Originally Posted by LapLap

Up until October last year (2023) another additional reason for its inclusion on itineraries was that it was an easy way to give value to the JR Pass. Rather than worry about whether or not to buy individual tickets (and include a ride on the Nozomi) between Tokyo and Osaka/Kyoto or buy the JR Pass, the addition of Hiroshima (and that Miyajima side trip) made the purchase of a JR Pass into a slam-dunk obvious choice.

I sent my parents there without me (I included Kurashiki and Himeji as well as Miyajima on that short solo tour) and their visit to Hiroshima included a memorable encounter with Crown Prince Akishino, but that’s a part of their visit that only happened because it increased the cost-performance of the previous JR Pass.