Length of Japan: Yamato

This morning, woke up early to see Eileen and Mom off. They left at around 6am in a taxi headed for JR Hiroshima station where they`ll take a train to Fukuoka airport for the flight back to Singapore.

After a quick breakfast, I set off for the port city of Kure, birthplace of Yamato, the largest warship every built. When I reached there, the Yamato Museum was not opened yet, so I had time for a second breakfast and to take some pictures of the port of Kure.

Kure Port - Where Yamato was Harbored

Below is a picture of a small park that was built next to the musuem. It is modeled after the fore deck of Yamato and is the exact same size as the front quarter of the ship itself.

This giant submarine model did not belong to the Yamato Museum but rather to the Japan Self Defence Force Museum next door

Entrance to the Yamato Museum

The museum contained models and specifications of every single warship built in the docks of the Kure Shipyards. It also had a detailed history of the port of Kure and its importance in Japanese naval history. Today, Kure is still an important port and shipbuilding facility, but its expertise is focused on the construction of commercial ocean liners and supertankers.

1:50 scale model of Yamato

After leaving the museum, I headed for my destination for the day, Onomichi City. Onomichi is the starting point of the Shimanami Kaido, a series of bridges that connects 7 islands in the Seto Inland Sea - culminating in Imabari City on Shikoku Island. This island hopping highway is one of the highlights of my trip!

Along the way to Onomichi, I was fortunate to be accompanied by great views of the Seto Inland Sea. Below you see a portion of the Inland Sea which is called the Sea of Eden. Its a really beautiful spot with the sun`s rays reflecting of the clear, green water.

My bike and me and the Sea of Eden

I reached Onomichi City in the early evening and stayed at Onomichi Royal Hotel. There wasn`t much to see in the city itself anyway so I turned in early to prepare myself for a long but scenic ride tomorrow!