Japan Rail Pass NowAustralia's No.1 Choice
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Japan Rail Pass NowAustralia's No.1 Choice
Hiroshima Station is the arrival point for two things most visitors to Japan want to see: the Peace Memorial Park, and the floating torii gate at Miyajima. Neither is walkable from the station, and the way you reach each one is different, so it is worth getting straight before you arrive.
Take the tram. Lines 2 and 6 run from directly outside the station to Genbaku Dome-mae, which puts you at the A-Bomb Dome and the northern end of the Peace Park. It takes about fifteen to twenty minutes.
The trams are old and slow and part of the charm. Your Japan Rail Pass does not cover them, as they are a separate company, so pay on board or tap an IC card. The fare is flat and small.
This one is better news for pass holders. Take the JR Sanyo line from Hiroshima Station to Miyajimaguchi, about 25 minutes, then the JR ferry across to the island, about ten minutes. Both legs are covered by a rail pass.
There are two ferry operators at the pier and they look almost identical. Make sure you board the JR one, which is the one your pass covers. Staff will point you the right way if you show the pass.
Allow more time than you expect. Between the train, the ferry and the walk to the torii gate, getting from the station to the shrine takes the best part of an hour each way.
The pass covers the Shinkansen, the Sanyo line to Miyajimaguchi and the JR ferry to the island. It does not cover the trams, the city buses or the Hiroshima Electric Railway’s own line out to Miyajimaguchi, which runs parallel to the JR line and is slower.
Hiroshima Station was rebuilt in recent years and is easy to move through. Shinkansen platforms are on the northern side, local JR lines in the middle, and the tram stop is outside the southern exit.
The station building holds a shopping centre with a good food floor, which is useful because Hiroshima is a city where the eating is a genuine reason to visit.
Hiroshima style okonomiyaki is the thing to try, layered rather than mixed, with noodles built in. There is a well known cluster of okonomiyaki shops in the station building and a larger collection at Okonomimura in the city centre.
Oysters are the other local speciality, at their best in winter. Station bento often feature them, along with anago, the saltwater eel from the Miyajima channel.
If you are booking individual journeys rather than using a pass, these are the routes that start here.
And the longer route guides, with times, seat tips and what to see when you arrive:
A full day covers the Peace Park and museum in the morning and Miyajima in the afternoon, though that is a long day. Two nights lets you do both properly and eat well in between.
Yes on Sakura and Hikari services. Nozomi and Mizuho need a supplement on a standard pass, and the time difference is usually around twenty minutes from Osaka.
Yes, there are coin lockers in several sizes and a staffed counter. Doing Miyajima as a day trip with your bags in a locker works well.
Ensure you get the most out of your trip to the land of the rising sun with our comprehensive 249-page Japan Travel Guide.