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Departing from Haneda Airport in the morning, your heart races as you gaze down at the blue Seto Inland Sea from above—just 1 hour and 45 minutes to a completely different world.
From Iwakuni City in Yamaguchi Prefecture, where Kintai Bridge—one of Japan’s three most famous bridges—spans the Nishiki River, to Kure City in Hiroshima Prefecture, once a vital naval stronghold. We present a luxurious one-day travel plan packed with history and culture that you can fully enjoy even on a day trip from Tokyo.
Touch the craftsmanship of Edo-period artisans at Kintai Bridge, a wooden masterpiece with over 300 years of history, and be overwhelmed by the shipbuilding technology of Kure that created the battleship Yamato. On this journey spanning two prefectures—Yamaguchi and Hiroshima—you can experience both Japanese traditional beauty and the path of modernization simultaneously.
We’ll guide you through travel times, transportation options, and recommended lunch spots in chronological order, making this perfect for weekend getaways or as a pre/post-trip option for your Hiroshima travels.
Here’s the itinerary we’ll introduce in this article:
Now, let’s embark on this scenic journey where history and nature intertwine, just about 2 hours from Tokyo!
🕛 8:40 am
Taking the 6:55 am flight from Haneda Airport, after 1 hour and 45 minutes of flight time, we arrived at Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport. We have entered Yamaguchi Prefecture, the starting point of our journey.
Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport is a beautifully maintained facility. Despite being small, it has a simple floor layout with a comfortable, spacious atmosphere.
Right outside the arrival lobby, you’ll find the bus stop.
From the airport, take the Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport Access Bus heading to Iwakuni Station.
You can reach Iwakuni Station in about 10 minutes. Having the airport so close to the main station is a great convenience.
[One-way] Adult: 200 yen, Child: 100 yen
| Arrival Flight | Aircraft Arrival Iwakuni | Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport | Sinfonia | Iwakuni Station (East Exit) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 631 | 8:20 am | 8:35 am | 8:37 am | 8:42 am |
| Flight 633 | 10:55 am | 11:10 am | 11:12 am | 11:17 am |
| Flight 635 | 2:10 pm | 2:25 pm | 2:27 pm | 2:32 pm |
| Flight 1268 | 5:10 pm | 5:25 pm | 5:27 pm | 5:32 pm |
| Flight 637 | 6:50 pm | 7:05 pm | 7:07 pm | 7:12 pm |
| Flight 639 | 9:50 pm | 10:05 pm | 10:07 pm | 10:12 pm |
Note that there’s also a direct bus from Iwakuni Airport to Kintai Bridge. You need to arrive at Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport on the morning flight, but if the timing works, you can use this service to avoid transferring at Iwakuni Station.
[One-way] Adult: 380 yen, Child: 190 yen
| Flight | Aircraft Arrival Iwakuni | Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport | Kintai Bridge | Hiroshima Bus Center |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 631 | 8:50 am | 9:16 am | 10:15 am |
🕛 9:12 am
We arrived at Iwakuni Station. The bus stops at the East Exit rotary.
The bus from the airport stops at the East Exit, but buses to Kintai Bridge depart from the West Exit, so you need to walk through the station’s free passage to reach the opposite side.
From the free passage, you can see the cute yellow trains of the Sanyo Main Line. Being able to appreciate such casual scenery is one of the wonderful aspects of traveling.
Now, we’ve exited through the free passage to the West Exit of Iwakuni Station. The bus terminal is right in front, so we’ll board the bus to Kintai Bridge here.
There’s also a tourist information center at the West Exit of Iwakuni Station, so you can easily ask about bus times and stops. If you’re unsure, feel free to stop by.
There’s also a taxi stand. If the bus schedule doesn’t match your timing, taking a taxi is another effective option.
When we actually took a taxi, the ride was 10-15 minutes and cost 1,890 yen.
🕛 9:30 am
We arrived at Kintai Bridge.
Kintai Bridge is counted among Japan’s three most famous bridges and is incredibly beautiful. For a fee, you can walk across this bridge.
For more details about Kintai Bridge and its surroundings, as well as buses from Iwakuni Station, please see the following article.
Read more about highlights of Kintai Bridge
🕛 10:40 am
After about an hour of sightseeing at Kintai Bridge and its surroundings, we take the bus back to Iwakuni Station. (Fare: 300 yen)
🕛 11:10 am
We’re back at Iwakuni Station. The bus stops at the East Exit.
Now, off to Hiroshima Prefecture. We’ll travel by train.
🕛 11:25 am
We board the Sanyo Main Line heading to Hiroshima Prefecture. Our destination is Kure City in Hiroshima Prefecture, where the Yamato Museum is located.
From Iwakuni Station to Kure Station, there’s one transfer at Hiroshima Station. The total journey takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes.
| Travel Time | Transfers | Fare | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hr 38 min | 1 | 1,170 yen | 67.8km |
| Departure Time | Departure Station | Line Name | Travel Time | Arrival Station | Arrival Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:25 am | Iwakuni Station | Sanyo Main Line | 49 min | Hiroshima Station | 12:14 pm |
| 12:30 pm | Hiroshima Station | Kure Line Rapid Akiji Liner | 33 min | Kure Station | 1:03 pm |
The Sanyo Main Line train from Iwakuni is characterized by its distinctive red stripe.
The seats are arranged facing each other, allowing for good views of the scenery outside.
🕛 1:03 pm
We’ve arrived at Kure Station. First, let’s have lunch.
Kure Haikara Shokudo is a recommended lunch spot where you can enjoy JMSDF-approved curry, purchase Maritime Self-Defense Force merchandise, and see a large-scale model of the battleship Yamato—a must-visit when in Kure.
For more details about Kure Haikara Shokudo, please see the following article.
Read more about Kure Haikara Shokudo
🕛 2:35 pm
In front of the Yamato Museum, you’ll find the "JMSDF Kure Museum (Tetsu - no - Kujira - kan)".
Tetsu-no-Kujira-kan is a Maritime Self-Defense Force museum featuring the massive submarine “Akishio” (length: 76.2m, weight: 2,250t) on display, and visitors can actually go inside and tour the submarine.
🕛 2:40 pm
We’ve arrived at the Yamato Museum. The Yamato Museum is a museum featuring exhibits about the battleship Yamato. The massive 1/10 scale model of the battleship Yamato is truly impressive. It’s an essential sightseeing spot when visiting Kure.
Read more about highlights of the Yamato Museum
🕛 4:20 pm
After spending about an hour and a half at the Yamato Museum, we returned to Kure Station.
Since our hotel tonight is near Hiroshima Station, we’re heading back there.
If you take the “Kure Line Rapid Akiji Liner” that we rode on the way to Kure, you can travel in about 35 minutes, but local trains take about 50 minutes. If you want to minimize travel time, we recommend checking the timetable in advance and planning your sightseeing around which Akiji Liner you’ll catch.
🕛 5:20 pm
We got off at Hiroshima Station and exited to the front. The area in front of the station is lively.
Let’s take Hiroshima’s famous streetcar to get around.
On Hiroshima Electric Railway streetcars, you pay the fare when you exit. (Adult: 240 yen, Child: 120 yen)
When paying with cash or an IC transit card, you can only exit through the door where the driver is located, so if you’re not familiar with the system, we recommend sitting in the front car as close to the front as possible for smooth exiting. (The trams can get quite crowded, so if you’re too far back, it can be difficult to reach the exit door!)
For payment methods and more details about riding Hiroshima Electric Railway streetcars, please check the official Hiroshima Electric Railway website below.
How to Ride: Boarding Instructions | Tram Information | Hiroshima Electric Railway
After this, check in to the hotel and enjoy the nightlife.
Our journey from Iwakuni to Kure, and then to Hiroshima. Starting the morning at the Edo-period masterpiece “Kintai Bridge,” experiencing the grand history of the battleship Yamato in the naval town of Kure at midday, and swaying on Hiroshima’s streetcars at dusk. In just one day, you can enjoy this Seto Inland Sea journey that shows so many different faces.
Iwakuni still has much more to offer that we couldn’t visit this time—Iwakuni Castle, the atmosphere of the castle town, and local favorites like kawara soba noodles. Kure has attractions including the Tetsu-no-Kujira-kan where you can board a real submarine, and the submarine pier where you can see active submarines and Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels up close—so many attractions that one day isn’t enough.
The course introduced in this article is a “highlights version” for those with limited time. If you have more time to spare, we recommend staying one night in Iwakuni and one night in Kure to enjoy the morning and evening atmosphere of each town.
Please use this model course as a reference to plan your own Yamaguchi-Hiroshima trip.
Today’s Route:
