kja

Interesting input from Adastra2200! I, personally, would not have been able to see that list of things in Nara in a single day trip -- I did see most of those places, and did think them well worth seeing -- but I had 2 days in Nara, during which I saw several other sites that I thought at least as worthwhile.

Likewise, while I agree the Daisho-in is among the many worthy places to stop in Miyajima, I would not have been able to fit my interests in Miyajima into just a day trip.

To each his/her own!

cmoragues

Thank you so much for all your comments and advice. I really appreciate them a lot. I value all the time you took to answer my question and solved my doubts. I haven't decided anything yet, as my trip is still in May, but I believe I would stay in Kyoto the whole time and going back to Osaka the last night to take the plane to the next spot in the morning. Last year, when I first stepped into Japan, I thought it was going to be my only chance to visit the country. But here I am, going back to that amazing part of the world to experience the unbelievable Kyoto. I want to believe I'll have another chance and be lucky enough to come back again for Hiroshima, Nara and some other jewels. I sincerely appreciate the effort you took to make me understand your points of view. I'll take all the advices with me. Thanks a lot!

MinnBeef

Our pleasure. With just 4 days, I believe devoting all of it to Kyoto itself is a wise choice and one you won't regret. Have a wonderful trip.

Kavey

I think you will get a lot more out of your time by focusing on Kyoto, and possible a half day trip or two from your Kyoto base.

knycx_journeying

Hello cmoragues, although Hiroshima is farther from Kyoto but I would definitely recommend it over Nara. Some ideas and pictures for your ref
http://wp.me/p5Lw9a-1K

kja

I also think you've made a wise choice, cmoragues -- good job! Japan is amazing, and there is a great deal to see in and around Kyoto. I can't imagine running out of things to see there in the time you have, but even in the worst case scenario, if you DO want to go somewhere else, it's easy enough to do so! And you don't even need to look at the ideas of pictures of people who apparently only participate on Fodor's as a way to garner visits to their blog sites to make those choices -- you have a wealth of info at your disposal through japan-guide.com and many, many other web-sites!

Enjoy!