Originally Posted by
abmj-jr
All that said, it is true that most trips from Kyoto to Hiroshima require a connection at either Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe or Himeji, with the majority at Shin-Osaka. It is not a difficult change as all the shinkansens arrive and depart at the same part of the station. Often you will be using the same platform or one very nearby. If you look closely at the Hyperdia results, they will often list the exact platform used.
The train connections from Kyoto are a lot like hub-and-spoke air connections in the US. I can't get anywhere from my regional airport without connecting somewhere either.
Thanks! This was very helpful. If our itinerary is flying into NRT, spending 2 nights in Tokyo, then 5 nights in Osaka (with day trips to Himeji and Miyajima) before taking an LCC flight from KIX-NRT to connect to our trip back to the U.S., does it seem to make more sense to buy (1) a NEX Tokyo Direct Ticket, (2) a one-way Nozomi ticket from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka, and (3) a JR West Hiroshima Area Pass? Unless my math is wrong, that would be cheaper than a 7-day JR Pass.