Kyoto or Osaka to Hiroshima and Miyajima with Luggage: Shinkansen, Rail Passes and Bag Delivery

The fastest way from Kyoto or Osaka to Hiroshima is the Nozomi on the Sanyo Shinkansen: about 1 hour 45 minutes from Kyoto and 1 hour 20 minutes from Shin-Osaka, for roughly ¥12,000 and ¥11,000 one way in a reserved seat (regular season). From Hiroshima, JR takes about 30 minutes to Miyajimaguchi, then a 10-minute ferry crosses to Miyajima. With big suitcases you can either take them on the Shinkansen (bags of 161–250 cm need an oversized-baggage seat) or send them to your Hiroshima hotel and see the Peace Memorial Park and Miyajima hands-free.

Key takeaways

• Kyoto to Hiroshima: about 1 h 45 min by Nozomi, roughly ¥12,000 reserved; Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima: about 1 h 20 min by Nozomi or Mizuho, roughly ¥11,000 reserved (regular season, more in peak periods).
• The Japan Rail Pass covers the Hikari, the Sakura and the JR Miyajima Ferry; the Nozomi and Mizuho need a special ticket, ¥4,170 from Kyoto or Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima.
• JR West's Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass costs ¥17,000 for 5 days and includes Sanyo Shinkansen reserved seats between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima plus the JR Miyajima Ferry; one Kyoto–Hiroshima round trip roughly pays for it.
• Hiroshima to Miyajima: about 30 minutes by JR to Miyajimaguchi, then about 10 minutes by ferry for ¥200 one way; a ¥100 Miyajima visitor tax is added per person on the way over.
• There are two ways to send bags ahead: JR West's "Same-day Delivery WEST" from Kyoto, Osaka or Shin-Osaka Station to Hiroshima Station or a central Hiroshima hotel (¥11,000 per bag), or a delivery service that collects from your hotel.

How to get from Kyoto or Osaka to Hiroshima: Shinkansen trains compared

Almost everyone travels from Kyoto or Osaka to Hiroshima on the Sanyo Shinkansen; the choice is which train. The Nozomi is fastest but isn't covered by the JR Pass, while the Sakura starts at Shin-Osaka and is covered. From Kyoto, the Nozomi runs straight through, so there's no need to change at Shin-Osaka.

From	Train	Approx. time to Hiroshima	Ordinary reserved seat (regular season)	JR Pass
Kyoto	Nozomi	About 1 h 45 min	About ¥12,000	Special ticket required, ¥4,170
Kyoto	Hikari	About 2 h 45 min	A little less than the Nozomi	Covered
Shin-Osaka	Nozomi, Mizuho	About 1 h 20 min	About ¥11,000	Special ticket required, ¥4,170
Shin-Osaka	Sakura	About 1 h 26 min	About ¥10,400	Covered

If you're staying around Umeda or Namba in Osaka, take JR or the Midosuji subway line to Shin-Osaka first. Reserved fares vary by ¥200–400 with the season, so check the exact amount on JR West's website or at a station ticket machine.

The Sanyo Shinkansen gates at Hiroshima Station, with departure boards for trains towards Shin-Osaka and Tokyo. Photo: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Is the JR Pass worth it from Kyoto to Hiroshima? JR Pass vs Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass

If your trip is just Kansai plus Hiroshima, JR West's Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass is usually better value than the nationwide JR Pass. It costs ¥17,000 for 5 days and covers Sanyo Shinkansen reserved seats between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima, JR local and rapid lines in the Kansai and Hiroshima areas, and the JR Miyajima Ferry. A Kyoto–Hiroshima Nozomi round trip costs about ¥24,000, so a single round trip covers the price (JR West).

Item	Nationwide JR Pass	Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass
Kyoto → Shin-Osaka (Tokaido Shinkansen)	Covered (Nozomi needs a special ticket)	Not covered; take a JR local or rapid line to Shin-Osaka
Shin-Osaka → Hiroshima (Sanyo Shinkansen)	Hikari and Sakura covered; Nozomi and Mizuho need a ¥4,170 special ticket	Reserved seats covered; check the official site for which trains
Hiroshima → Miyajimaguchi (JR Sanyo Line)	Covered	Covered
JR Miyajima Ferry	Covered (visitor tax extra)	Covered (visitor tax extra)
Best for	Also going to Tokyo or Kyushu that week	Kansai plus Hiroshima and Miyajima only

Special-ticket prices are on the JAPAN RAIL PASS website; both passes are only for foreign visitors entering Japan with "Temporary Visitor" status.

How to plan Hiroshima and Miyajima: one night or two?

Heading west from Kyoto or Osaka, most travellers spend 1–2 nights in Hiroshima: the Peace Memorial Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome on day one, Miyajima on day two. Since August 2025 the streetcar stop has been inside the JR Hiroshima Station building (2nd floor), and the ride to the Kamiyacho and Atomic Bomb Dome area takes a little over 10 minutes (City of Hiroshima).

Plan	Itinerary	What to do with your luggage
Day trip from Kyoto or Osaka	Leave in the morning, back in Kansai by evening	Leave it at your Kansai hotel; nothing moves
1 night in Hiroshima	Peace Memorial Park on day 1, Miyajima on day 2, then onwards	Bags at your Hiroshima hotel; Miyajima as a hands-free day trip
2 nights in Hiroshima	An extra day for Miyajima and Mt Misen, or the shrine at night	Bags stay at your Hiroshima hotel throughout
1 night on Miyajima	See the Great Torii in the quiet evening and early morning	Big bags at a central Hiroshima hotel; take only an overnight bag to the island

The Atomic Bomb Dome on the Motoyasu River, with the Peace Memorial Park across the water, a streetcar ride from Hiroshima Station. Photo: DXR / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Staying a night on Miyajima: should you take your suitcase to the island?

It's better not to. Most inns are along the Omotesando shopping street and the waterfront, so walking from the pier means weaving through day-tripper crowds, and you carry your bags on and off the ferry yourself. Leave or send your big bags to a hotel in central Hiroshima, take a one-night bag to the island, and collect the rest when you return.

How to get from Hiroshima to Miyajima: JR, ferry, streetcar or the World Heritage Sea Route

The usual way from Hiroshima to Miyajima is the JR Sanyo Line to Miyajimaguchi (about 30 minutes), then about 10 minutes by ferry to Miyajima pier. The JR Miyajima Ferry runs about every 15 minutes during the day for ¥200 one way (adult), and its "Great Torii" sailings from Miyajimaguchi between 09:10 and 16:10 swing close to the torii when the tide allows (JR Miyajima Ferry).

Route	How	Approx. time	Best for
JR + ferry	Hiroshima Station → Miyajimaguchi → Miyajima pier	JR about 30 min + ferry about 10 min	JR Pass or area pass holders
Streetcar + ferry	Hiroshima Station → Hiroden Miyajima-guchi → Miyajima pier	Streetcar about 70 min + ferry about 10 min	Saving money with time to spare
World Heritage Sea Route	Pier by the Peace Memorial Park → Miyajima	About 45 min	Going straight from the Atomic Bomb Dome

Each visitor pays a ¥100 "Miyajima visitor tax" (since October 2023), normally added to the ferry fare on the way over; preschool children are exempt, and there's an optional ¥500 annual payment (Hatsukaichi City). Neither the JR Pass nor the area pass includes the tax.

Ferries between Miyajimaguchi and Miyajima, a crossing of about 10 minutes, with the Great Torii and Mt Misen in the distance. Photo: Naokijp / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

What should you know about big luggage on the Sanyo Shinkansen?

The Sanyo Shinkansen follows the same large-luggage rules as the Tokaido Shinkansen: bags up to 160 cm in total dimensions need no reservation; bags of 161–250 cm need a reserved "seat with an oversized baggage area", at the same price as a normal reserved seat; bring one on without a reservation and you pay ¥1,000, and bags over 250 cm aren't allowed (JR West).

Some trains have no oversized-baggage seats, so check when you book. Since July 2025, luggage areas in the gangways of some cars on 16-car trains have been usable without a reservation on a trial basis, but only for bags up to 160 cm. For the full rules, see Shinkansen Oversized Baggage Reservation: Do You Need One? 2026 Rules.

Luggage options from Kyoto or Osaka to Hiroshima compared

You have four options for your luggage from Kyoto or Osaka to Hiroshima: carry it on the Shinkansen, use JR West's Same-day Delivery WEST, ship it by takkyubin, or use a delivery service that collects from your hotel. To ride the Shinkansen hands-free and have your bags in Hiroshima the same day, choose Same-day Delivery WEST or a hotel-pickup delivery service.

Option	Where you hand over	When you get it	Key points
Carry it on the Shinkansen	—	It travels with you	161–250 cm bags need an oversized-baggage seat; on Miyajima day you still need somewhere to leave it
Same-day Delivery WEST	Counters at Kyoto, Osaka or Shin-Osaka Station	Same day, at Hiroshima Station or a hotel in Hiroshima's Higashi, Naka or Minami ward	¥11,000 per bag; you first take your bags to the station
Takkyubin (parcel delivery)	Hotel front desk or a convenience store	Usually the next day or later	Fine for bags you don't need straight away
Luggage delivery service	Your Kyoto or Osaka hotel front desk	Delivered to your Hiroshima hotel; time slots shown when you book	No need to take your bags to the station

How does JR West's Same-day Delivery WEST work?

Same-day Delivery WEST is JR West's official same-day luggage service. Drop your bags at the counter at Kyoto Station (by 13:00), Osaka Station (by 12:00) or Shin-Osaka Station (by 14:00); JR West says you can collect them at Hiroshima Station until 19:00, or at a central Hiroshima hotel until 21:00. It costs ¥11,000 per bag (tax included) for bags up to 200 cm in total dimensions and under 30 kg; you book through KLOOK, KKday or Trip.com and register the delivery address within a week before the service date. Vacation rentals and other unstaffed lodgings aren't served (JR West).

Sending your luggage from a Kyoto or Osaka hotel straight to your Hiroshima hotel

The tiring part of heading to Hiroshima is dragging your bags to the station, hunting for an oversized-baggage seat and dragging them on to your Hiroshima hotel. If they go straight from your Kyoto or Osaka hotel to your Hiroshima hotel, you can ride the Shinkansen with just a day bag and head to the Peace Memorial Park that afternoon.

LuggAgent offers door-to-door hotel-to-hotel delivery: when booking, choose a pickup time between 09:00 and 11:00; at checkout, leave your bags at the front desk before then and send a photo to customer support, with no need to wait for the driver. Bags are photographed at pickup and delivery, and you're notified by email.

1. Most services need to be booked at least 24–72 hours in advance; the exact cutoff is shown on the booking page. If you're picked up at an Airbnb or guesthouse, meet the driver in person at the pickup time you chose (09:00–11:00) with your bags; if your bags are delivered to one, send the full address and entry details (door code, key box or building access) by 13:00 local time on the service day, and you don't need to be there.
2. Kyoto or Osaka to Hiroshima is a long-distance route, so it needs more time between pickup and delivery than a city delivery; the delivery slots you can choose are shown on the booking page.
3. If you're staying on Miyajima, send your big bags to a hotel in central Hiroshima and take only an overnight bag to the island; to check whether a Miyajima inn can be served, enter its address on the booking page.

More details on the Kyoto luggage delivery page and the Osaka luggage delivery page.

If Kyoto is your last stop before a night in Hiroshima, leave your bags at the front desk of your Kyoto hotel at checkout and have them delivered to your Hiroshima hotel:

If you're staying in Osaka (Umeda, Namba, Shinsaibashi and so on) and heading west from Shin-Osaka, hand your bags over at the hotel in the same way and collect them at your Hiroshima hotel that evening:

Book luggage delivery

FAQ

How long does the Shinkansen take from Kyoto to Hiroshima, and how much is it?

The direct Nozomi takes about 1 hour 45 minutes, and an ordinary reserved seat costs roughly ¥12,000 one way (regular season; ¥200–400 more in peak periods). With a JR Pass you can take the Hikari, about 2 hours 45 minutes, or take a JR local or rapid line to Shin-Osaka and change to the Sakura.

What's the fastest way from Osaka to Hiroshima?

Take the Nozomi or Mizuho from Shin-Osaka, about 1 hour 20 minutes and roughly ¥11,000 for a reserved seat; the Sakura takes about 1 hour 26 minutes and is covered by the JR Pass. Shin-Osaka is one JR stop from Umeda; from Namba, allow about 15–20 minutes more.

How much is the Miyajima visitor tax and how do I pay it?

It's ¥100 per person per visit, collected since October 2023 and normally included in the ferry fare on the way to Miyajima, with nothing extra on the way back. Preschool children are exempt, and neither the JR Pass nor the area pass covers it.

Can my luggage go from my Kyoto hotel to my Hiroshima hotel on the same day?

JR West's Same-day Delivery WEST does same-day delivery: take your bags to the Kyoto Station counter by 13:00, pay ¥11,000 per bag, and they go to Hiroshima Station or a central Hiroshima hotel. LuggAgent collects directly from your Kyoto hotel front desk and delivers to your Hiroshima hotel; it's a long-distance route, so the delivery slots you can choose are shown on the booking page, and most services need to be booked at least 24–72 hours in advance (the exact cutoff is shown on the booking page).