Originally Posted by abmj-jr

If you are not going to get to Hiroshima until midday, an overnight there might be helpful. While I agree that the city doesn't really demand more than a few hours, Miyajima is good for several more. You could easily fill a half-day in Hiroshima, then a meal and an overnight, followed by a half-day or more to/from and on Miyajima before taking the train on to Kyoto. I'd make sure the extra night comes out of the Tokyo time allocation and not from Kyoto. If you do this, I agree that having the bulk of your luggage sent to Kyoto by takkyubin is a good idea.