Shimanto
四万十市32°59′ N 132°56′ ECityPop. 32,551Shikoku
Shimanto suits riders who want flat river roads and bridges with no railings, and getting there takes a while: the train from Kochi to Nakamura runs close to two hours.
Road closure
Repairs close the Sada Tunnel on weekdays on the drive to the Sada sinking bridge
Repair work shuts the Sada Tunnel completely from 8:30 to 17:00 between 19 October and 19 November 2026, and this is the tunnel you drive through to reach the Sada Chinkabashi. From 19 November to 10 December it runs one lane at a time during the same hours. No work is planned on Saturdays or Sundays. The dates can move with the work, so read the signs near the tunnel before you set off.
Checked 2026-10-11 · shimanto-kankou.com
Photo Hiroaki Kaneko · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Who should base here
Stay in Nakamura for an easy morning ride to the Sada bridge, or upriver at Nishitosa to paddle and ride the bridges near Ekawasaki.
Things to do in Shimanto
Shimanto is the city at the mouth of the Shimanto River, which runs 196 km and is the longest river in Shikoku. Its official name was the Watari River until 25 July 1994, when the name changed at local request. Nakamura, the old centre, is where the trains stop and the rental bikes start.
The tourism association beside Nakamura Station rents bikes, and the Sada sinking bridge is about 50 minutes away by bike. Rin Rin Cycle mountain bikes can be dropped at any of seven terminals between Nakamura and JR Ekawasaki in Nishitosa, so you can ride one way past the bridges. From 19 October to 19 November 2026 the Sada Tunnel on the car road to the Sada bridge closes completely on weekdays between 8:30 and 17:00, then runs one lane at a time until 10 December.
In early March the Hata-Shimanto Doppuri Ride sends about 450 riders over two long days from Sukumo, with a 152.5 km day along the river.
Quick answers about Shimantoよくある質問
Is Shimanto a good place to stay?
Stay in Nakamura for an easy morning ride to the Sada bridge, or upriver at Nishitosa to paddle and ride the bridges near Ekawasaki.
Within 12 km
Places to stay nearby宿
Within 12 km