Most people brush off Hiroshima and consider it as a day trip or a one night stop combo with Miyajima. But on top of the city itself, there's lots of day trips that can be done from it. And being extremely chill compared to other cities, I consider it a great base.
There are many regional passes that allow you to visit some, many or even all the places I will mention. You can check here for all the info: https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2357.html
Already did stuff in Hiroshima https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/1s253i5/hidden_gemsoff_the_beaten_pathreal_japan_and_all/
In Nagoya
In Tokyo
From Tokyo
Disclaimer>
-No particular order.
-Names are exactly as they appear in Maps.
-I consider anything under 3hs travel time doable as a day trip. It's entirely subjective.
-Many of these places are just normal or even very touristy but people might not know that they are an option if staying in Hiroshima, especially with the many regional passes available. Clearly they can be done from other cities too. For the farthest places in Kyushu for example it would certainly be better if time allows to just stay in that island.
-There are obviously lots of other options like Kumamoto or Matsushima for example. I'm only mentioning the ones I've done and found more interesting.
Let's go>
Shimonoseki/Mojiko/Kokura:
-take the shinkansen from Hiroshima station to Shin-Shimonoseki and transfer to a normal train for Shimonoseki station. If you time it right it's just a 1:10hs trip. From there walk east towards the waterfront. The first big landmark you'll come across is the Kaikyō Yume Tower (observatory). Then the Yes! Karato Alley amusement park, the Kaikyokan aquarium and the Karato Fish Market. The area is known for its fugu (pufferfish), so you might want to try some. Keep going and visit Akama-jingu Shrine with its fugu mailbox and statue, and then go all the way to Dannoura Battlefield, with the awesome sea-samurai statues. All the while you'll be seeing Mojiko on the other shore and many huge cargo ships navigating the bay. Then comes the crazies part, cross the street towards 関門トンネル人道入口（下関側）, the Kanmon Tunnel pedestrian entrance. It's a free (there's a small fee for bicycles) 780m underwater pedestrian tunnel. Takes around 15 minutes to cross.
-when you get to the other side, visit Mekari Shrine and keep going south, following the waterfront again, now with Shimoniseki on the opposite shore. You'll start walking alongside the Mojikō Retro Scenic Line, a cute 2.1 km heritage train. You'll get to the Mojiko Retro Observation Gallery (observatory), the Kitakyushu City Dalian Friendship Memorial Hall and the Former Moji Customs Office, two European style heritage buildings. Close to them is the Blue Wing Moji, a pedestrian drawbridge. I'd recommend staying in the area until it's activated. On the other side stand more old buildings like the Old Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. Building, Old Moji Mitsui Club and Mojiko Station, an incredible neo-reinassanse station from 1891. One of the most beautiful stations I've seen in Japan. Close by is the Kyushu Railway History Museum.
-take the train towards Kokura station. Right in front of it you have Aruaru City, a mall that holds the Kitakyushu Manga Museum, Animate, Melonbooks, Lashinbang, Surugaya, etc. On the south side you have a couple of shotengai, Uomachi Gintengai Street being the central one. From there you can choose one of several bridges to cross the river and get to Katsuyama Park, Kokura castle (a reconstruction from 1959) and Kokura Castle Garden. Near them there's another mall by the river, Riverwalk Kitakyushu. When you're done you can make the one hour direct trip with the shinkansen from Kokura station back to Hiroshima.
-if you still have energy you can instead take the train back to Shimonoseki station and go to Kaikyō Yume Tower to see it lit up and go up to see the bay at night.
-the Shimonoseki/Mojiko combo has arguably one of the best waterfronts. Both Mojiko and Kokura are part of Kitakyushu, Kyushu's northernmost city. Can't really do them the other way around since most places in Kokura will be closed early in the morning and the fish market in Shimonoseki closes early in the afternoon.
Okunoshima/Takehara:
-take the shinkansen from Hiroshima to Mihara station, and the train from there to Tadano-Umi station. If you time it right, it should take around an hour. From the station you have a short walk to the Ferry Terminal for Ōkunoshima Island. In there you can buy the ferry tickets plus lots of merch. BUT if you want to buy rabbit food, go out and walk to 忠海港待合所. It's a gritty store that also sells rabbit food (and food for yourself), but cheaper. There are also toilets outside. I recommend buying food for yourself either there or at the 7-Eleven that's just a few blocks away because the food options at the island are very limited (basically what the cafe and restaurant in the hotel offer, and some options sell out).
-I won't write much about the island since it's small and easy to walk or bike on your own. Though if you want to explore the central area you have to hike uphill, so you need to be somewhat fit and bikes can't get there.
-When you're done with the island and take the ferry back, you can either go back to Hiroshima or make a detour to Takehara station to visit the Takehara Townscape Conservation Area. Take into account that trains in the area are infrequent, so check the timetable.
Himeji/Fukusaki:
-I don't think I need to say much about Himeji so I'll just name a few of the things that can be visited: Himeji castle (be there at 9am when it opens to avoid crowds and do not skip Koko-en). The top garden of the castle is amazing during sakura season. 名古山霊苑, Engyōji, Tegarayama Heiwa Park, and Taiyō Park (the most bizarre place).
-When you're done in Himeji, go back to the station and make the 25 minute ride to Fukusaki station, where the real fun begins. You're gonna go on a yokai hunt (supernatural entities, spirtis, monsters in Japanese folklore) across town and through the countryside. There are more than 20 yokai benches and statues scattered in the most random places you could imagine. I won't name them all here but here are some examples: Yokai: Gajiro Tube, Yokai Bench: Oni. You can either search Maps/the internet for them or go to the Fukusaki Town Tsujikawa Tourism Exchange Center and get a map. They also sell merch and even books in English about the yokai. If you want to find many or all of them, I suggest you map your walk before going because it's gonna take a while. You'll be literally walking through fields. Whatever you do, you have to visit Tsujikawayama Park where the biggest and moving statues, and the Kunio Yanagita and the Matsuoka Family Memorial Museum are. Kunio Yanagita was an author and scholar that popularized the yokai folklore in Japan, and the reason we have many of them in manga and anime today.
Fukuchiyama Line hike:
*****this is best done from Osaka or Kyoto, but since I'm not planning to do a guide for either of them, I'm including it here. From Hiroshima it takes a lot of time to get here, BUT you can technically pair the hike with Osaka or any other city on your way back to Hiroshima, so it makes for a full day trip.
-take the shinkansen from Hiroshima to Shin-Osaka station, and the train from there to Namaze station (around 2:30hs). From there walk along the National Route following the river to 旧国鉄福知山線廃線敷 . There's a public restroom around the area where the trail starts and there are signs along the way. The line was abandoned and people kept getting in and hiking in unsafe ways (there was a death involved), so the authorities decided to make it safer by making it an official hike with signage, rails, etc. You're gonna go through several railway tunnels in complete silence and darkness. One of them is around 400m long if I remember correctly. You can take a flashlight if you want. Your cellphone light won't be of any help whatsoever. There'll be nature spots along the way, and another public toilet at the end with a couple of places to buy some food. You'll end up at Takedao station, which is very cool because half of it is inside the mountain, and half of it outside.
-That would be the end of the hike and you could go back. Nevertheless, you should keep going and take the train towards Dojo station (5 minute ride, can't hike there as far as I'm aware). From the station, walk past Kobe City Sengari Water Treatment Plant. There is a barely visible path around it on the side of the river. Then hike for a little bit to visit Sengari Dam. It's a beautiful dam built between 1914 and 1918. When you're done, walk back to Dojo station. If you want you can walk uphill and visit Kaburaiji, or just take the train back to Shin-Osaka and visit whichever city you want.
Okayama/Kurashiki:
-Okayama's castle and Korakuen don't need an explanation but I'm gonna point a couple of things: Kibitsu Jinja is a very unique shrine that doesn't get mentioned much. Kibitsu station is the closest, but you can get off at Bizen-Ichinomiya Station and rent a bike or walk from there through the fields to the shrine, which I recommend. Across the street is Uga Shrine, which you should also visit. Around the small forest there are a couple of burial mounds and tumulus it you're interested in exploring a little. I'll also mention the Circus Dome, where Omotecho Shopping Street and Old Sanyo-do, two shotengai, meet.
-After you're done with Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, you can visit the Ario Kurashiki mall and the Mitsui Outlet Park Kurashiki on the opposite side of the station.
Fukuyama/Onomichi:
-Do a brief stop in Fukuyama to check out Fukuyama castle (reconstruction) since it's right outside the station, and then Fukuyama Hachimangu.
-Onomichi is pretty straightforward. Leaving the station you have Onomichi Hondori Shopping Arcade and then you can either climb the stairs or take the ropeway to Senkoji Peak Observatory. Around the area you have Cat Alley and temples/shrines to explore.
Beppu:
–Beppu station is around 2:05hs away from Hiroshima station if you pair the trains correctly. Do the hells but please skip Oniyama Jigoku. The sight of the crocodiles inside those small cages is heart breaking. DO NOT SKIP Tatsumaki Jigoku. It has a boiling hot geyser, which erupts every 30-40 minutes for about 6-10 minutes. Visit an onsen. I would recommend Hyotan Onsen. The facilities are awesome, it allows tattoos, and is at walking distance from some of the hells. I strongly recommend walking along Sakai river. It has a path with stairs, stepping stones, platforms and lots of stuff to walk and jump around basically almost until the coast. It's extremely cool. Plus it's lined with sakura if you're there in spring. You can also visit the Beppu Tower and Global Tower if you like observatories, and definitely check Beppu Park. It has a bamboo grove. If you have the time, you obviously have the Beppu Ropeway to Mount Tsurumi.
Fukuoka:
-Hakata station is just around an hour from Hiroshima. You can easily visit the main stuff in the city during a day trip since it's in a relatively small area with public transport available: Sumiyoshi Shrine, CANAL CITY HAKATA, Nakasu Food Stalls Street, Kawabata Shotengai, Tenjin Underground Mall, Fuku-Haku Deai Bridge, Kihinkan Hall, Maizuru Park, Fukuoka Prefecture Gokoku Shrine, Ohori Park, MARK IS Fukuoka Momochi, Fukuoka Tower, Momochi Seaside Park. You won't be able to do all of that with Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, Uminonakamichi Seaside Park or Futamigaura.
Kagoshima:
–Kagoshimachuo station is just 2:20hs from Hiroshima. The main idea would be visiting Sakurajima. I'd recommend renting an e-bike. If you're relatively fit it'll be a fairly easy ride even with the slopes. The guys at the bike rental place (Sakurajima Car Rental) give you an ice-cream if you bike the island in less than 3hs. They also hand you a map and give you some instructions for the main sights and road. Though it's pretty easy since it's a circular route. Don't worry about traffic. There's very little. You can find the main sights in Maps or online, and they are mostly well marked anyway. If you want to get closer to the volcano, you're gonna have to take a bus.
-In Kagoshima check out Sengan-en, Minato Odori Park, Kagoshima City Hall and Central Community Center (just interesting buildings), Kagoshima (Tsurumaru) Castle Ruins, Mount Shiroyama and the Cave of Takamori Saigo (Satsuma Rebellion 1877).
Nagasaki:
-Kinda pushing it, but it's 2:59hs from Hiroshima station so it fits my criteria. Fukusaiji is easily the most bizarre place there. Besides the unique temple, it has a free small WWII museum where you have to turn on and off the lights yourself. It also holds the third biggest Foucault pendulum in the world (?). Check the Tateyama Air-raid Shelter, Suwa Shrine, walk along Nakashima River finding the hearts and Megane Bridge, walk along Teramachi-dori, visit the temples and also the cemetery (西川如見の墓). Check Sofuku-ji Temple and Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown. Also Minamiyamatemachi, go up Mt. Nabekammuri Observatory if you're up for great views, Nagasaki Seaside Park , and take the ropeway to Mt. Inasa Overlook at night.
by R1nc