Can/should Hiroshima be added to itinerary?

Hi, I am just trying to work out whether Hiroshima will be worth the extra expense/time/distance for an otherwise "east-heavy" trip in October.

Also any other thoughts on the rough itinerary below for 16 nights Tokyo return trip would be much appreciated...ie, feasibility, no's of nights, autumn foliage, 14 day JR rail pass? or leave Hiroshima out and purchase JR East pass with additions?

4 nights Tokyo
2 nights Nagano
1 night Yudanaka onsen?
1 night Matsumoto
2 nights Takayama via Alpine route
1 night Kanazawa via Shirakawago?
2 nights Hiroshima here????
2 nights Izu peninsula (was recommended for Mt Fuji views and onsen).
1 night Back in Tokyo before flight next day

Many thanks!

Yes it definitely should.

I would recommend it to anyone who has the time up their sleeves, particularly when armed with a JR Pass.

While there, I recommend:
- Hiroshima Jo Castle
- Peace Memorial Park
- Memorial Museum
- Okonomimura for Okonomiyaki - really cheap and tasty
- Spend time exploring the Hondori arcade and Hiroshima downtown shops.
- Make a daytrip to Miyajima Island
- More information on Miyajima can be found here on Japan Guide

Getting around Hiroshima is a breeze. You can either walk or take the great city buses or trams. As for getting to Miyajima, you can take a tram and Ferry or take the JR train and JR Ferry all included in your pass.

Also, in Hiroshima the city looks really nice at night. I would be happy to answer any questions you have about Hiroshima or other parts of Japan.

As to your other query;

I would advise you to check your dates as the autumn foliage season is extremely busy. I went to Mt Takao near Tokyo during a weekend in the Foliage season and it was a constant line of people from the cable car station to the top of the mountain.

That being said, october is still a suitable time to visit Japan but just expect a bit more crowding due to the foliage.

Purchase the 14 Day pass. The extra cost will pay off when you are able to get around more of Japan hassle free. Also can be used to/from Airports if it fits with your itinerary.

The sights you are going to see suggests you have visited Japan before. Is this the case?

if so then your itinerary is a good amount of time in each place.

It all depends on what you are wanting to see and do, and if you have been to Japan before.

As stated I am happy to answer any queries you have - just post them here

I absolutely loved Hiroshima and Miyajima. If you have the chance I would def recommend the trip.

Miyajima is iconic. Rightly so. It's nice to stay there overnight, but you still get a lot of the best bits if you just visit in the day.

Hiroshima (or Nagasaki - but that's too far for your other plans) is, arguably, a place that people should be obliged to visit in order to go to the A Bomb museum, as a reminder of the horrors that man can inflict on fellow men.

If you're worried about time, you could (imho) cut a day from Nagano (you'll see the mountains if you're going to Yudanaka, and while Nagano is nice, it's not exactly amazing), or a day from Tokyo, or from Izu. I'd also consider adding a day to Kanazawa (but I love Kanazawa and am biased).

Here is my fast 1/2 day trip to Miyajima.
http://dickh.zenfolio.com/p647353667
Click Slideshow, upper right.

In my opinion Hiroshima is not worth going far out of your way for a visit unless you are really interested in going to the museum about the bomb. I spent several nights there 4 years ago and there wasn't a lot to do nor is it convenient for day-tripping anywhere other than Miyajima (which is nice but a couple of hours or so is enough to see the sights). Hiroshima okonomiyaki is delicious though and for me the highlight. Apart from the bomb-related things Hiroshima is just a regular city. Nagasaki was great and wished I'd spent the time there instead.

If at all possible, Hiroshima should be on everyone's list at least once in their Japan visits. I've been there three times and will have a fourth in March. And every time I go there, I love it even more. It is a beautiful city! I just love it and am not plugging it as part of the tourism campaign! lol

This is clearly very much a matter of opinion, but I tend to agree with ang rather than with John. I have been to Hiroshima a couple of times, and I personally see it as a nice city but not one that I would put on a short list or go out of my way to see. (I also agree with ang about Nagasaki being much more interesting, but Nagasaki is way too far afield for the original poster.)

I have always thought it a little strange that so many people feel compelled to visit the atomic bomb museum in Hiroshima. I'm not knocking that in any way, but I also think it's completely okay NOT to go there, even if you are in Hiroshima. Mixing that in as a tourist attraction while on vacation just doesn't work for me, personally. Some people think about the horrors of war and the meaning of peace when they go to church, some people meditate on it in their daily lives, some people reflect on it when they visit the grave of a loved one who was killed in a military conflict... Many people are able to fit it in meaningfully between okonomiyaki and a trip to Miyajima, but I couldn't do that myself, and it doesn't make me a heathen.

It's really up to you, but my impression is that the A-bomb museum is the number one reason why so many people go to Hiroshima. I just recommend thinking carefully about what you will do in Hiroshima and what you expect to get from it before making that long trip. Then you will be able to decide if it's right for you or not.

I would be more inclined to suggest a visit to Hiroshima and/or Miyajima if you were already planning to be in Kansai. But coming from Shirakawago? Maybe save western Japan for another trip...

From original poster:

Wow thank you all for kindly replying!

Main 777, thank you for your recommendations. Yes you guessed correctly, I have been to Japan before, but most of the places on this itinerary include places I have not been before. I have been reading this forum and the Japan-guide sites and came across some of these places to visit as I went along.

As for Hiroshima, yes this is a matter of opinion it seems. A lot of history and meaning could be gained by this visit. But the trip essentially equates to 4.5h and maybe 6h lost to transit, but with the 14day pass, is not a major extra cost. So we will have to weigh the pro's and con's, and as Winter Visitor suggested, maybe could cut days from either Nagano, or at the other end.

Izu seems tricky to get to from Hiroshima, has anyone been to both Nishiizu and Hakone? I realise they are probably very different but would both provide a more relaxing place to visit with beautiful views and onsen? Hakone is definitely easier to get to from Hiroshima. And 1 or 2 nights?

Thank you Dick H for the great photos, Miyajima looks like a must visit if we do end up adding Hiroshima to our itinerary!