My husband and I are going to Japan in May. We will be staying in Tokyo and making some day trips. We'd like to see Hiroshima, but it is 5 hours by train from Tokyo. It would be a long day: 5 hours to Hiroshima, spend some time there, and then 5 hours back to Tokyo. So, my question is: Is Hiroshima worth the time?
Thanks!
By the way, we are planning on getting a JR rail pass.

Yes, it is worth a visit, but not the way you are planning (unless you are extremely interested in riding the shinkansen a lot).

From your very brief description of your itinerary, it doesn't sound like you need a JR Pass unless you actually go to Hiroshima. Or are you planning day trips from Tokyo to Kyoto?

But, if you do that trip then I would assume that you are a RR fan in which case you ought to get tickets on the Nozomi shinkansen.

We are planning day trips (although I know one day can't do it justice) to Kyoto and Kamakura. I'm not sure that I'm a FAN of the RR. I just want to see some places other than Tokyo. (We're staying in Tokyo since that was the best air & hotel deal we could get). This will be our first trip to Japan and we will be there for nine days.

By the way, what would be the advantage of the Nozomi? Is it faster?
Thanks for your help!

I thought it might be the case that you have an air/hotel package for Tokyo. You might want to check jtb-usa.com and see if they have day-trip shinkansen tour packages from Tokyo.

Yes, the Nozomi trains (not available with the JR Pass) are the fastest, have less stops, and don't require a change of trains. They make the trip from Tokyo to Hiroshima in 4 hours.

The Kyoto day trip is enough for you to get a JR Pass, though.

Major Ouch. A JR pass for a day trip to Kyoto on a 9 day stay in Tokyo. I think if there was a good chance that I was going to go back to Japan I'd certainly wait to go to Hiroshima next time. Even Kyoto is pushing it for a day trip, although it can be done. People on this board have done it, but the ones I have read about have had a guide meet them at the train station in Kyoto to take them to the sites they want to see. Otherwise I think you can waste alot of time on learning transportation issues and geting to the places, which in Kyoto can be spread apart, unless you confine yourselves to only one area like Highashiyama. Kamakura is not a problem for a day trip- from what I have read here you can get a bit of the temple feel in Kamakura; not what you experience in Kyoto but at least a portion of it. And if Tokyo and Kamakura are not enough variety for a week, you can also add Nikko- I would. Personally, with 9 days and definitely staying only in Tokyo, I'd probably do Tokyo, Kamakura, Nikko, and maybe Hakone if weather was not rainy (maybe Yokohama if weather is not so good). I'd save Kyoto and Hiroshima for next time. If there is no "next time", I'd maybe do a day trip to Kyoto in place of Kamakura. But not Hiroshima- way too exhausting and time consuming for me.

oops, Higashiymama

ok, haha. Higashiyama. Now goodnight to all, and to all a good night.

Hi

Hard question. My wife and I went to Japan in May and we started out in Tokyo and we later moved on to Kyoto. From Kyoto we took a day trip to Hiroshima and it was worth it. But if you are going to do it from Tokyo it is going to be a looong day. Maybe you can stop in Kyoto on the way back and stay the night there and then you can do Kyoto before you return to Tokyo.

I have posted a trip report with pictures and links on my personal homepage http://gardkarlsen.com Maybe you can find some useful information there. Have a great trip

Regards
Gard
Stavanger, Norway

Is your accomodation arrangement so set that you cannot stay in Kyoto instead?

We went to Hiroshima+Miyajima as a day trip from Kyoto, but even so, I researched all the connections beforehand and had to take the first train out of Kyoto (originating from Nagoya) to Hiroshima, visited Miyajima and hit only the Peace Park in Hiroshima, and back to Kyoto around 9pm. A 13hr day from Kyoto.

If you insist on going to Hiroshima as a day trip from Kyoto, you probably want to use Nozomi, thus no JR rail pass. There is no JR rail pass compatible train that goes to Hiroshima without changing. That plus additional stops add ~50min each way to the trip.

With the current schedule, the earliest JR pass compatible Shinkansen is 6:36 TOkyo arriving 11:33 Hiroshima with change at ShinOsaka.

With Nozomi, there is 6:00 Nozomi arriving Hiroshima at 9:51.

O.K. I'm convinced. No Hiroshima this time. I didn't factor in time for changing trains into the Tokyo to Hiroshima trip, so it would be even longer than I originally thought. We'll probably do day trips to Kamakura and either Nikko or Kyoto.
I'll keep you updated regarding our itinerary...I'm sure I'll have more questions!

Given the short time you have, I would say skip Hiroshima for now.

I would say Kyoto is not really a place for taking a day trip. Most people would recommend atleast spending two days around Kyoto. I say goto Kyoto and spend a night there and return the next day in the evening.
You could even go to Nara from Kyoto for a half day trip and it is worth it.

There are lot of cheap hostels in Kyoto.

Good day trip destinations from Tokyo are Nikko, Kamakura, Mt. Fuji five lakes area.

You can see hiroshima photos here:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/vthala...a9&.src=ph

nikko
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/vthala...4e&.src=ph
kamakura
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/vthala...48&.src=ph

kyoto
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/vthala...64&.src=ph

nara
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/vthala...3e&.src=ph

tokyo

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/vthala...73&.src=ph