KURE, HIROSHIMA PREF. ¨C Seen from the top of Mount Noro, near the city of Kure in Hiroshima Prefecture, the islands of the Seto Inland Sea cram together as a winding labyrinth. Through the mist, a suspension bridge, linking one of the islands to the mainland, beckons the inquisitive traveler to the island realm.
It¡¯s the Akinada Bridge, the starting point for the Akinada Tobishima Kaido expressway, a network of seven bridges that spans seven islands. The 96-kilometer round trip can be followed by car, bike or on foot, from the Akinada Bridge down to Okamura Island, just to the north of Shikoku.
Although less well-known than the nearby Shimanami Kaido, the Tobishima route is gaining in popularity. ¡°It is becoming famous as a cycling course,¡± says Kenichi Yamamoto of Kure City¡¯s Tourism Promotion Division. ¡°Guest houses and cafes are also increasing.¡±
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