Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima and Miyajima by train: the cost
Short answer: Tokyo → Shin-Osaka → Hiroshima → back to Tokyo, with Miyajima, costs ¥44,130 in single tickets (Hikari/Sakura reserved seats), less than the ¥50,000 7-day Japan Rail Pass. If you return to Osaka from Hiroshima, the JR West Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass (¥17,000, 5 days) plus two Tokyo–Osaka tickets is cheapest. Add Kansai day trips and the 7-day pass becomes close: ¥50,000 against ¥49,760 for the best alternative.
The legs
| Leg | Time | Non-reserved | Reserved | Nozomi reserved | Child reserved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo – Shin-Osaka | 2 h 54 | ¥13,870 | ¥14,400 | ¥14,720 | ¥7,190 |
| Shin-Osaka – Hiroshima | 1 h 32 | ¥9,890 | ¥10,420 | ¥10,950 | ¥5,210 |
| Kyoto – Hiroshima (1 change) | 2 h 09 | ¥10,770 | ¥11,300 | ¥11,940 | ¥5,650 |
| Tokyo – Hiroshima (1 change) | 4 h 48 | ¥18,380 | ¥18,910 | ¥19,760 | ¥9,450 |
| Miyajimaguchi – Miyajima (JR ferry) | – | ¥200 | – | – | ¥100 |
Two costs are not in our totals. The Miyajima visitor tax (¥100 per person when you land, pre-school children exempt) is paid on top whether or not you have a pass. The JR Sanyo Line from Hiroshima to Miyajimaguchi is covered by the Japan Rail Pass and the Kansai-Hiroshima pass, but we could not confirm its single fare on a JR page, so the itineraries below start the Miyajima day at Miyajimaguchi.
Trip A: Tokyo – Osaka – Hiroshima – Tokyo in 5 days
| Day | Journey (one way) | Tickets | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo – Shin-Osaka | ¥14,400 | JR Central search, 10 Nov 2026 |
| 3 | Shin-Osaka – Hiroshima | ¥10,420 | JR Central search, 10 Nov 2026 |
| 4 | Miyajimaguchi – Miyajima (JR ferry) | ¥200 | JR West Miyajima Ferry |
| 4 | Miyajimaguchi – Miyajima (JR ferry) | ¥200 | JR West Miyajima Ferry |
| 5 | Tokyo – Hiroshima | ¥18,910 | JR Central search, 10 Nov 2026 |
Prices for 1 adult, reserved seats, Shinkansen: Hikari, Sakura or Kodama. Regular-season fares.
| Option | Pass valid on days | Total | vs tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual tickets | – | ¥44,130 | – |
| 7-day Japan Rail Pass | 1–7 | ¥50,000 | +¥5,870 |
Tickets win. ¥44,130 against ¥50,000 for the 7-day pass. The Hiroshima–Tokyo ride on the way back (¥18,910) is the biggest single cost; the regional pass does not help with it.
Trip B: back to Osaka before flying home
| Day | Journey (one way) | Tickets | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo – Shin-Osaka | ¥14,400 | JR Central search, 10 Nov 2026 |
| 3 | Shin-Osaka – Hiroshima | ¥10,420 | JR Central search, 10 Nov 2026 |
| 4 | Miyajimaguchi – Miyajima (JR ferry) | ¥200 | JR West Miyajima Ferry |
| 4 | Miyajimaguchi – Miyajima (JR ferry) | ¥200 | JR West Miyajima Ferry |
| 5 | Shin-Osaka – Hiroshima | ¥10,420 | JR Central search, 10 Nov 2026 |
| 6 | Tokyo – Shin-Osaka | ¥14,400 | JR Central search, 10 Nov 2026 |
Prices for 1 adult, reserved seats, Shinkansen: Hikari, Sakura or Kodama. Regular-season fares.
| Option | Pass valid on days | Total | vs tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass | 1–5 | ¥45,800 | −¥4,240 |
| 7-day Japan Rail Pass | 1–7 | ¥50,000 | −¥40 |
| Individual tickets | – | ¥50,040 | – |
Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass plus Tokyo tickets. ¥45,800: the pass (¥17,000) covers both Shin-Osaka–Hiroshima rides, Nozomi included, and the ferry; you buy Tokyo–Shin-Osaka twice. The 7-day national pass costs ¥50,000; tickets alone ¥50,040.
Trip C: a week with Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and Himeji
| Day | Journey (one way) | Tickets | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo – Kyoto | ¥13,850 | JR Central search, 10 Nov 2026 |
| 2 | Kyoto – Nara | ¥720 | JR Central search, 30 Oct 2026 |
| 2 | Kyoto – Nara | ¥720 | JR Central search, 30 Oct 2026 |
| 3 | Kyoto – Osaka (JR Special Rapid) | ¥580 | JR Central search, 30 Oct 2026 |
| 3 | Kyoto – Osaka (JR Special Rapid) | ¥580 | JR Central search, 30 Oct 2026 |
| 4 | Kyoto – Himeji | ¥5,270 | JR Central search, 10 Nov 2026 |
| 4 | Kyoto – Himeji | ¥5,270 | JR Central search, 10 Nov 2026 |
| 5 | Kyoto – Hiroshima | ¥11,300 | JR Central search, 10 Nov 2026 |
| 6 | Miyajimaguchi – Miyajima (JR ferry) | ¥200 | JR West Miyajima Ferry |
| 6 | Miyajimaguchi – Miyajima (JR ferry) | ¥200 | JR West Miyajima Ferry |
| 7 | Tokyo – Hiroshima | ¥18,910 | JR Central search, 10 Nov 2026 |
Prices for 1 adult, reserved seats, Shinkansen: Hikari, Sakura or Kodama. Regular-season fares.
| Option | Pass valid on days | Total | vs tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass | 2–6 | ¥49,760 | −¥7,840 |
| 7-day Japan Rail Pass | 1–7 | ¥50,000 | −¥7,600 |
| Kansai WIDE Area Pass | 1–5 | ¥56,460 | −¥1,140 |
| Individual tickets | – | ¥57,600 | – |
Close. The best plan is Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass at ¥49,760; the 7-day Japan Rail Pass costs ¥50,000 and covers the Tokyo–Kyoto Shinkansen; with the regional pass you buy that ticket separately and leave Kyoto on the JR Kyoto Line, because the regional pass does not cover the Tokaido Shinkansen. With a pass bought from an overseas agency (¥53,000), the regional option is clearly cheaper.
Nozomi or not?
With single tickets a Nozomi costs ¥320 more than a Hikari from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka and saves about 27 minutes. Between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima the sampled Sakura took 92 minutes against 83 for the Nozomi, for ¥530 less. Japan Rail Pass holders pay a NOZOMI MIZUHO Ticket for each Nozomi or Mizuho ride: ¥4,960 Tokyo–Shin-Osaka, ¥6,500 Tokyo–Hiroshima, ¥4,170 Shin-Osaka–Hiroshima. The Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass includes Nozomi and Mizuho between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima at no extra charge.
Check your own dates in the JR Pass calculator.
Sources
Every price and rule above was checked against these official pages on 2026-10-27. If something has changed, the operator's page is right and we are wrong. Please tell us.
- JR Central: Access search (official route and fare search; fares for travel on 10 Nov and 30 Oct 2026, Japanese)
- JR Central ticket rules: seasonal reserved-seat charges, 1 Apr 2026 to 31 Mar 2027 (Japanese)
- JR Central ticket rules: adults and children (Japanese)
- JAPAN RAIL PASS official site: Types and prices (online and overseas-agency prices)
- JAPAN RAIL PASS: Use of NOZOMI/MIZUHO trains (special ticket)
- JAPAN RAIL PASS: Scope of validity
- JR West: Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass
- JR West Miyajima Ferry: fares (Japanese)