Hiroshima Day Trip from Kyoto or Osaka (2026): ¥17,000 Pass

Yes, from either city. On JR West’s timetable for October 14, 2026, Nozomi 101 left Kyoto at 6:55 (Shin-Osaka 7:11) and reached Hiroshima at 8:36, and Nozomi 108 left Hiroshima at 21:03 and reached Kyoto at 22:45.^[9],[8][12] For the ticket, JR West’s 5-day Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass at ¥17,000 costs less than one Nozomi round trip from Shin-Osaka, and it also covers the JR ferry to Miyajima.^{[6],[1][1],[2]}

Key facts

• Fastest out (Kyoto): Nozomi 101, Kyoto 6:55, Hiroshima 8:36, on the October 14, 2026 timetable.^[9],[8]
• With a Japan Rail Pass: Hikari 731 runs direct, Kyoto 7:20, Hiroshima 9:04 on the same date; Nozomi is not covered.^[10],[8][16]
• Single ticket: ¥11,740 Kyoto–Hiroshima or ¥10,750 Shin-Osaka–Hiroshima one way, reserved Nozomi seat booked online.^[6]
• Pass: Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass, ¥17,000 for 5 days, Nozomi and the Miyajima ferry included.^{[4],[1][1],[2]}
• Last train back to Kyoto: Nozomi 108 at 21:03; later trains end at Shin-Osaka or earlier.^[11]
• Large suitcase: reserve a seat with an oversized baggage area.^[1]

Which Shinkansen should I take: Nozomi, Hikari or Sakura?

Take whichever your ticket allows. On a single ticket or the Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass, any train works, Nozomi and Mizuho included.^[4],[1] On a Japan Rail Pass, Nozomi and Mizuho are excluded on the Sanyo Shinkansen, so you ride Hikari, Sakura or Kodama.^[16]

The time cost of the JR Pass rule is small in the morning. These are the trains on JR West’s timetable for Wednesday, October 14, 2026; they are examples, not every train of the day.

Coming back, these are the evening trains on the same October 14, 2026 timetable. Only Nozomi 108 runs on to Kyoto; the later trains end at Shin-Osaka, so from Kyoto you finish the trip on a JR Kyoto Line train.^[11]

If you hold a JR Pass and still want Nozomi, you need the separate NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket on top of the pass.^[16] Whether the 7-day pass pays off at all for a trip that includes Hiroshima is a question for the Japan Rail Pass review, which adds up a Tokyo–Kyoto–Hiroshima loop.

What does the day cost: single tickets or a pass?

For one day trip, the Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass is the cheapest of the options below, as long as you qualify for it. A Shin-Osaka–Hiroshima round trip in reserved Nozomi seats comes to ¥21,500, which is ¥4,500 more than the pass.^[6],[1] The pass also stays valid for the rest of its 5 consecutive days, and it covers the JR ferry to Miyajima on the day itself.^{[1],[2],[4][1],[2]}

Single-ticket prices are smartEX online fares for the regular season, as of April 1, 2025.^[6] The Tokyo to Kyoto Shinkansen guide explains how smartEX booking and its QR and IC card boarding work.

From Kyoto, the pass changes the route slightly. It does not cover the Tokaido Shinkansen between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka, but its area reaches Kyoto and includes JR special rapid, rapid and local trains, so you ride a JR Kyoto Line train to Shin-Osaka and board the Shinkansen there.^{[1],[2][3],[2]}

The Sanyo-San’in Area Pass costs more and lasts 7 days.^[5],[4] It suits a week that also goes beyond Hiroshima, which the Kansai-Hiroshima pass does not cover.^[1],[2]

How do I buy the Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass?

You need a passport issued by a foreign government and the ‘Temporary Visitor’ status on entry, and you show the passport to receive the pass.^[1] Children aged 6 to 11 pay ¥8,500.^[1],[2],[4]

1. Buy before the trip

   Buy it on JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION, or as an exchange order from a travel agency outside Japan, up to 1 month before your first day.^[1],[2]

2. Collect it in a station

   Collect an online purchase from a ticket machine or a ticket office in the station, with the reservation number, the card you paid with and your passport.^[1],[2]

3. Reserve your Shinkansen seats

   Reserved ordinary seats on the Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima are included, Nozomi and Mizuho too.^[4],[1]

Can I fit the Peace Park and Miyajima into one day?

Yes, if you start early and do the Peace Park first. The timetable frame is an 8:36 arrival and a 21:03 departure for Kyoto.^[9],[8][12]

1. Shinkansen to Hiroshima

   On the October 14, 2026 timetable, Nozomi 101 left Kyoto at 6:55 or Shin-Osaka at 7:11, arriving 8:36; with a JR Pass, Hikari 731 arrived 9:04. Times on other dates can differ, so look up your own date.^{[9],[8][10],[8]}

2. Streetcar to the Peace Memorial Park

   The streetcar from Hiroshima Station takes about 25 minutes. Line 2 stops at Genbaku Dome-mae, about 10 minutes on foot from the museum.^[19]

3. On to Miyajima

   Line 2 continues to Hiroden-miyajima-guchi, so you can ride on from the Peace Park.^[19] From Hiroshima Station, a JR train to Miyajimaguchi takes about 28 minutes, and the JR ferry is on your pass.^[18][1],[2]

4. Back to Hiroshima Station

   Be on Nozomi 108 at 21:03 for Kyoto; for Shin-Osaka, the last train leaves at 22:12.^{[12][15],[11]}

For the museum, the Peace Memorial Museum guide covers tickets, opening hours and how long to plan.

For the island, the Hiroshima to Miyajima route guide compares the streetcar, JR and the direct boat.

Once there, the Miyajima guide explains how long the shrine and the torii take and when the tide lets you walk out.

That makes a long day: from 6:55 to 22:45 for a Kyoto start.^[9],[8][12] If you would rather see the torii at dusk or the island before the day-trippers arrive, where to stay in Hiroshima or on Miyajima compares the station area, downtown and a night on the island.

Kyoto or Osaka as the start: does it matter?

Shin-Osaka is the better start. Every train in this article stops there, and the latest trains back end there.^[11] From Kyoto you lose time at both ends: Nozomi 101 leaves Kyoto at 6:55, but Shin-Osaka at 7:11.^[9],[8]

From Kyoto, the Kansai-Hiroshima pass also means a JR Kyoto Line train to Shin-Osaka instead of the Shinkansen.^[1],[2] The Kyoto to Osaka guide has the train options between the two cities.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take a large suitcase on the Sanyo Shinkansen?

Yes, but baggage whose three sides total more than 160 cm but less than 250 cm needs a reserved seat with an oversized baggage area.^[1]

Is the Miyajima ferry included in the pass?

The JR West Miyajima Ferry is included in the Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass, the Sanyo-San’in Area Pass and the Japan Rail Pass. The ¥100 visitor tax is paid separately.^{[1],[2][5],[4][16],[17]}

Can I ride Nozomi from Shin-Osaka with the Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass?

Yes. JR West lists Nozomi and Mizuho among the trains it covers between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima, in reserved and non-reserved ordinary seats.^[4],[1]

Does the Kansai-Hiroshima pass go beyond Hiroshima?

Not on the Shinkansen: the pass is not valid on the Sanyo Shinkansen west of Hiroshima.^[1],[2] For a trip on to Hakata, the 7-day Sanyo-San’in Area Pass covers the whole Sanyo Shinkansen.^[5],[4]