Hiroshima is an easily accessible city by air and high-speed trains on the San'yo Shinkansen line.
Fast rail connections are also supplemented by significantly cheaper long-distance buses.
By air
Approximately 50 km from the city centre, use the international airport Hiroshima HIJ.
Less than 45 km south of Hiroshima you will also find a small domestic airport Iwakuni IWK
International flights
There are several international flights directly to Hiroshima from the following cities, for example:
- Seoul - Jeju Air
- Beijing - Air China
- Shanghai - China Eastern Airlines
- Hong Kong - HK Express
- Taipei - China Airlines
There are no direct international flights to Iwakuni Airport.
If you're heading to Hiroshima from abroad, China Eastern Airlines usually offers the cheapest connection with a connection in Shanghai, especially from Europe, Australia or Southeast Asia.
On the other hand, the most frequent international connections are with ANA and JAL with a connection in Tokyo.
Search for flights to Hiroshima
Domestic flights
Over 80% of flights from Hiroshima are to Tokyo, where ANA and JAL fly several times an hour.
The average price of a one-way ticket is around 85 usd.
Direct flights also go to Sapporo or Sendai.
Only ANA flights from Tokyo and Okinawa go to Iwakuni Airport.
By train
Hiroshima lies on the San'yo Shinkansen high-speed line connecting the cities of Fukuoka and Osaka. Direct high-speed shinkansen trains run from Hiroshima to these cities:
- Tokyo
- Osaka (Shin-Osaka Station)
- Kyoto
- Okayama
- Kobe
- Nagoya
- Fukuoka (Hakata station)
- Kitakyushu (Kokura station)
- Himeji
- Fukuyama
- Hamamatsu
- Shizuoka
- Yokohama
There are also regular conventional trains from here to cities such as Kure, Iwakuni, Takehara, Mihara, Miyoshi, Yanai and many others.
All trains running to Hiroshima, including express trains, are operated by JR West.
Timetables can be searched online and, if necessary, purchased online at the clear official website westjr.co.jp. Tickets are just as expensive when purchased just before departure on the spot.
Detailed information about buying tickets, JR Passes and trains in general is described in the chapter Transportation in Japan.
Where to pick up a JR Pass?
If you purchased your JR Pass online at westjr.co.jp, you can pick it up at Hiroshima Central Station at the "Foreign Tourist Counter" open 5:30-22:00.
Alternatively, you can pick up a JR Pass from the green machine at the station.
Where are the train stations in Hiroshima?
Hiroshima has one main station where all Shinkansen express trains and regular conventional trains stop.
- Hiroshima Station - located on the eastern edge of the city centre
- The centre is accessible by tram lines 1, 2, 6
- Tram 5 runs to Hiroshima Harbor
- The Miyajima ferry dock is reached by tram 2
- Location on the map
There are luggage lockers in many places at Hiroshima Station, where you can pay by size 400 jpy to 600 jpy. You can pay with cash or transport cards (Suica, Icoca and others).
Use the other stations only for local services in the direction of Miyajimaguchi (JR ferry port to Miyajima Island) or Iwakuni.
- Nishi-Hiroshima - direction downtown tram 2, 3
- Yokogawa - direction downtown tram 7, 8
- Hakushima - direction downtown metro Astram
By bus
Long-distance buses are called "Highway Bus" in Japan and are significantly cheaper than trains. However, travel time is usually 3-4 times longer than Shinkansen express trains.
The largest bus company, Willer Travel, has the most comprehensive booking system in English, through which you can also buy tickets for other carriers.
Book tickets through willer-travel.com.
There are two main bus stations in Hiroshima:
- Bus Center in the city center (see map).
- Hiroshima Station at the North East "Shinkansen Exit" (see map)
Transportation Hiroshima - Osaka
What is the best way to get from Hiroshima to Osaka, one of the main tourist centers of Japan?
| Price | Travel time | Frequency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shinkansen | From 9 890 jpy | 80-90 minutes | every 10 minutes |
| Highwaybus | from 3 870 jpy | 3.5-4 hours | 4-5 times a day |
By train
The most frequent and fastest connection is by Shinkansen high-speed trains. The train runs every 10 minutes on average and the journey takes 80-90 minutes depending on the number of stops.
There are no conventional trains (Limited Express, Rapid Express, Local) on this route.
When choosing a ticket or searching for timetables on the westjr.co.jp website, look for Shin-Osaka as the destination station, which is the only station in Osaka where the Shinkansen express trains stop. From here, it's easy to get to the city centre by subway or local JR train.
Ticket prices are the same when purchased online and on-site for all types of express trains (Nozomi, Hikari and Kodama).
The price always consists of two items. When buying at the machine, you must first click on the small box "Shinkansen Base Fare" and purchase a seat after paying, even in the case of "Non-Reserved Car".
Detailed information about buying tickets, JR Passes and trains in general is described in the chapter Transport in Japan.
- Basic fares - 5 720 jpy
- Seat Reservation Reserved seating – 5 430 jpy
- Non-reserved seating (you may be required to stand on the train) - 4 170 jpy
Some trains start their journey in Hiroshima. On these trains, there is a good chance that you will find an available seat when you purchase a "Non-Reserved" ticket.
However, if you purchase a "Non-reserved" ticket for a train that arrives from Hakata Station, the chances of finding a free seat are significantly less. You can find out if the train starts in Hiroshima by searching for timetables on the westjr.co.jp website. If so, the train is noted as "Train originating from this Station".
By bus
Long-distance bus travel is about 3 times cheaper than the train, but buses only run 4-5 times a day and travel time is over 3.5 hours.
Tickets and timetables can be found on the website of the largest carrier willer-travel.com.
The price varies by bus type and ranges between 3 870 jpy and 4 500 jpy.
Transportation Hiroshima - Tokyo
What is the best way to get from Hiroshima to Tokyo, the capital of Japan?
| Price | Travel time | Frequency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shinkansen | From 18 380 jpy | 4 hours | every 15 minutes |
| Aircraft | from 11 500 jpy | 75 minutes (from centre to centre approx. 4 hours) |
2-4 times per hour |
| Bus | from 7 600 jpy | 15 hours | 2x daily |
By train
The busiest connection is by Shinkansen high-speed trains. The direct train runs every 15 minutes on average and the journey takes about 4 hours.
There are no conventional trains (Limited Express, Rapid Express, Local) on this route.
When choosing a ticket or searching for timetables on westjr.co.jp, look for Tokyo (downtown) or Shinagawa (western edge of downtown) as the destination station for travel to Haneda HND Airport or Shibuya Junction.
Ticket prices are the same when purchased online and on-site for all types of express trains (Nozomi, Hikari and Kodama).
The price always consists of two items. When buying at the machine, you must first click on the small "Shinkansen Base Fare" box and purchase a seat after paying, even in the case of "Non-Reserved Car".
Detailed information about buying tickets, JR Passes and trains in general is described in the chapter Transport in Japan.
- Basic fares - 11 880 jpy
- Seat Reservation Reserved seating – 7 800 jpy
- Non-reserved seating (you may be required to stand on the train) - 6 500 jpy
Some trains start their journey in Hiroshima. On these trains, there is a good chance that you will find an available seat when you purchase a "Non-Reserved" ticket.
However, if you purchase a "Non-reserved" ticket for a train that arrives from Hakata Station, the chances of finding a free seat are significantly less. You can find out if the train starts in Hiroshima by searching for timetables on the westjr.co.jp website. If so, the train is noted as "Train originating from this Station".
By plane
While air travel is seemingly the fastest, you need to add 60 minutes of driving from downtown to Hiroshima HIJ Airport and time at least 75 minutes before departure to the flight, which takes about 75 minutes.
The vast majority of flights go to Tokyo's Haneda HND airport, from where you'll drive about 40 minutes to downtown.
Ticket prices are cheapest when purchased about 3 months in advance and start at around 11 500 jpy. Prices always include checked baggage.
ANA and JAL fly the route and you can compare their prices via skyscanner.com, for example.
By bus
Travelling by long-distance bus is about 3 times cheaper than by train, but buses only run twice a day and the journey time is over 14 hours.
Tickets and timetables can be found on the website of the largest carrier willer-travel.com.
The price varies by bus type and ranges between 7 600 jpy and 11 000 jpy.
