Step 1 — Get to Miyajimaguchi
Fastest
JR Sanyo Line from Hiroshima Station
Local train toward Iwakuni, get off at Miyajimaguchi. The pier is a 5-minute signposted walk from the station. This is the default choice for almost everyone.
Cheapest / scenic
Hiroden tram (Line 2)
Slower, but it leaves from downtown (Peace Park, Hondori) so you skip the trip to Hiroshima Station. Sit back and watch the city turn into coastline.
No transfers
Direct boat from Peace Park
A high-speed boat links the Motoyasu River by the Peace Park directly with Miyajima pier. The premium buys you a seamless Peace Park → Miyajima day with zero transfers.
Step 2 — The 10-minute ferry
Two companies run the same crossing side by side: JR West Ferry and Matsudai Kisen. Same pier, same price, boats every 10–15 minutes through the day — just board whichever leaves first.
One exception worth knowing: in the daytime the JR ferry takes the "Great Torii route", swinging closer to the gate on the way over. If a JR boat is boarding, take it and stand starboard (right side).
Ferry facts
- Crossing time ~10 min
- Daytime frequency every 10–15 min
- First boats from ~06:25
- Last boats off the island after 22:00
- JR Pass on JR ferry covered
- Miyajima visitor tax ¥100
Exact timetables shift by season — confirm the day's first and last sailings on the operators' official sites before an early seabed walk or a late illumination viewing. The visitor tax is paid at the gate and isn't covered by rail passes.
The timing decision that matters
Don't plan around the ferry — it's too frequent to matter. Plan around the tide. The real questions are: does the walkable window fall while you're on the island, and does the evening high tide float the illuminated gate after you've gone home?
If the answer to the second one stings, the fix is a night on the island — first boats are early enough that dawn seabed walks are an overnight guest's privilege.