Miyajimaguchi is the ferry port on the mainland side of Miyajima, in Hatsukaichi city about 20 km south-west of central Hiroshima. From JR Hiroshima Station it is about 30 minutes on the JR Sanyo Line (¥420) to JR Miyajimaguchi Station, then a 5-minute walk to the ferry terminal; the Hiroden streetcar takes about 70 minutes (around ¥240) and stops right in front of the terminal. Two ferry companies, JR West Miyajima Ferry and Miyajima Matsudai Kisen, cross to the island in about 10 minutes for ¥200 one way plus the ¥100 Miyajima visitor tax.
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Most visitors treat Miyajimaguchi as a place to change from train to boat. It is worth knowing a little more. The passenger terminal opened in 2020 with a tourist information desk, the shopping building “etto” next door has 16 Hiroshima shops, the famous conger-eel rice restaurant Ueno (founded 1901) is across the road, and three hotels with sea views are within a 10-minute walk. This page covers the trains, the ferry timetable, parking, where to eat and where to stay in Miyajimaguchi. (Fares and times from the operators’ official sites, checked October 2026.)
Miyajimaguchi at a glance
| Where | Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture. The mainland shore facing Miyajima, about 20 km from downtown Hiroshima |
|---|---|
| From Hiroshima Station | JR Sanyo Line about 30 min, ¥420 (then 5 min on foot to the pier) / Hiroden streetcar about 70 min, around ¥240 (stops at the pier) |
| Ferry | JR West Miyajima Ferry or Miyajima Matsudai Kisen. About 10 min. Adults ¥200 one way + ¥100 visitor tax (preschool children exempt) |
| First and last boats | JR: from Miyajimaguchi 6:25–22:42, from Miyajima 5:45–22:14. Matsudai: from Miyajimaguchi 7:15–20:35, from Miyajima 7:00–20:15 (weekdays) |
| Eat | Anagomeshi Ueno (conger-eel rice, since 1901), shops and restaurants in etto |
| Stay | Miyajima Coral Hotel (by the pier), Grandvrio Hotel Miyajima Wakura (hot spring bath), Aki Grand Hotel & Spa (hot spring, large), KAI Miyajima (hot-spring ryokan, opened July 2026) |
| Parking | Cars stay on the mainland. See Miyajimaguchi parking guide |
Where Miyajimaguchi is, and why every visitor passes through it
Miyajima (also called Itsukushima) is an island in the Seto Inland Sea with no bridge to the mainland. Everyone arriving by land crosses from Miyajimaguchi by ferry. The port belongs to Hatsukaichi city; by car it is 10–15 minutes from the Hatsukaichi or Ono interchanges on the Hiroshima-Iwakuni Road, and by JR about 30 minutes from Hiroshima Station.
“Miyajimaguchi” actually covers three different spots, and first-time visitors often mix them up:
- JR Miyajimaguchi Station on the Sanyo Line. Leave the station and walk straight toward the sea for about 5 minutes; cross the road and you are at the ferry terminal.
- Hiroden Miyajimaguchi, the end of the Hiroden Miyajima Line. The stop was moved next to the terminal in 2022, so you step off the tram, cross the pedestrian crossing and you are at the pier. The whole route is step-free.
- Miyajimaguchi Ferry Terminal (the passenger terminal). Both ferry companies share one building, with their ticket counters side by side.
The last boat back from the island is the JR ferry at 22:14. As long as you remember that time, you can stay on Miyajima as late as you like.
Hiroshima Station to Miyajimaguchi: JR or Hiroden?
Neither option needs a change. The difference is time, price and which pass you hold.
| JR Sanyo Line | Hiroden streetcar | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | About 30 minutes | About 70 minutes |
| Fare (adult) | ¥420 | Around ¥240 (slightly less with an IC card) |
| To the pier | 5-minute walk from the station | The stop is in front of the terminal |
| Best for | Saving time; Japan Rail Pass holders (the pass covers the JR train and the JR ferry) | Saving money; combining with the Peace Park and A-Bomb Dome |
For JR, use platform 1 at Hiroshima Station and take any train bound for Iwakuni or Miyajimaguchi. Miyajimaguchi is a major stop, so there is no risk of missing it. The Hiroden Line 2 “Miyajimaguchi” tram leaves from the south exit of Hiroshima Station, runs through the city centre past Kamiyacho and the A-Bomb Dome, then follows the coast west. If you spend the morning at the Peace Memorial Park and want Miyajima in the afternoon, board the tram at Genbaku Dome-mae: it reaches Miyajimaguchi in about 55 minutes, with no need to go back to the station. (Train times and fares checked with a route planner in October 2026; confirm on the operators’ sites before travelling.)
There is a third way: the “Hiroshima World Heritage Sea Route” high-speed boat from Motoyasu Pier beside the Peace Park goes straight to Miyajima in about 45 minutes, ¥2,400 one way for adults plus the ¥100 visitor tax. It does not call at Miyajimaguchi, but a ¥2,500 “through ticket” lets you return from Miyajima to Miyajimaguchi by regular ferry. Reservations are required, and many sailings are cancelled around spring tides, so check the day’s schedule before you rely on it.
Miyajimaguchi ferry timetable: JR and Matsudai
Both companies run from the same terminal, charge the same fare and take about 10 minutes. During the day both run every 15 minutes, so there is no need to check times. The differences are the first and last boats and the route.
| JR West Miyajima Ferry | Miyajima Matsudai Kisen | |
|---|---|---|
| Miyajimaguchi → Miyajima | First 6:25 / last 22:42 | First 7:15 / last 20:35 (weekdays) |
| Miyajima → Miyajimaguchi | First 5:45 / last 22:14 | First 7:00 / last 20:15 (weekdays) |
| Daytime frequency | Every 15 min (:10, :25, :40, :55) | Every 15 min, every 10 min on busy days |
| Special | Departures from Miyajimaguchi 9:10–16:10 run the “Great Torii route”, swinging close to the gate for a view from the sea (cancelled when the tide is wrong) | Direct route. Sells combined ferry + ropeway tickets |
| Fare | Adults (junior high and up) ¥200 one way / ¥400 return; children (elementary) ¥100 one way. Plus the ¥100 Miyajima visitor tax on entering the island (preschoolers exempt). Transport IC cards accepted | |
If you want to be on the island before 7 a.m. for an empty Itsukushima Shrine, or stay for dinner and the illuminated torii, only the JR ferry runs that early and late. For photos of the Great Torii from the water, take a JR daytime boat. If you plan to ride the Mt. Misen ropeway, the Matsudai ferry + ropeway ticket saves money. A fuller comparison of the two companies is in our Miyajima ferry guide.
The Miyajima visitor tax started in October 2023: ¥100 each time you enter the island, paid with your ferry ticket. Preschool children and holders of disability certificates are exempt. A return trip from Hiroshima therefore costs an adult ¥400 for the ferry plus ¥100 tax, ¥500 in total. Japan Rail Pass holders ride the JR ferry free but still pay the ¥100 tax at the JR counter.
The passenger terminal and etto: what to do while you wait
The Miyajimaguchi Passenger Terminal, opened in February 2020, is a low wooden-roofed building facing the sea. Inside are the two ferry ticket counters, a tourist information desk with English maps and tide tables, lockers and toilets. From the waiting area you look straight across the water at the island, so the 10 minutes until the next boat pass quickly.
Next to the terminal is etto, a shopping building that opened in April 2020 with 16 shops, mostly Hiroshima brands: lemon sweets, oyster products, momiji manju, a coffee shop and restaurants. The first floor is open 10:00–18:00 and the second floor 11:00–19:00 (some shops differ). If you ran out of time for souvenirs on the island, this is where to catch up. Details in our etto guide.
One thing to know: shops in Miyajimaguchi close earlier than in central Hiroshima. After 8 p.m. little is open around the terminal apart from convenience stores. If you take a late JR ferry back, eat on the island or wait until Hiroshima Station.
Anagomeshi Ueno: Miyajimaguchi’s famous conger-eel rice
The best-known food in Miyajimaguchi is Anagomeshi Ueno, across the road from the terminal next to JR Miyajimaguchi Station. Founded in 1901, it began as a boxed lunch sold on the platform of what was then Miyajima Station, and it is still one of Hiroshima’s signature station bentos. Grilled conger eel in a sweet soy glaze sits on rice cooked in stock made from the eel bones. It tastes good cold, which is why so many people buy a box to eat on the ferry or take back to Hiroshima.
The restaurant does not take reservations, and at weekends and holidays the lunchtime queue can pass an hour. Boxed lunches are sold from 9:00 until they run out. A local trick is to buy a bento before boarding and eat it on the island somewhere with a view of the Great Torii. Check the shop’s own notice for current hours and closing days. For the story of anagomeshi and the restaurants on the island itself, see Miyajima anago rice.
Staying in Miyajimaguchi: cheaper than the island, closer than Hiroshima
Hotels on Miyajima itself are few, expensive and mostly expect check-in by early evening. If you want the first ferry of the morning, or to watch the torii illuminated (from 30 minutes after sunset until 23:00) and then go to bed, Miyajimaguchi is the compromise: 10 minutes by ferry, usually lower prices than the island, and easy parking.
- Miyajima Coral Hotel: right beside the ferry terminal. Sea-side rooms look across to the island and the ferries. Japanese-Western breakfast buffet.
- Grandvrio Hotel Miyajima Wakura: has a large observation bath looking out at Miyajima (“Miyajima no Yu”) and free parking for drivers.
- Aki Grand Hotel & Spa: a 194-room hotel with hot-spring baths and private open-air baths, about 5 minutes by car from the pier.
- KAI Miyajima (Hoshino Resorts, opened July 2026) is a 54-room ryokan on the mainland shore west of the pier, with every room facing the island and its own hot spring, “Miyajimaguchi Onsen”, in a top-floor bath with a sea-facing open-air pool. It is about 18 minutes on foot from JR Miyajimaguchi Station with no shuttle, and a partner boat from the inn’s jetty reaches the island in about 20 minutes (extra fare). See the official site.
For how to choose between the island and the mainland, and details of all 23 places to stay on Miyajima, see our Miyajima accommodation guide.
Miyajimaguchi or the island?For an early-morning or evening shrine visit, check mainland rooms first
Hotels in Miyajimaguchi are within a 5-minute walk of the pier, and the JR ferry runs 6:25 to 22:14. Rooms on the island are scarcer and cost more, but let you walk into the shrine when the day-trippers have gone.
If your dates are fixed, check availability on both sides before deciding.
See available hotels in Miyajimaguchi (mainland side)
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Driving to Miyajimaguchi: where to leave the car
Roads on Miyajima are narrow, the shopping street and the area around the shrine are closed to vehicles from 10:00 to 17:30, and there is no visitor parking on the island. Drivers park in Miyajimaguchi and take the ferry. The ferries do carry cars, but that service is meant for residents and businesses.
Around the port there are the terminal car park, a municipal car park and several private lots. They fill up before noon on weekends and holidays, so aim to arrive before 10. Locations, prices and walking times to the pier are in the Miyajimaguchi parking guide.
A sample day through Miyajimaguchi
- 8:30 JR Hiroshima Station → 9:00 JR Miyajimaguchi. Buy an anagomeshi bento at Ueno.
- 9:10 JR ferry on the Great Torii route for the view from the sea.
- 9:30–15:30 On the island: Itsukushima Shrine, the shopping street, Mt. Misen or Daisho-in. Check the tide times first to decide whether you see high tide or low tide at the shrine.
- 16:00 Back to Miyajimaguchi; souvenirs at etto.
- 17:00 JR back to Hiroshima, or check into a Miyajimaguchi hotel and return to the island for the illumination. More plans, by tide, are in our Miyajima day trip guide.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Hiroshima to Miyajimaguchi?
JR Sanyo Line from Hiroshima Station, about 30 minutes, ¥420, then a 5-minute walk to the ferry. Or the Hiroden streetcar, about 70 minutes, around ¥240, which stops at the terminal.
How long is the ferry and how much does it cost?
About 10 minutes. Adults ¥200 one way, ¥400 return; children half price. Plus the ¥100 visitor tax when entering the island. Both companies charge the same.
Do I need to prebook the Miyajima ferry?
No. Boats leave every 15 minutes during the day; buy a ticket or tap an IC card and walk on. Only the high-speed boat from the Peace Park needs a reservation.
Is the ferry covered by the Japan Rail Pass?
The JR West Miyajima Ferry is covered (you still pay the ¥100 visitor tax). The Matsudai ferry is not.
What time is the last ferry?
From Miyajima back to Miyajimaguchi: JR 22:14, Matsudai 20:15 on weekdays. From Miyajimaguchi to Miyajima: JR 22:42.
Is it better to stay in Hiroshima or Miyajima?
For one full day on the island with an early start or an evening visit, stay on Miyajima or in Miyajimaguchi. For a half-day visit combined with the Peace Park, stay in Hiroshima and take the JR ferry. See the accommodation guide for details.
Where can I eat in Miyajimaguchi?
Anagomeshi Ueno for conger-eel rice, and the shops and restaurants in etto next to the terminal (1F until 18:00, 2F until 19:00). Few places are open after 8 p.m.
Sources: JR West Miyajima Ferry, Miyajima Matsudai Kisen and Aqua Net Hiroshima official websites; train times and fares between Hiroshima Station and Miyajimaguchi checked with a route planner (October 2026). Confirm the day’s service before travelling.
