LAChargers

I have 8 days flying into KIX and will spend a few days in Osaka and Kyoto and then want to spend maybe a night or 2 in Hiroshima with a day trip to Miyajima (unless there is a reason to overnight there) and possibly a night in Matsuyama.

My tentative itinerary is:

1 night Osaka (or go straight to Kyoto if ryokan/hotel options are better)
2 nights Kyoto
3-4 nights Hiroshima/Miyajima/Matsuyama (any combination)
1 night Osaka? (I'm not sure if it is faster on the express from Kyoto)

We are a family of 3 (7yo girl) and can do these cities in any order. My daughter is well traveled so switching hotels this often will not be a big burden on her. I am familiar with Osaka/Kyoto/Nara but if anyone has any ryokan recommendations please let me know--preferably under 50k/night.

Also, I am assuming getting a rail pass is the best option also:

http://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/tr...on/pass/sanyo/

My main question is what's the best means of transportation for the Hiroshima/Miyajima/Matsuyama part of the trip. Is Matsuyama doable or should we skip it?

We can also go from Matsuyama straight back towards Osaka (maybe to Okayama) and then use the rail pass to get back to Osaka.

If anyone has other suggestions, please let me know.


Thanks!

armagebedar

There is a high-speed ferry between Hiroshima and Matsuyama, connecting the two in a little over an hour. A night in Matsuyama (Dogo Onsen?) is very doable in my opinion.

http://setonaikaikisen.co.jp/language/en/superjet/

I don't think there's any reason to overnight in Miyajima -- I would stay in Hiroshima proper and simply make a day trip of it.

abmj-jr

If you choose not to use the ferry, the rail trip from Hiroshima to Matsuyama via Okayama is about 6 hours.

Matsuyama back to Kyoto is about 4-1/2+ hours with a change at Okayama, on trains available on the Rail Pass. Depending on how late in the day your departure flight is, you could even go all the way to KIX from Matsuyama. It would involve a 5+ hour train journey.

I have been on that deluxe express train to/from Shikoku from Okayama and found it comfortable and spectacular when crossing the Seto Inland Sea by bridge.

jib71

YMMV as they say. I think it's lovely once the crowds are gone and the torii is lit up. You can take a short boat trip to see the torii from the water. It feels very touristy... because it is very touristy... Not much in the way of nightlife, of course. So once you've walked or sailed around the torii you have little left to do other than have dinner, take a bath, and sleep.

ksandness

I've done the ferry trip to Matsuyama from Hiroshima. It's very relaxing, you get to see Inland Sea islands, and the time I went, there were only about half a dozen other passengers on board, some of whom were stretched out on the floor in the tatami area, napping. There was a little snack bar/souvenir stand.

I then took a bus to the central city and picked up the streetcar to my hotel, which happened to be on the same streetcar line as Dogo Onsen.

Since I was traveling on a budget, I stayed at a business hotel in the main city, but the streetcar ride to Dogo Onsen was relatively brief. There's an old-fashioned terminal station, and you walk through a shopping arcade to reach the bathhouse and ryokan area. You will see people walking around in yukata, which are supplied by the ryokan. The ryokan provide dinner and breakfast, of course, but there are plenty of restaurants and coffee shops in the area where the shopping arcade ends.

msiamsia

I was going to mention "Dogo" onsen, too!!
Your daughter perhaps has seen the movie "Spirited Away" by Hayao Miyazaki.
The Onsen in that movie is said to be modeled after the one called, "Dogo Onsen, Honkan (or, Main building)" in Matsuyama.
http://www.city.matsuyama.ehime.jp/l...eing/dogo.html

I think it is a great idea to take a high speed ferry from Hiroshima to Matsuyama. (By the way, there is a ferry that connects Miyajima and Hirosima, too).
So, you could do Miyajima - Hiroshima - Matsuyama all by ferry.
If you know already, just ignore this part.
There are two ferry companies that services betw Hiroshima - Matsuyama.
One has the English site, but the other one ferry company doesn't have Eng site.
It appears that sometimes you can buy a discount ticket on their website.

http://setonaikaikisen.co.jp/language/en/
http://www.ishizakikisen.co.jp/index.shtml

Hope this helps.

jib71

Certainly. But I heard that the artists took some inspiration from Yunotsu onsen too - specifically the staircase at one of the inns there:
http://ameblo.jp/kikonoblog/entry-11113068123.html

I'm sure there are other retro onsen towns that helped to inspire the artists for that film

midtech

If you're going to Dogo Onsen you can take the little Botchan Ressha instead of the regular streetcar.

It helps to be familiar with the Botchan story by Natsume Soseki as there are many references to it in Matsuyama, such as the Botchan clock in Dogo. At Matsuyama Castle there is usually a couple dressed up as Botchan and Madonna who will pose with you for free.

valve bouncer

My hood! I've never been to Hiroshima any other way than by ferry, both high-speed and regular. I lie, I once went by car over the Shimanami Kaido but that was from the next city along from Matsuyama. This trip can obviously also be done by bus. Best bet is shinkansen to Fukuyama then bus over the bridge. I'm biased towards the bridge but for a real Seto Inland Sea experience the ferry is pretty hard to beat. Train? Talk about going all over Chugoku to get to Japan!

msiamsia

I just wish I have that luxury of visiting all these Onsen Miyazaki Hayao visited. Looks great!

LAChargers

Thanks for all of the advice. It turns out a friend wants to go for a few days so we may not have time to make it to Matsuyama this trip unless I can convince him to spend the time getting there. I'm going to ask some questions on a new thread...