I was thinking that if you "steal" a night to spend in Hiroshima from Tokyo, you would still have 4 each for Tokyo and Kyoto. If you take a night for Hiroshima from Kyoto, that would only leave 3 in Kyoto. And for a visitor, "Kyoto" really means the Kansai - Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Kobe and perhaps Hikone/Lake Biwa.

On the broader question, it is all a matter of style. You will see opinions here that suggest Tokyo is the best place in the world and you should spend every day you can there. I don't happen to agree but freely admit to having my own prejudices. Tokyo is another big, modern, fast-paced, cosmopolitan megalopolis which never sleeps. It is made up of several smaller cities-within-the-city that are each unique, with their own identity and style. For those seeking night-life, shopping, high-tech, a vibrant fashion scene, world-class dining and cutting edge trends, Tokyo can't be beat. As I have gotten older, I find that I get tired and bored with all that after a few days. Frankly, when I visit Japan these days I avoid Tokyo or just speed right through the station en route to someplace else. Other than the occasional unavoidable night before an early flight hotel stay, I haven't spent a night in or around Tokyo in years. It is not just Tokyo in particular. I am equally bored with New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Paris and any number of other huge, crowded monster cities that other people love.

The Kansai area (Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Kobe, etc) is different. Some of the cities are still quite large and exciting, particularly Osaka, but Kyoto and Kobe are big too. Some folks suggest that once you have seen one temple or shrine, you have seen them all but that is poppycock. The history and culture that pervade Kansai is almost palpable. You will see references to "ancient Kyoto," and it is true. Kyoto was the capitol and cultural center of what was then Japan for over a thousand years. The different temples, shrines, castles and other historical sites each have their own identity and the slower, more "refined" Kyoto style is more to my liking. For food folks, the formal Kyoto cuisine is special, more refined and delicate. You can catch glimpses of another time and people around Kyoto. As an example, although I know they can be found elsewhere, I have never seen, spoken with or photographed maiko or geiko (geisha) anywhere other than Kyoto. They still live, train and walk to work in Kyoto.

I have seen it said that the "city parts" of Kyoto are ugly and I don't disagree but consider them areas to just be gotten through on the way to the many special places that abound. To see all the beautiful and interesting places in Kyoto and nearby, even older Nara, takes more than a day or two. After several visits, I am still finding new and interesting places that are not on the guidebook tourist itineraries.

I think the Tokyo versus Kyoto discussion boils down to what type of travel one prefers. Many like the fast, exciting bigger cities and I understand that. I am more of a get-up-before-dawn to photograph the sunrise silhouetting a pagoda type. I love finding a group of miko on the way to work at the local shrine or shop owners watering down the cobbles in front of small alleyway businesses. I like meeting and talking with local priests or shrine maidens and shop owners or others working little stalls at the local morning market. I once caught photos of a grandfather and his granddaughter racing razor scooters in an alley behind their home in Kyoto and was invited to join them. On Shikoku island, a little toddler girl out for a day in a famous garden with her obaachan smiled and then mugged charmingly for my camera and was calling me ojiichan before we parted. Those are moments, not the fancy bars or two hundred dollar sushi places, that make my travel memorable. My style and priorities may not be yours.

A better insight into the "Kyoto mystique" than I can hope to write can be found in Diane Durston's excellent "Kyoto: Seven Paths to the Heart of the City," available used at Amazon or other sources. Apparently it is out-of-print and new copies are very expensive, although you might find a copy at original retail in a local book shop. I think I paid around $20.00 for my copy 12 years ago. The photography in that small book inspired me to explore the city more deeply and try to up my game behind the camera.

I guess I just hate to see first-time visitors short changing their Kansai visit in favor of more big city in Tokyo. YMMV.