If you are going there and back
between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima, the pass pays for itself on that alone.
The question worth worrying about is not the price. It is whether your whole family is even allowed to buy it. Japanese nationals cannot buy the Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass. In a mixed-nationality family, some people at the table qualify and some do not.
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Count the people firstFor the family that has just landed at Kansai Airport
Bottom line: decide about the pass before you arrive at Kansai Airport, not after you decide to go to Hiroshima.
The HARUKA airport express is included too Officially confirmed
The Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass covers the ride from the airport into Kyoto and Osaka as well. That is exactly why waiting until you have decided on Hiroshima is too late. It also covers KUROSHIO, KONOTORI and KINOSAKI, plus Special Rapid, Rapid and Local trains.
You show your passport when you collect it
Eligibility means a passport issued by a foreign government plus "Temporary Visitor" status. In a large family where some members hold Japanese nationality, you end up with passes for those who qualify and ordinary tickets for those who do not. If you collect them together, you need the passport of every person who will use one. One pass per person — you cannot share one between family members (anyone else using it is treated as fare evasion).
Families arriving via Narita or Haneda are out of scope
This pass covers Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima. An itinerary that enters through Tokyo and heads straight west falls outside that section. This article assumes you stay in Kansai first and then extend westward.
The shinkansen bill for six, up front
Bottom line: Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima costs 10,950 yen one way for an adult. For two adults and four children, that is about 87,560 yen return.
That is the price for a reserved ordinary seat on a "Nozomi" or "Mizuho". We ran the actual Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima search on JR-West's timetable and fare tool to confirm it (6 September 2026). Children pay 5,470 yen. Note that "Sakura" and "Hikari" cost 10,420 yen and take only 5 to 11 minutes longer, which works out to a 3,180 yen difference for six people. Fares are revised from time to time, so check the current amount when you book.
| Category | One way | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (12 and over) | 10,950 yen | Reserved ordinary seat on Nozomi / Mizuho |
| Child (6 to under 12) | About 5,470 yen | An estimate: half the adult fare, rounded down to the nearest 10 yen |
| Infant (1 to under 6) and babies | Free on a lap | A child ticket is required if they occupy a reserved seat |
| Seasonal variation | Up to ±400 yen | Peak +400 / high +200 / low −200 |
For a large family, "infants ride free on a lap" is a premise that rarely survives contact with reality. Ask yourself first whether you can hold a child on your lap for nearly two hours, and if you are taking seats, budget for six from the start.
Working out the valueThe Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass comes down to one question: are you coming back?
Bottom line: one adult pays 21,900 yen in fares for a round trip, against 17,000 yen for the pass. Go there and back and it is already cheaper. It is valid for 5 days and costs 17,000 yen for adults (12 and over) and 8,500 yen for children (6 to 11).
There is no need to count days or rides looking for a break-even point. Round trip, it wins; one way only, it loses. "One way only" means an itinerary like carrying on from Hiroshima to Hakata and flying home from there. Note that HARUKA and the Miyajima ferry are not included in the chart above, so the real gap is a little wider.
| Group | Fares (round trip) | Pass (5 days) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 adult | 21,900 yen | 17,000 yen | Pass saves 4,900 yen |
| 1 adult, one way only | 10,950 yen | 17,000 yen | Fares are 6,050 yen cheaper |
| 2 adults + 4 children | About 87,560 yen | 68,000 yen | Pass saves about 19,560 yen |
| 6 adults | About 131,400 yen | 102,000 yen | Pass saves about 29,400 yen |
You can buy it from one month before your start date up to the day itself. Either buy an exchange order (MCO / E-MCO) from a travel agency overseas and collect it at a station, or book through JR-West's online reservation service and collect it there. The official JR-West page is the authority on conditions and eligible trains.
Secure the JR Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass in advance
5 days of unlimited travel including the HARUKA airport express and reserved seats on Nozomi and Mizuho. Only travellers on a "Temporary Visitor" status can buy it, so check every family member's eligibility before you order.
One pass per person, and it cannot be shared within the family. You will need the passport of every person using one when you collect them.
Crossing to Miyajima — the visitor tax and its exemptions are harder than the fare
Bottom line: the ferry is 200 yen one way, but Miyajima also charges a separate 100 yen "visitor tax".
| Category | Ferry (one way) | Miyajima visitor tax |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (12 and over) | 200 yen | 100 yen per person per visit |
| Child (6 to under 12) | 100 yen | 100 yen per person per visit |
| Pre-school children | Up to 2 free per accompanying adult (babies free too) | Exempt, no paperwork needed |
- Payment is cash or any of the 10 nationwide transport IC cards, which saves you buying six tickets at a window (Cash & IC card guide)
- The visitor tax is collected together with the ferry fare and is added automatically when you tap an IC card
- Holders of a Japanese disability certificate (rehabilitation, mental health welfare or physical disability certificate) are exempt too, but you must show the certificate when boarding. Note that whether an accompanying carer is exempt is not stated in the list of exemptions published by Hatsukaichi City (school trip supervisors are explicitly listed as exempt)
- No return fare is listed on the official pages, so calculate it as one way × 2
- Eight or more people on the same sailing qualify for a group fare (JR Miyajima Ferry: adults 160 yen one way / 320 yen return, children 80 yen / 160 yen). A family of eight saves 40 yen each. Tell the window "eight people"
For six people — 2 adults, 2 primary-school children and 2 pre-schoolers — a return crossing comes to 1,200 yen of ferry plus 400 yen of tax, so roughly 1,600 yen in total (our own build-up calculation).
Total boat cost for six people — 2 adults, 2 primary-school children, 2 pre-schoolers — to cross to Miyajima and back.
The World Heritage Sea Route below costs over 10,000 yen for the same round trip.
There is a boat from Peace Park to Miyajima with zero transfers
Bottom line: the "Hiroshima World Heritage Sea Route" takes you from the riverbank at the Peace Memorial Park to the Miyajima pier with zero transfers.
Hiroshima World Heritage Sea Route Officially confirmed
Motoyasu Pier (beside Motoyasu Bridge) ⇔ Miyajima Pier 3
- Adults (junior high and above) 2,400 yen one way / 4,400 yen return
- Children (primary school) 1,200 yen one way / 2,200 yen return
- One pre-schooler free per adult (a different rule from the ferry's "up to two")
- The 100 yen Miyajima visitor tax is extra
- Online booking by the day before only. Same-day reservations are not accepted (same-day tickets are sold at the pier)
Getting from central Hiroshima to Miyajimaguchi
JR is fast; the Hiroden tram is cheap and generous with infants
- JR Sanyo Line: Hiroshima Station → Miyajimaguchi Station, 420 yen adult / 210 yen child, 23 min by rapid, 28 min by local
- Hiroden: Hiroshima Station → Hiroden-Miyajimaguchi, 240 yen adult / 120 yen child, about 60 min (it is a tram, so it takes time)
- Hiroden charges a flat 240 yen across the whole network, city lines and the Miyajima line alike. Distance does not change it
- Hiroden carries up to three infants free per adult or child fare. The more pre-schoolers you have, the wider the gap
- Hiroshima Port (Ujina) → Miyajima Pier: about 22 min by high-speed boat
For one day covering the park and Miyajima, a day pass works out cheaper
Paying as you go on the tram and ferry costs six people (2 adults, 4 children) 960 yen one way alone (Hiroden: 240 × 2 adults + 120 × 4 children = 960 yen; ferry and visitor tax are on top). Add the return leg and any moving around the city, and you pass the point where a day pass becomes cheaper almost immediately. There are two day passes, and which one wins depends on your family's make-up.
| Item | One-Day Tram & Ferry Pass (Hiroden) | Hiroshima Tourist Pass |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | 1,000 yen | 1,000 yen |
| Child | 550 yen | No child price (same as adult) |
| 100 yen Miyajima visitor tax | Included | Extra |
| Coverage | All Hiroden tram lines + Miyajima Matsudai Kisen | All Hiroden tram lines + the Miyajima route + city buses from 6 operators |
| Miyajima Ropeway | Discounted return (adult 2,000 → 1,500 yen / child 1,000 → 750 yen) | No discount |
| How to buy | Service centres, on board the tram, major city hotels | Bought in advance on your phone, free cancellation up to 24 hours before |
→ Families with a lot of children are better off with Hiroden's One-Day Tram & Ferry Pass. Two adults and four children come to 2,000 + 2,200 = 4,200 yen (visitor tax included). The Hiroshima Tourist Pass charges everyone the same, so it comes to 6,000 yen + 600 yen of visitor tax = 6,600 yen — a 2,400 yen gap. If you are taking the Mount Misen ropeway, the discount widens that by another 2,000 yen (our one-day plan for the Peace Memorial Park and Miyajima lists that day's admission prices).
The Hiroshima Tourist Pass suits adults travelling without children, and anyone who does not want to queue at a window on the day. What it adds is unlimited city buses across six operators and the ability to buy ahead on your phone. This is the only one of the two we have an affiliate link for, but the cheaper option is the one stated above.
Lock in the Hiroshima Tourist Pass
Unlimited trams, the Miyajima route and city buses. It is valid only on the date you specify, so decide which day you are crossing to Miyajima before you buy. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
There is no child price — everyone pays the same. If you have several children, compare it with the One-Day Tram & Ferry Pass in the table above before deciding.
Six people on the World Heritage Sea Route costs over 10,000 yen for the round trip alone — more than ten times the JR-and-ferry connection. If there is a reason to choose it anyway, it is that every ticket bought, every gate passed and every transfer made is friction multiplied by the number of people. Sitting down for 45 minutes leaves you with more energy than changing trains at Hiroshima Station with the luggage and the small children.
But you cannot decide to take it on the spur of the moment. To secure six seats reliably, book by the day before (Japan's popular restaurants and experiences require early booking).
Answering your questionsKansai to Hiroshima & Miyajima transport FAQ (for large families)
For six people, is the pass or an ordinary ticket cheaper?
For a round trip between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima, the pass. For two adults and four children the gap is about 19,560 yen (calculated from the fare table as revised in April 2023, regular season). If you are only going one way, the pass loses.
Some of our family are Japanese nationals. Can we all buy the pass?
No. The Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass requires a passport issued by a foreign government and "Temporary Visitor" status, and Japanese nationals are excluded even if they live abroad permanently. You end up with passes for those who qualify and ordinary tickets for those who do not.
Can we take our suitcases on the shinkansen and the boat?
On the shinkansen, luggage over 160 cm in total dimensions requires an advance reservation for an oversized baggage seat (bringing it without one incurs a fee). We have not been able to confirm how the ferry handles large luggage. If you have one suitcase per person, forwarding them to your accommodation ahead of you is the safer plan (Shinkansen large-luggage guide for big families / Guide to forwarding luggage in Japan).
If we stay on Miyajima, how much do the boat times matter?
Staying on the island makes the relationship between your check-in time and the last ferry matter, but we have not been able to verify that in detail here. The material for deciding between staying on the island and commuting from the city is in Where a large family can sleep in one room in Hiroshima.
Can we do the Peace Memorial Park and Miyajima in one day?
Yes, but what you can see on the Miyajima side changes with the tide times. How to build the day around going straight from the park by the World Heritage Sea Route is covered in our one-day plan for the Peace Memorial Park and Miyajima.
Read these too, and Hiroshima gets easier
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