day trips

Hi- takayama from tokyo & hiroshima from kyoto are feasible day trips via JR?

Takayama (8-9 hour round trip by train): only extreme people will consider covering it in a day trip from Tokyo. Generally not recommended

Hiroshima (4-5 hour round trip by train): travelers who do not mind a fast pace of travel will be able to do it in a day trip. However, people who prefer a slower pace of travel or also wish to visit Miyajima in some detail should allocate two days.

Uji, it's Tokyo to Takayama AND Kyoto to Hiroshima.

You'll spend about 4-5 hours round trip for either one.

John, Uji had it right. The OP asked about day trips which indicates wanting to go out then come back in one day.

Tokyo to Takayam is about 4.5 hours by train. Then back to Tokyo is another 4.5 hours. So it is 8 - 9 hours round trip.

Hiroshima from Kyoto is about 2 hours, and back to Kyoto is 2 hours again. So it is 4 - 5 hours round trip.

I am with John on this one.

Might be the different English upbringing. Damnable language.

Agreed about the times, I would say though that the trip to Takayama is worth it for the scenery through the mountains alone if you go on the wideview hida (i.e. shinkansen to Nagoya, wideview hida to Takayama, I'd then take the wideview hida on to Toyama and catch the new shinkansen back to Tokyo assuing it is operating when you go).

So if you like train travel and left early enough with good connections it'd be a nice day. If you don't like train travel it wouldn't be worth it at all, you'd do better going to Karuizawa which is only an hour out of Tokyo and which is a little underrated I think.

Kyoto to Hiroshima day trip - doable (done it myself and it wasn't bad). We have guests planning to do this in April and the trains start early and finish late, so not a big deal.

Takayama from Tokyo - nope - I wouldn't recommend that. You end up with too little time anywhere and the train timetable is not your friend. You could end up doing six hours one-way, so not really feasible - stay overnight would be more sensible.