Osaka to Hiroshima
 

Hi Everyone,

I'm flying into Osaka (Kansai) with a few friends in a few weeks to have 7-days looking to buy some Koi. I am meeting a friend in Hiroshima, so as I understand it I need to get a bullet train from Osaka airport to Hiroshima.

How do I go about purchasing a ticket once I've landed at Osaka?

Is it the bullet train I need?

How long is the journey?

Is food/drink purchasable on the train, if so what am I likely to get for choice?

Thanks for any replies, or anything else you can add.

Thanks Bob

you will land at Kansai Airport. That is an important distinction because Osaka has two airports. After going through customs and immigration you will go outside. There are signs directing you to the different forms of transportation. You will cross over a bridge and then there are two different train companies. Go to the JR ticket booth/kiosks. If you use the kiosks hit the english button on the lower right of the screen. Select the limited express to Shinkansen option. Now you will have to chose where you get on and off the Shinkansen(bullet train). Get on at Shin-Osaka and off at Hiroshima. You will have options for which trains to take, some will have more transfers than others. Also, you need to make sure you have time to transfer trains at Shin-Osaka where you will get on the Shinkansen. Both times I have flown into Kansai, the first train was late. Last time it was so late that even though I had chosen a Shinkansen that was supposed to depart 20 minutes after my first train arrived I only had 2 minutes to make the transfer once my train arrived at Shin-Osaka. Fortunately Shin-Osaka is a small station that is easy to get around so I made my train. I think you can also chose to just take the limited express train to Shin-Osaka and then buy Shinkansen tickets at Shin-Osaka.

The train ride takes about 50 minutes from Kansai airport to Shin-Osaka and then 1 1/2 hours from Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima.

Yes there is food and drink on the train. The food is usually small snacks, sandwiches, and I think a couple simple bentos. The drinks are juiceses, beer, sake, and soda. However, most people buy their food before they get on the train. I have only bought Ice cream and juice on the train.

StrangGuy,

Thats a very helpful reply thanks.

The JR Kiosk you mention, this sounds like an automated machine, which I guess takes yen. Any rough I dea what this train journey costs and also does the machine give change at all? Not sure yet what demonination yen we will have with us.

Should the machine be too complicated for me, is there a booth with a person in it who I can talk to in English?

The train station at Shinn-Osaka, I'm guessing it's obvious where to go for the bullet train?

You can use a machine or use a booth. Shinkansen station employees are used to dealing with foreigners, and most can speak English. The machines also have an English option, and all bills will get change. The money/machine technology is decades ahead of the US.

MMM,

That's very helpful, thanks

I guess what the Japanese have for machines, we get in the West a few years later!

If ever...

Price for a one way trip is about 12,000 yen if I remember correctly. Go toHyperdia Japan use Kansai as the origin and Hiroshima as the destination and you will get a search of the train schedules. It includes the fare prices and a couple versions of the schedule and different options for the trains that you could take.

The machines take up to 10,000 yen notes and give change. The human manned counter is right next to the kiosk and there are also helpful employees hovering near the machines. The first time I went through Kansai I couldn't get through the turnstile and they helped me. At Shin-Osaka once you get off the train look for a sign that says Shinkansen it should lead you to the right platform. If you get confused find a train station employee and show them your ticket they will understand and help you get in the right direction.

Another thing also, Express Trains from Kansai Airport and Shinkansen have 2 types of seats, Reserve and Non-Reserve. There is a slight different in prices between the 2. If you want to get a sure seat, take the Reserved Seat.

Just another option... I never once took the Shinkansen in my 2 years in Japan, it was too expensive IMO. You definitely can get from Osaka to Hiroshima by local trains, I did it. I think it took about 6 hours, maybe a little more because I stopped for a quick lunch. If you are in Japan during a time when the 18-kippu is available, you can use 1 of the tickets and then the trip will cost only 22 dollars, about 1/5 or 1/6 the cost of the bullet train. Yeah, it's much slower, but if you've got the time, why not save the money?

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all the detailed replies and links. Certainly feel like I'll know what to do when we get there.

Will probably take the more expensive quicker bullet train, as flying in from England is a 12-hour event to start off with. Also with time going forward 8-hours and probably not too much sleep, getting to Hiroshima quickly will be important.

Just need to work out what to do in Horoshima on the Saturday, before meeting up with our Koi Dealer on the Sunday.

Bob, when are you going to be there?

Also have you been to Hiroshima before?

There are quite a few things to do/see there.
Hiroshima castle, the Peace Memorial and associated A-bomb monuments, shukkein gardens, Miyajima, Yammamoto battleship museum in Kure, Mazda Museum and factory tour.

Hi Strang

We land at Kansai/Osaka @ 09.30 am on Friday 24th October and will then travel straight down to Hiroshima. On the Saturday we'll have a free day.

None of us have been to Hiroshima before, I'm the only one to have been to Japan before but that was up North in the Niigata mountain area.

I think visiting the peace memorial might be something worth doing. I understand we'll be staying in a hotel just outside Hiroshima train station, so speaking no Japanese at al how would we get to the memorial? Or how would we get anywhere? Taxi I guess, do taxi drivers speak English?

The taxi drivers speak pretty much no english. They are also generally older, so unless your Japanese accent is pretty good they won't understand you even if you speak Japanese. The one exception to that is if you say Hiroshima Station, they all seem to understand that one. However, there is a really good street car system in Hiroshima. It will allow you to get almost anywhere in the city for 150 yen. Hiroden Street Car Map If you get on the #2 or #6 street car, you can get off at Genbaku Dome-mae and you will be right next to the Peace Memorial Park. This stop is announced in English so that tourists will know where to get off.
For other ideas of things to do, check out GetHiroshima.com It has a list of events that are happening and also bars, restraunts, and shops in Hiroshima and nearby.

actually there is an information counter just outside jr hiroshima station. rather than taxi i would recommended touring the city by the "chin-chin densha" :D . you can get a 2 day ticket pass for 2000yen that includes already a ferry ride to miyajima and cable ride to the top of the mountain in itsukushima.

just ask for an english map too.

also kintaikyo in yamaguchi prefecture is just around 30-40 minutes away from hiroshima by jr train :D

You guys are very kind with your help, thank you. I'll copy all the tips into a word doc before I go and be able to refer to it.

Just now got to find somewhere to eat and drink. We have a vegitarian in out small group and I also like to know what it is I'm eating - LOL. I know the Japanese in general will eat just about anything, but we're English and a tad fussyier! Just hope there are some eating places that have pictures, we can point then!!!!!! I'm guessing there wont be anywhere with anything in English writing though?

Thanks again

There are several places with English menus, and few places with vegeterian meals. One of my coworkers is Vegan and spent most of his meals eating cheese pizza at Jolly Pasta, he knew Vegan was a near impossibility in Japan and conceded on the dairy products. Most of the restaurants listed on GetHiroshima.com have an english menu. Some places have a picture menu but most of the really nice Japanese restaurants have neither. If you can find one pick up a GetHiroshima map when you arrive it helps alot. I don't know if the train station has them but pretty much any place listed on the website has one. You said you are staying at a Hotel just outside Hiroshima Station, if it is Hotel Granvia, they have the GetHiroshima map.

If you are looking for some non-japanese food. Kemby's/The Shack and Molly Malones are pretty good. Kemby's and The Shack are American style bars. The food choices are pretty much all over the map though and The Shack has the same menu as Kemby's but with some Japanese dishes as well. Molly Malones is of course an Irish pub, run by a Brit of some sort. I don't know if he is Irish or English.

Stang,

Thanks again, didnt realise there would be that much choice. I'm sure we will find somehwere to eat for a couple of days and a few beers will find their way to us.

There are tons of restaurants in Japan. You can try real ramen, they have some varieties without meat (or just ask for no meat).

Go on then, whats Real Ramen?????

Fresh made, the broth simmered for many hours or even days, while the noodles are cooked when you order it, with green onions, garlic, slices of roasted pork, etc. "Real" as in "not the just-add-water, 5-for-$1, oversalted junk you get in a supermarket" but the real thing, as it should be.

the stock is meat based

Tokotsu ramen is meat based stock, but there are miso-based ramens and other kinds as well.

Hiroshima is famous for its Tsukemen too. Its safer than most ramen ( for vegetarian ).. :D

That sounds great, is it sold everywhere, or specifically anywhere near the train station!

I'll ask my fiance about it and get back to you. She has talked about tsukemen before and I am headed off to Hiroshima in a few hours. There are lots of ramen shops, I was familiar with one but it was closed last time I wanted to stop by.

Maybe a change in plan, it could be that our first stop will now be Okayama, not Hiroshima. Depends which Koi breeders are harvesting their Koi first, this could mean us changing our plans. It's up to our UK based Koi Dealer where we go to first, as he is in touch with the breeders all the time, so he knows their harvesting dates.

I'm guessing that Okayama isnt such a large place as Hiroshima?

I'm also guessing that getting a train/bullet train to Okayama is the same as getting one to Hiroshima, so that shouldnt be a problem for us. I've checked out the Hyperdia link for trains and prior to the bullet train there is a short journey to JR Kyoto Line. Is this a short walk to a specific platform, or a short train jouney to there?

So if we end up in Okayama, are there places to visit there which would be of interest to 5 English guys?????