DJI_0961-scaled.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37752","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37752"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37752\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37752"},{"taxonomy":"place","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/place?post=37752"},{"taxonomy":"writer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/papersky.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/writer?post=37752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}