Spending a night in Hiroshima/Miyajima

I'm planning a trip to Japan in 2 weeks and just wondering is it worth spending a night in Hiroshima/Miyajima? Any opinion would be much appreciate.

I have lived in Japan for about ten years and last year did my own little tour of Shikoku, Hiroshima and Miyajima.
One of the highlights of your trip to Japan will be Miayajima, the little island just off Hiroshima. This is a VERY popular tourist destination for Japanese and foreigners alike but HARDLY ANYONE STAYS THERE OVERNIGHT.
Grab a minshuku or ryokan on Miyajima and have the place to yourself. At night you can see the beautiful red gate all lit up, and it'll just be you in your yukata, the deer and the silence. I loved it.
Let me know if you've any other questions,
P

KT:

My suggestion is for you to stop-over at Himeji Castle on your way to or return from Hiroshima, tour Hiroshima's City center, Peace Memorial Park, the Atomic Bomb Museum and Miyajima Island. Himeji is the BEST near-original castle in Japan.

If your arrival in Hiroshima is mid-day, you can then tour the City's Center, Peace Memorial Park and Atomic Bomb Museum (must see). Then decide if you want to over-night in Hiroshima or on Miyajima Island. If you over-night in Hiroshima, tour Miyajima the following day before heading to your next City stop.

If your budget allows you to spend somewhere between 15,000 to 20,000 yen per person, consider staying overnight on Miyajima at a Ryokan (Japanese Inn). Dinner and Breakfast are generally included for this price. Staying at a Ryokan on the Island is a pleasant Japanese experience. I assure you that this will be one of the highlights of your trip. We've stayed over-night there three times with the last being May of last year.

We always walk down to the waterfront by Itsukushima Shrine where you can view their beautiful sunset and the red-orange Torii Gate in the water from the point/corner where there's a scattering of pine trees. Standing by the shrine and facing the water, it's the point/corner on the right side.

Walk up to Momijidani Park. Just before you reach the entrance, you'll find Iwaso Ryokan. This is where we stayed two of the three times we've stayed there. Near the front of the Ryokan is a small red bridge leading to the Park. Spend a few photo shoot minutes around the bridge and enjoy the peace and tranquility of the environs. Near the front of the Ryokan on the right side of the bridge is a path leading to the stream.

For a brief intro to Ryokans on the Island, browse this site http://www4.ocn.ne.jp/~miyayado/e_nl-map.html

#17 on the map is the location of the red bridge and Iwaso Ryokan. Browse Iwaso Ryokan's website and you'll see photos of the Shrine and the red bridge. If you decide to stay at the Ryokan, be sure to wear your yukata and enjoy hot tea on the lanai or by the window during early sunrise.

If you have a JR Rail Pass, be sure to catch the JR Ferry since the Rail Pass covers the fare.

Thanks bigpaulc and Harold for the info!

This is part of my itenary to visit Hiroshima/Miyajima.

From Kyoto,
27 March,
- Leave Kyoto 8:22, catch Shinkansen to Hiroshima.
- visit City Center, Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum.
- afternoon across over to Miyajima, and spend the night there
28 March
- leave Hiroshima, on the way back, stop at Himeji before returning to Kyoto.

Does anybody have any suggestion or where should i visit when I'm returning from Hiroshima?

KT:
First of all, I assume that you will get the JR Rail Pass. As soon as you arrive in Japan, you should make your train seat reservations especially for the train from Hiroshima to Himeji. We usually find the early trains to be full and caught the later train or caught the non-reserved seat car.

I like your itinerary for Hiroshima/Miyajima/Himeji. After early breakfast on Miyajima, do an early stop at Himeji where you can store your luggage in lockers at JR Himeji Station followed by a leisurely walk to Himeji.

On your way back to Kyoto, you CAN CONSIDER doing a whirlwind half day tour of Kobe to get you into Kyoto late afternoon or early evening. The central tourist attractions are within close proximity to each other, but its more about seeing Kobe. You should get hold of a detail map of Kobe for orientation to where you'll be and the location of various places.

Here is an excerpt from a page in this website. "In January 1995 a strong earthquake hit the city of Kobe and surroundings. The Southern Hyogo Earthquake (also called Great Hanshin Earthquake) killed 6,000 and injured 415,000 people. 100,000 houses were completely and 185,000 partially destroyed." 1995 is not long ago but Kobe has recovered and was rebuilt. When we first visited Kobe about 5 years ago, the recovery was so fast that it was difficult to believe that the City was so davasted not long ago.

While in Kobe, upstairs of JR Sannomiya Station is the Portliner Monorail. The Portliner takes you down to Port Island, circle Port Island before returning to the Station. You can get off at Shimin Hiroba Station to explore Port Island but we generally do not get off and return to the Station. From the Portliner, you get a close-up view of the Harbor while being able to see Kobe City against the mountain. It's a short sightseeing ride and the roundtrip cost less than 500yen.

On the main street immediately West of the Station, you can ride a Trolley Car on wheels that circles the main tourist sites of Kobe. You can get on and get off at any one of their many stops. Their stops are marked by a sign with a picture of the Trolley. Each ride costs about 200yen but you can buy an all day pass for unlimited rides. A map of their stops is available from the attendant. There are many Trolleys and it takes each Trolley about one hour to complete the circle.

While in Kyoto be sure to do a half day excursion to Nara with the Todaiji Temple as the must see attraction. Of course, Kyoto deserves to be seen over two or more days.

Have a wonderful and safe trip.

last week i stayed on miyajima island at watanabe inn http://www.auberge-watanabe.com/english/index.html and had the most wonderful and relaxing time. yes, it was quite a japanese experience ... but isn't that why we go to japan? i highly recommend the inn and would happily stay there again.