Tokyo to Hiroshima by Shinkansen
The fastest way from Tokyo to Hiroshima is a direct Nozomi Shinkansen: about 3 hours 50 minutes to 4 hours, 19,760 yen for a reserved seat, or 19,560 yen on smartEX. With a Japan Rail Pass you either change trains onto Hikari and Sakura services or add a 6,500 yen Nozomi special ticket.
From Tokyo to Hiroshima, take a Nozomi Shinkansen from Tokyo or Shinagawa station. It runs direct in about 3 hours 50 minutes to 4 hours and costs 19,760 yen for a reserved seat, or 19,560 yen booked on smartEX. Japan Rail Pass holders can ride Hikari and Sakura trains at no extra cost, changing once, or pay 6,500 yen for a Nozomi special ticket and ride straight through.
At Hiroshima Station, the tram to the Atomic Bomb Dome leaves from the 2nd floor of the station building. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes and costs 240 yen.
Tokyo to Hiroshima fares
| Ticket | Nozomi reserved seat | Hikari and Sakura reserved seat |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (station counter or machine) | 19,760 yen | 18,910 yen |
| smartEX (online, app) | 19,560 yen | 18,710 yen |
| Japan Rail Pass holder | 6,500 yen special ticket | Covered |
Checked October 2026. Prices are for one adult, reserved ordinary seat, regular season, from the official smartEX fare table dated 1 April 2025 (smartEX fares, PDF). smartEX is 200 yen cheaper than the counter price (smartEX), so the standard Hikari and Sakura figure is the smartEX price plus 200 yen.
Reserved seats cost more or less by season: 200 yen less off-peak, 200 yen more at peak and 400 yen more at the very busiest times. On the Tokyo to Hiroshima trip those amounts double, because the line crosses from JR Central’s Tokaido Shinkansen to JR West’s Sanyo Shinkansen. Third-party sites quote other prices for this route; the smartEX table is the only official one we found.
Journey time
The fastest Nozomi trains take about 3 hours 50 minutes to 4 hours. That figure comes from timetable sites (Ekitan lists 3 h 49 to 3 h 58), not a JR page.
A Japan Rail Pass journey without the special ticket is slower. You ride a Hikari to Shin-Osaka or Okayama, then change to a Sakura or Hikari for Hiroshima. Plan for a longer trip and check the connection on a timetable app.
Taking the Nozomi with a Japan Rail Pass
The Japan Rail Pass covers Hikari, Sakura, Kodama and Tsubame trains, but not Nozomi or Mizuho. Pass holders can buy a Nozomi and Mizuho special ticket to ride the faster trains. From Tokyo or Shinagawa to Hiroshima it costs 6,500 yen for adults and half for children, whether you pick a non-reserved, reserved or Green Car seat (price list, PDF). It goes on sale one month before travel.
Is the pass worth it for this trip?
| Pass (bought online) | Price |
|---|---|
| 7 days, ordinary | 50,000 yen |
| 14 days, ordinary | 80,000 yen |
| 21 days, ordinary | 100,000 yen |
| 7 days, Green Car | 70,000 yen |
Checked October 2026 (JR Pass prices). Agents outside Japan charge more.
A Tokyo to Hiroshima return on standard Nozomi tickets is 39,520 yen, so the 7-day pass alone does not pay for itself. It does if the same week includes a stop in Kyoto or Osaka and other long JR trips. Once you are in Hiroshima, the pass also covers the meipuru-pu sightseeing loop bus to the Dome and the JR ferry to Miyajima (plus the island’s 100 yen visitor tax).
Can you do Hiroshima as a day trip from Tokyo?
You can, but it is a hard day. About 8 hours of the day go on trains, and the museum alone deserves 1.5 to 2 hours. If you leave Tokyo early, you could reach Hiroshima late in the morning, walk from the Dome through the Peace Memorial Park, spend the afternoon in the museum and take an evening train back.
We would not recommend it. The museum is a serious place, and most people want time afterwards to sit by the river or walk to the Children’s Peace Monument without watching the clock. One night in Hiroshima gives you the reserved 7:30 museum slot and the next morning for Miyajima. See our Hiroshima itinerary for one-day and two-day plans, and where to stay for hotels by the station or the park.
One night in Hiroshima from Tokyo
A plan that keeps the trains to a minimum and the museum to its quietest hour:
| When | Plan |
|---|---|
| Day 1, morning | Nozomi from Tokyo, about 4 hours |
| Day 1, afternoon | Check in, then the Atomic Bomb Dome, Aioi Bridge and the Peace Memorial Park |
| Day 1, evening | The park after dark; okonomiyaki for dinner |
| Day 2, 7:30 | Museum, in the reserved early slot |
| Day 2, late morning | Tram route 2 and the ferry to Miyajima, or a train onward |
The reserved slot needs an online booking; see the museum tickets guide. On a Japan Rail Pass, the JR ferry to Miyajima is covered, and you pay only the 100 yen visitor tax.
Breaking the trip
Many visitors combine Hiroshima with Kyoto or Osaka. Timetable sites put Hiroshima about 1 hour 20 minutes from Shin-Osaka and about 1 hour 40 minutes from Kyoto by Nozomi, so a stop on the way is easy. Our guides from Osaka and Kyoto have fares and times.
Flying instead
Hiroshima Airport has a limousine bus to the city: about 50 minutes to Hiroshima Station or about 55 minutes to Hiroshima Bus Center, 1,500 yen. The Bus Center is about 5 minutes’ walk from the Dome area. We have not compared flight prices or times here; check the airlines directly.
Arriving at Hiroshima Station
- To the Dome: tram route 2 or 6 from the station’s 2nd floor to Genbaku Dome-mae.
- With a JR Pass: the meipuru-pu loop bus from the Shinkansen exit, free with the pass.
Our getting there guide has every route and fare from the station to the Peace Park.
