Spare day between Osaka and Hiroshima

Hi,

I'm heading out to Japan next May/June and have a spare day in my itinerary which I am undecided on how to use. I will be in Osaka on a Monday and spending Wednesday in Hiroshima before moving on to Miyajima the next day/night.

On the Tuesday, I'm wanting to do a day trip and preferably carry on to Hiroshima for the night. I was originally thinking of visiting Kobe but I'm not sure I would have enough time to make it worthwhile. Would Himeji Castle be a better day trip despite the renovation works? Or does anyone have any other suggestions?

Like I said, I'm only getting one full day in Hiroshima so it would be best if we could end up there the night before to maximise our time.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

On the Tuesday, I'm wanting to do a day trip and preferably carry on to Hiroshima for the night.

I assume you will have a JR Pass?

I was originally thinking of visiting Kobe but I'm not sure I would have enough time to make it worthwhile.

You have tons of time for Kobe, not sure why you think otherwise?

Shin-Kobe to Hiroshima is only 80 minutes or so and there are plenty of Shinkansen in the evening.

Would Himeji Castle be a better day trip despite the renovation works?

I'd skip Himeji but it depends on the rest of your itinerary a little.

Or does anyone have any other suggestions?

Okayama is another obvious choice especially with Korakuen:-
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5700.html

Maybe combined with Bitchu-Takahashi to see an original castle
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5775.html

You could even go to Shikoku to Takamatsu perhaps?
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5400.html

If you are feeling really energetic and want something different then it is possible to cycle the Shimanami Kaido, either half way or the entire journey. You could do this in either direction.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3478.html

You could also consider seeing Fukuoka if you wish, even though it is past Hiroshima.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2161.html

Enjoy your trip!

I personally think that all of the above suggested places are more interesting than Kobe but if you really want to visit Kobe, a day should be enough time.

Himeji Castle doesn't seem worth the trip at the moment, so if you want to see an original castle, Takahashi (as suggested above) is a good option. Bitchu Matsuyama Castle is my personal favorite castle actually, because I think it has the best atmosphere, nice castle-towns structures in the town below, and as I said, is authentic.

Okayama is another great city. Korakuen Garden is one of the top 3 gardens in the nation and is very beautiful during the months you will be visiting. The city also has a lot of other sites.

Kurashiki was not mentioned above, but it is also a nice place. Many people combine it with a trip to Okayama (you could also combine it with Takahashi).

Naoshima and Inujima are nice, too, if you are interested in art. They're especially nice in the summer and you can enjoy the Seto Inland Sea.

Takamatsu was also mentioned above, but I'll second it as a great historic city. Ritsurin Garden is beautiful and Yashima has a lot of history.

Tomonoura in Fukuyama is a famous scenic spot, although I haven't been there.

If you have a particular interest in WWII, ships, etc. Kure is also a good stop. It's where the famous Yamato Battleship was built and there is a museum dedicated to the ship there, along with another museum about the Japan Self Defense Force. In addition there is a park with the former Navy headquarters building and a museum. The harbor always has ships and sometimes even submarines.

Thankyou both for your detailed responses, they are a lot of help!

Many of the places you have suggested look like they may be more interesting than Kobe and offer something a little different to the rest of the trip.

I guess the reason I was thinking one day might not be enough for Kobe is that it looks like quite a large city and by the time I got my bearings, I may not have enough time to get around to all of the places I'd like to see. It looks quite spread out? I guess my assumptions were incorrect, although I'll probably alter that day and go with one of your suggestions anyway!

Thanks for the help!

Well, whether a day is enough or not does depend on how much you want to do.

Most people who visit Kobe seem to stay around the harbor area and visit Harborland, Meriken Park, the Chinatown, maybe the Western houses, Sorakuen, etc. which you can do in a day.

If you wanted to do all of that AND the sake district, AND Mount Rokko, AND Arima Onsen, AND the museums then one day would not be enough.

You can have a good time in Kobe, but I think for most people it's just not unique enough or doesn't have the same caliber of attractions that other cities have. That's why I and others suggested other places. You know yourself and your reasons for choosing where to go, so I'm sure wherever you decide will be good! Enjoy!

Sorry, maybe I missed something obvious, but the day you are in Osaka, are you spending the whole day in Osaka?

I'm assuming so, since there are easily 3 or 4 days minimum in just seeing everything there is to see there.

So what about Kyoto? Did I miss something?

Kyoto is a 15 to 30 minute train ride (depending on the speed of the train you take) from Osaka, so very easy to get there, and plenty to see in Kyoto also.

Keep it simple!

Sorry I should have probably given a bit more info.. The itinerary includes 4 days in Kyoto later in the trip and I will be in Osaka for a day and a bit.

I was really just after some ideas on alternative places to visit while travelling between Osaka and Hiroshima! If I want to stay longer in Osaka then I'll just do that before travelling to Hiroshima later in the day instead of visiting another area.

Okayama was somewhere I planned on visiting until I cut down my original itinerary which was far too optimistic, so I might travel via here instead of Kobe. Kurashiki which was suggested by Rabbityama also looks very nice and something a bit different to the other locations, so I'm also considering spending the day here instead! The size of the place looks manageable and somewhere that could be enjoyed in a day without feeling I've missed any major sights when it's time to leave.

Now I just have to decide which place!

If you have narrowed it down to Okayama and Kurashiki, it is actually possible to see both as long as you don't do too much in Okayama. They are neighboring cities, so it is very easy and quick to travel between them.

You can go to Korakuen Garden in the morning (it opens very early at 7:30am) and spend a couple hours there. There would be time to go to another site (ex: Yumeji Art Museum, Okayama Castle, etc.) and then afterwards you can spend the rest of the day in Kurashiki. That is a very common way to see these two cities for travelers with limited time and it does make a nice day.

If your interest is also in the Kibi Plains or you prefer more fully exploring a single site then of course you will have to make a decision.

Going to Korakuen Garden, Okayama Castle and then Kurashiki would be a really good day. What is the difference between Kurashiki and Kurashiki-Shi Stations? Is one used for the shinkansen?

Thanks!

Just realised there is a Shin-Kurashiki station further out from the main area of Kurashiki although I'm still interested in the difference between Kurashiki and Kurashikishi on Hyperdia. They both seem to be in the same place on Google Maps..