Himeji Castle and Hiroshima from Osaka, Hiroshima, Japan

Himeji Castle is considered Japan’s most iconic and one of the best day trips from Osaka. Hiroshima stands as one of Japan’s most historically significant cities, known worldwide as the site of the 1945 atomic bombing.

Because both cities sit directly on Japan’s Tokaido-Sanyo bullet train line, we thought it would be easy to combine them into a single journey. We were right.

Our plan was simple: visit Himeji and Hiroshima from Osaka by shinkansen, continue to Miyajima, and stay overnight. However, if you are short on time, this route can also work as an ambitious (and very long) day trip.

From Japan’s most famous castle to one of its most thought-provoking cities, without further ado, Feet Do Travel share our journey through Himeji and Hiroshima by bullet train.

While it is entirely possible to visit Himeji and Hiroshima as a single-day trip from Osaka, it makes for a very long day. Staying overnight in Hiroshima gave us time to experience the city properly and continue to Miyajima the following morning. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).