If you are travelling through Hiroshima with children, Hotel Granvia Hiroshima South Gate is one of the most convenient places to stay in the city — especially if you are arriving by Shinkansen or planning a day trip to Miyajima. Opened in March 2025, the hotel sits directly above JR Hiroshima Station, so there is … Read more
Okayama is one of those Japanese cities that many international travelers pass through without ever leaving the station. Sitting on the Sanyo Shinkansen between Osaka and Hiroshima, it is often treated simply as a place to change trains. I think that is a mistake. Okayama combines one of Japan’s most celebrated landscape gardens, an impressive … Read more
Miyajima is one of the easiest and most rewarding day trips from Hiroshima. Famous for Itsukushima Shrine, its seemingly floating torii gate, Mount Misen, friendly deer, and excellent local food, the island can be reached from Hiroshima Station in roughly 45–55 minutes using a combination of JR train and ferry. For most travelers, the simplest … Read more
Chugoku and Shikoku offer some of Japan’s most rewarding sightseeing trains, with routes along the Seto Inland Sea, through rural mountain valleys and across parts of western Japan that many international visitors never explore. These trains range from elegant coastal sightseeing services and art-inspired trains to a historic steam locomotive and premium dining journeys through … Read more