Day 8 – 17 October 2025, Friday

After a good night’s sleep on the futon, I woke up at 6:00am to a glorious sunrise. From my room, I had a splendid view of Kure Bay, with the glow of the rising sun spreading across the horizon. I could see the water rippling gently across the surface, accompanied by the soothing sound of waves. It was a magical way to start my day. If only there was someone to share the moment with.

I grabbed my toothbrush and toothpaste and headed to the onsen to wash up and have a morning soak. Today, the men’s bath is on the left and the women’s bath on the right, as they are being alternated daily. The men’s bath this morning is nicer than the one yesterday because it is at the corner, so the dressing room and indoor bath have additional glass panels with sweeping views of Kure Bay. There was absolutely no one at this hour so I took the opportunity to take some photos of the onsen so you can see how beautiful it is.

After the refreshing soak in both the indoor hot spring water and outdoor seawater pools, I went back to my room to pack up and relax before heading to the restaurant for breakfast at 7:25am, dressed in my yukata.

Once again, breakfast was a big meal with many small dishes, but thankfully, not as heavy as last night’s dinner. As I sat there eating, I was half-expecting more dishes to be served but luckily no more came, because I was already full from eating all the food on the table. I very seldom have rice for my first meal of the day, but it was good to have the extra carbohydrates to fuel me for today’s relatively long ride. Even though I was on a schedule, this was not a meal to be rushed. I wanted to enjoy the full ryokan experience so I savoured each bite slowly.

After breakfast, I suited up and reluctantly said goodbye to my room. I really enjoyed my stay at Kuroshio Honjin. It was expensive but everything was impeccable – the service, room, onsen, food and overall experience. It really showcased the best of Japanese hospitality.

As I could not bring my bicycle to my room, I had to spend some time at the lobby to affix my saddle bag and handlebar bag to my bicycle before I could start cycling. When everything was done, it was already 8:45am when I started my ride, later than I had hoped.

The itinerary for Day 8 of the Shikoku Challenge is to cycle 106.7km from Tosa-Kure to Nakamura. Along the way, there will be four checkpoints. The elevation gain is 981m, the second-most for the entire 11 days, so I am expecting a tough ride today.

It was a beautiful, sunny day with crisp, blue skies and streaky white clouds. The temperature was a cool 23 degrees C but I was already covered in sweat after 15 minutes because the climb started immediately from the get-go. It was brutal as it was up, up and up with no respite. But I relished it because this was what I came for. It’s not called the Shikoku Challenge for nothing. It has to be somewhat challenging. As I cycled, I kept my mind focused on the task, reminding myself that every step on the pedal brings me a little closer to my destination. It’s really a mental exercise as much as a physical one.

When you have a long climb and you don’t know much longer the climb will last, the best strategy is to take short, 2-minute breaks every now and then in the shade to catch your breath and rest. You will feel more energised and be able to cycle at a faster pace when you continue again. It is more productive than to slog the entire distance without stopping because it will wear you out quickly, and you’ll be cycling much slower as a result.

The higher I got, the better the views were. I could see the sea in the distance beyond the hills so I figured I must be pretty high up now. Finally, after about 50 minutes of climbing, I reached Nanako Pass, the highest point of the hill at an elevation of 294m. According to my Strava, the elevation gain was about 283m over a distance of 6.4km. I bought a can of cold milk coffee from the vending machine and patted myself on the back for a job well done.

As the saying goes, “What goes up must come down”, so from Nanako Pass onwards, it was downhill all the way. After putting in the hard work, it was time to reap the rewards. Cruising downhill was super shiok as there were barely any cars so I practically had the whole road to myself. The scenery was amazing as I passed through valleys with padi fields and other crops. It was really a joy to cycle here.

At 10:15am, I reached the first checkpoint of the day, Aguri Kubokawa roadside station. I had covered about 18km thus far but there was still a long way to go so I didn’t linger for too long.

About 20 minutes after leaving Aguri Kubokawa roadside station, I caught sight of the first submersible bridge at an area called Wakai. My friend FA told me that I will encounter many submersible bridges across the Shimanto River along today’s route, and he highly encouraged me to cycle across one of them for the unique experience.

These submersible bridges are called Chinkabashi and they are designed without side rails to reduce the risk of the bridge being washed away during floods. As its name implies, the bridge can get submerged during periods of high water volume. On this day, the water in the Shimanto River was low so there was no risk of Wakai Chinkabashi being submerged.

The bridge was made of concrete and sturdy, about 70 metres long. It was a little thrilling to cycle across the bridge because it wasn’t very wide – only about 2 metres, just about wide enough for a small vehicle to drive across. The water in the Shimanto River was extremely clear and I was very tempted to jump in for a swim on this gorgeous day. Instead, I set up my selfie stick/stand for a shot to capture this special moment.

The rest of the day’s route was along the Shimanto River, following the gentle decline of the terrain as the river snaked its way towards the sea. As such, the scenery was beautiful as I cycled through valleys covered with lush greenery while being accompanied by the constant sound of the flowing water. The inland route offered something different from the previous days, which were largely coastal, so it was nice to have a change of scenery today.

However, it was getting hot as the temperature hit 26 degrees C approaching noon time and the wispy clouds had mostly disappeared, leaving almost perfectly blue skies. Large sections of the route didn’t have trees so I was getting roasted from the lack of shade.

Just before noon, I saw an interesting house by the side of the road so I stopped to check it out. Upon closer inspection, I discovered it was an antique store called Kan Kan. Various vintage items like tableware, lamps, posters, clocks and other curios were openly displayed. I wouldn’t have minded a coffee here but the house appeared deserted. When I was about to leave, a man emerged from an adjacent room but he didn’t seem very friendly or welcoming so I decided to carry on my way.

I arrived at Shimanto Taisho roadside station at 12:07pm, about 44km into the ride. After collecting my stamp, I bought a bottle of cold green tea and a box of mocha for my midday snack break. I met a group of Australian cyclists resting here. They were part of an organised tour group and had local guides and van support.

After cycling solo for 8 days, I must admit I felt a tiny pang of loneliness at that moment when I saw the Australian group. It would have been nice to have companions to talk to and laugh together with. I recalled the fun times cycling with my kakis in Taiwan, Okinawa, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. I love the camaraderie and being part of a group activity with a shared objective.

However, I also enjoy the freedom and empowerment of cycling solo. For my first attempt at the Shikoku Challenge, I wanted to accomplish it alone because I know the experience and satisfaction I will derive is very different from doing it as a group. This was a goal I set for myself and I have no regrets. If I ever have the opportunity to do the Shikoku Challenge again in the future, I will love to have my friends join me. But for this first time, I was determined to do it alone.

I resumed cycling at 12:35pm. The scenery was largely the same, with more river, valleys and bridges. Some stretches of the road had trees lining the side and the shade provided much welcome relief from the afternoon sun.

At 1:15pm, it was getting very hot and I was feeling hungry so I searched for a place to have lunch. I found a random restaurant on Google Maps and turned in to find a cute wooden house with pots of colourful flowers at its doorstep. There was only one other customer inside, and the lady owner/chef was enjoying her TV programme.

I settled for something simple – a plate of Yakisoba for 700 yen (S$6.10). It was a fuss-free meal but the noodles were delicious. I was craving for a can of ice-cold Coca Cola but sadly, they didn’t have it. Nevertheless, free iced water was available. I love that every restaurant in Japan serves ice water for free, and it’s not just one glass but a flask so you can refill it multiple times. Unlike in Singapore, restaurants are so stingy with their tap water because they want you to pay for drinks.

After the quick lunch, I resumed cycling at 1:50pm. With food in my belly, I was energised and able to pick up the pace. 20 minutes later, I reached the third checkpoint, Shimanto Towa roadside station. I hastily collected my stamp and continued cycling.

The riverside scenery was beautiful but I would have appreciated it even more if it wasn’t so hot. But anyway, the scenery today is definitely much better than yesterday’s inland bay route accompanied by cloudy skies, which dampened it even more. I guess you can’t have it perfect every time – where the scenery and weather are both good. And seriously, I’m happy as long as it is not raining.

I arrived at the fourth and final checkpoint at Yotte Nishitosa roadside station just before 3:00pm. This roadside station is a little more upmarket, with a fancy retail shop and food counters. I managed to get my Coca Cola here, which was a great morale booster. I had covered 71km thus far, with more than 30km to go. Will I be able to make it to Nakamura by 6:00pm?

Shortly after leaving the roadside station, I rode into a tunnel. It turned out to be the longest tunnel so far, with a total length of 1,920 metres. It was pretty chilly inside the tunnel, a welcome respite from the heat.

Not far away from the exit of the tunnel was Iwama Chinkabashi, built in 1966. Out of all the submersible bridges, this is the one that is featured in most TV commercials and postcards promoting Kochi and the Shimanto River. I saw several tourists walking across the bridge and a car at the end of the bridge.

From here on, it became very pleasant to cycle because the sun was gradually setting and the temperature lowered correspondingly. The two-hour period from 3:30pm to 5:30pm is my favourite time to cycle because it is much cooler and the light is much softer. The spectacular mountain scenery and lack of cars made it even better.

When I reached Nishitosanakaba at 3:45pm, the road narrowed to essentially one-lane wide, hugging the vertical rock cliff. I imagine landslides or rock falls can occur here. If there are cars approaching from opposite directions, they will have to find a way to squeeze though the tightest corners. I later saw that a tunnel was being constructed through the hill. When completed, it will provide much safer access through this area.

For the last 15km, I cycled as quickly as I could without stopping as I wanted to make it to Nakamura before sunset. It felt like it had been a long day and I was getting tired. I think the big climb at the start really took a lot out of me and I was feeling the effects now. I was still enjoying myself but at this point, I was satisfied with the day’s ride and ready to check in to my hotel room, take a shower and rest.

I arrived at my accommodation, Hotel Crown Hills Nakamura, at 5:18pm, earlier than expected. I had made it there before sunset, mission accomplished! My Strava showed that I cycled a total distance of 105.5km today, with an elevation gain of 804m. And Strava confirmed that the morning climb was my biggest climb ever. Good effort today!

Hotel Crown Hills Nakamura is a no-frills, 3-star hotel. After the extravagance of yesterday’s ryokan, I had to balance it out with a more modest accommodation today. Anyway, Nakamura is a very small rural town so hotel options are quite limited. I chose Crown Hills because it has an onsen.

Once again, I was not allowed to bring my bicycle to my room so I spent a few minutes stripping my bike of the bags and gear before I checked in to get my room key. As I booked directly with the hotel, I was entitled to an exclusive perk – a free bottle of mineral water or energy drink. I chose the latter.

The hotel’s lift was tiny (that’s why I wasn’t allowed to bring my bike to the room, because it wouldn’t have been able to fit into the lift anyway!) and the room was very basic. But it’s ok because it’s only for one night. I went through the usual SOP and took a good shower before heading out for dinner at 6:50pm.

It was dark outside and the temperature was a pleasant 24 degrees C. There wasn’t much to see in Nakamura and restaurant options were also limited. I shortlisted a few eateries on Google Maps but was lazy to walk too far so I settled for a yakitori joint called Hakkenden Shimanto. It turned out to be an excellent choice.

The restaurant was quite big and business was good, a sign that it should be pretty decent. I ordered a plate of assorted yakitori, asparagus with bacon, gyoza, a side dish of lettuce and a mug of Kirin beer. The total bill was 2,508 yen (S$21.82).

I loved the lettuce because it was so fresh, sweet and crunchy. It paired perfectly with the garlic soya sauce dip, and it was a good counterbalance to the oily and grilled yakitori. The grilled meats were all wonderful as well. And washing it all down with cold beer was simply heavenly. It was a good dinner.

After that, I walked to FamilyMart to buy some snacks (a custard éclair, my favourite custard cream puff and Meiji fresh milk) before going back to the hotel. Hotel Crown Hills offers Happy Hour every night from 7:00pm to 9:00pm, where guests can enjoy free alcoholic drinks and curry rice at the restaurant. I got myself a drink and munched on crackers before heading to the onsen.

Unlike Kuroshio Honjin, there is only one bath at Hotel Crown Hills, and the facility is used by men and women on an alternating basis. In the morning from 6:00am to 9:00am, the bath is reserved for men-only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; women-only on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. In the evening each day, the bath is reserved for women-only from 6:00pm to 8:15pm; men-only from 8:30pm to 11:00pm. Hence, the only chance for me to use the bath is tonight (Friday) from 8:30pm to 11:00pm because it will be reserved for women tomorrow (Saturday) morning.

The bath was quite basic, with four washing stations and a small rectangular pool. Nevertheless, it did its job. Nothing beats soaking in a hot pool at the end of a tough day of riding. Day 8 of the Shikoku Challenge completed, only three more days to go. Boo hoo!