Hiroshima Airport is
50km from Hiroshima.
This is the single fact people are unprepared for. Hiroshima Airport is not a city airport — it sits roughly 50km from the centre, in the hills, with no train line to it. The limousine bus is ¥1,500 and takes 45–50 minutes to Hiroshima Station. Plan it as a real leg of the trip, not a taxi-rank hop.
Take the limousine bus: ¥1,500 adult, 45–50 minutes to Hiroshima Station's Shinkansen exit (55 to the Bus Center). There is no rail link, so this is the designed route, with departures timed to flight arrivals. You can tap a contactless credit or debit card as you board instead of queuing at the ticket machine. No rail pass covers it. A fixed-fare airport taxi to Naka-ku is ¥17,000 a car at Hiroko Taxi, tolls extra — roughly ten times the bus. If you are already in Japan, the shinkansen into Hiroshima Station is the better arrival.
It is a mountain airport, not a city one
The thing to know firstHiroshima Airport is about 50km from the city centre with no rail connection. Everything about your arrival follows from that one number.
There is no dedicated airport train, so the practical options are the limousine bus, a taxi, or a private transfer arranged in advance. The bus is ¥1,500 adult, takes 45–50 minutes to Hiroshima Station's Shinkansen exit and 55 to the Bus Center, and its departures are timed to flight arrivals — the airport warns that times shift when flights do. Since April 2024 you can pay by tapping a Visa, Mastercard, American Express or JCB contactless card as you board.
One trap. Older pages and blogs still quote a pre-rise fare — use ¥1,500, which is what Hiroshima Airport itself publishes. No rail pass covers the bus, because it is a road service.
This is why most international visitors to Hiroshima never see the airport. The city sits on the Sanyo shinkansen line, and arriving by train drops you at Hiroshima Station — from which the Peace Memorial Park is 15 minutes on Hiroden line 2 or 6 to Genbaku Dome-mae for a flat ¥240. Since 3 August 2025 the trams board on the 2nd floor of the JR building, level with the central gate, so the transfer is flat and step-free.
The airport still matters for two groups: people flying domestic from Tokyo when the fare undercuts a ¥18,380 shinkansen ticket, and people on regional international services. If that is you, plan the transfer properly rather than assuming you will work it out on landing.
Getting from Hiroshima Airport into the city
ComparedRoughly 50km, no train. Times are to Hiroshima Station unless the row says otherwise.
| Option | Time | Fare | Verdict | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limousine bus | 45–50 min (55 to the Bus Center) | ¥1,500 adult | WORTH IT | Almost always. Departures are timed to flight arrivals, and you can tap a contactless card to pay. Takes luggage without argument. |
| JR + bus via Shiraichi | ~1 hour — JR to Shiraichi, then a 15-min bus | JR fare + local bus fare | WORTH IT | Your flight is tight and the expressway is not. The airport lists this JR-plus-bus route itself, and the rail leg is immune to road traffic — the one thing that can wreck the bus. |
| Taxi | ~1 hour, traffic dependent | ¥17,000 a car, fixed fare to Naka-ku at Hiroko Taxi, tolls extra | SKIP | Roughly ten times the bus for one person, less painful split four ways. Book the fixed fare ahead — Hiroko Taxi charges ¥300 for a timed pick-up — and note metered fares rose an average 10.27% on 5 December 2025. |
| Private transfer, pre-booked | ~1 hour | Fixed price, quoted when you book | DEPENDS | A late arrival, four people splitting, or heavy luggage. It only makes sense against the ¥17,000 fixed taxi fare, not against ¥1,500 for the bus. |
| Train to the terminal | n/a | n/a | SKIP | There is no rail link to Hiroshima Airport. If a page tells you to take a train from the terminal, it is describing a different airport. |
| Shinkansen instead of flying | Tokyo 3h49 direct on Nozomi | Tokyo ¥18,380 unreserved · ¥19,760 reserved Nozomi | WORTH IT | You are already in Japan. Shin-Osaka is ¥9,890 unreserved. Hiroshima Station is 15 minutes from the Peace Memorial Park; the airport is an hour. |
| Hire car | ~1 hour | Rates vary by operator | SKIP | Hiroshima city does not reward driving — the trams go where you are going for ¥240 and parking in Naka-ku is a chore. |
Bus fares to other destinations: Saijo ¥700 · Mihara ¥1,000 · Fukuyama ¥1,600 · Miyajimaguchi ¥3,900–4,000. ⚠️ Note there is no direct Hikari from Tokyo — rail-pass holders change at Shin-Osaka and take about five hours against Nozomi's 3h49. Dollar prices convert at ¥157.7 = $1, the rate when we last checked it (2 October 2026). Treat every $ figure as a snapshot and the ¥ figure as the real price.
Rather book it?Hotels near Hiroshima Station on Agoda ↗
The practical bit
Plan your visitWhy the station beats the airport for most people
Arriving by train insteadHiroshima Station is on the Sanyo shinkansen and it is inside the city. From the platform you are a 15-minute ¥240 tram ride from the Peace Memorial Park — and since 3 August 2025 the trams board on the 2nd floor of the JR building, level with the central gate, so the transfer takes about 1.3 minutes. Tokyo is ¥18,380 unreserved or ¥19,760 on reserved Nozomi, 3h49 direct. Shin-Osaka is ¥9,890 unreserved.
The catch is that Nozomi is not covered by the national JR Pass, and there is no direct Hikari from Tokyo — pass holders change at Shin-Osaka and take about five hours. The pass maths is here, and it loses: a cash Tokyo return is ¥36,760–39,520 against ¥50,000. For a Hiroshima-centred trip the answer is the ¥17,000 Kansai–Hiroshima pass or no pass at all.
If you are coming for a single day from Kyoto or Osaka, the train is the only sane arrival and the airport is irrelevant — the day-trip page has the timing. If you are arriving on 5 or 6 August, book everything early: On 6 August the Peace Memorial Park is a ceremony, not a sightseeing destination — about 55,000 people attended the 80th anniversary in 2025. Hotels fill months ahead and shinkansen seats around 5–7 August go early. If your dates land on it, decide deliberately: come for the ceremony and the evening lanterns and accept that everything else is full, or move your Hiroshima day.
Hiroshima Airport — the questions people ask
Straight answersHow far is Hiroshima Airport from the city?
About 50km, which is the fact almost every arriving visitor is unprepared for. There is no rail link, so the transfer is a road journey of 45–50 minutes on the limousine bus. Budget it as a real leg of the trip rather than a taxi-rank hop.
How much is the bus from Hiroshima Airport?
¥1,500 for an adult, about $9.50, to Hiroshima Station in 45–50 minutes or the Bus Center in 55. That is the fare Hiroshima Airport publishes — ignore older pages quoting less. You can tap a contactless credit or debit card as you board.
How often does the Hiroshima Airport bus run?
Frequently, with departures timed to flight arrivals — Hiroshima Airport warns that times move when flights do, so check its timetable page on the day. It runs to Hiroshima Station in 45–50 minutes and the Bus Center in 55.
Is there a train from Hiroshima Airport?
Not to the terminal, but there is a rail backup the airport itself lists: JR Sanyo line from Hiroshima Station to Shiraichi, then a 15-minute bus. Total about an hour, and unlike the limousine bus it is immune to expressway traffic — worth knowing on a tight departure.
How much is a taxi from Hiroshima Airport?
Hiroko Taxi publishes a fixed airport fare of ¥17,000 a car to Naka-ku (up to four people), with expressway tolls on top — roughly ten times the ¥1,500 bus for one person. Book it ahead. Metered fares rose an average 10.27% on 5 December 2025.
Should I fly to Hiroshima or take the shinkansen?
If you are already in Japan, take the train. Tokyo to Hiroshima is ¥18,380 unreserved or ¥19,760 on reserved Nozomi, 3h49 direct, and Shin-Osaka is ¥9,890. Hiroshima Station is 15 minutes from the Peace Memorial Park on a ¥240 tram; the airport is 50km and ¥1,500 away.
Does the JR Pass cover the Hiroshima Airport bus?
No. The limousine bus is a road service and no rail pass covers it, so budget ¥1,500 on top of any pass. What the national JR Pass does cover in the city is the Maple-loop bus from Hiroshima Station, which reaches the Peace Memorial Park in about 17 minutes — show the driver.
Can I get from Hiroshima Airport straight to Miyajima?
Yes, there is a direct bus at ¥3,900–4,000, more than twice the ¥1,500 fare into Hiroshima. Other routes from the airport are Saijo ¥700, Mihara ¥1,000 and Fukuyama ¥1,600. For most people it is cheaper to ride into Hiroshima Station and take JR to Miyajimaguchi for ¥420.
Getting in from the airport
Book the transferThe bus at ¥1,500 is the right answer for almost everyone. Pre-book only when a fixed price genuinely buys you something the bus cannot — a late landing, four people, or a lot of luggage.
Sources
Where these facts come from- Hiroshima Airport — public transport fares and times hij.airport.jp
- Hiroshima Airport — contactless card payment on limousine buses hij.airport.jp
- Hiroko Taxi — fixed airport fares (Japanese) hiroko-group.co.jp
The prices, dates and rules on this page that come from these sources were checked against them on . Operators change prices without notice — the official page wins if it disagrees with us. Spotted something out of date? Tell us — it gets fixed.