Hiroshima Airport

Hiroshima Airport (HIJ) lies in the city of Mihara, approximately 50 kilometres east of Hiroshima city centre on the Seto Inland Sea coast. It handles domestic flights to Tokyo, Sapporo, Sendai, and Okinawa, plus international routes to Seoul, Shanghai, Taipei, and Hong Kong. The airport occupies a hillside site overlooking the sea, with a single terminal building that processes around 2.8 million passengers annually. Its compact size means walking distances are short, but the layout can feel cramped during peak hours.

Getting There

From Hiroshima Station, the most direct option is the limousine bus, which runs every 20 to 30 minutes and takes about 50 minutes to an hour depending on traffic. The fare is approximately 1,400 yen one way. The bus drops passengers off directly outside the terminal entrance. By train, take the JR Sanyō Line to Mihara Station (about 20 minutes from Hiroshima), then a local bus or taxi for the remaining 10 kilometres uphill to the airport. The bus from Mihara Station takes 25 minutes and costs 300 yen. Taxis from Mihara Station cost roughly 2,500–3,000 yen. For drivers, the San'yō Expressway has an exit at Mihara, from which it is a 15-minute drive. Parking is available in two paid lots: a short-term lot directly in front of the terminal (400 yen per hour, max 1,500 yen per day) and a long-term lot a few minutes' walk away (400 yen per hour, max 1,000 yen per day). Street parking is also available but limited and subject to time restrictions.

Inside the Terminal

The terminal is a single building with departures on the second floor and arrivals on the first. Check-in counters are arranged in a single row, and security screening is directly behind them. The security lane has a wheelchair-accessible entrance, and staff are trained to assist passengers with reduced mobility. After screening, the departure lounge is a long, narrow space with seating at gates 1 through 6. There is a small shop selling snacks, souvenirs, and local specialities like Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki kits and sake. A restaurant near gate 4 serves set meals and noodles. The lounge has free Wi-Fi, power outlets at some seats, and a children's play area. The terminal has baggage storage (coin lockers) near the arrival exit on the first floor, costing 300–500 yen per day. Toilets are located throughout, with wheelchair-accessible toilets and a changing table in the family restroom near gate 3. On-site services include a currency exchange counter (open 7:00–20:00), a post office, and a convenience store outside security. The busiest times are around 9:00 Monday and 10:00 Tuesday through Thursday, corresponding to morning departures to Tokyo and Seoul. During these hours, security queues can stretch 15–20 minutes, and seating in the departure lounge fills up. The terminal is not open 24 hours; it closes approximately from 21:30 to 06:00, so overnight stays are not permitted.

Hiroshima Airport and Mihara

Mihara is a city of about 90,000 people on the coast of Hiroshima Prefecture. Its location on the Seto Inland Sea gives it a mild climate and views of the islands that dot the water. The city itself is off the main tourist trail, but passengers with a layover or a deliberate stopover will find a few worthwhile sites. Mihara Castle, a reconstruction of a 16th-century fortress, sits on a hill above the city and offers panoramic views of the sea and surrounding mountains. The castle grounds are free to walk, and inside is a small museum covering local history. More dramatic scenery can be found at the Mount Haruna trailhead, about 20 minutes by taxi from the airport. The hike to the summit takes two hours and passes through bamboo groves and a Buddhist temple. The view from the top takes in the entire archipelago of the Seto Inland Sea, with islands large and small stretching to the horizon.

For those with even less time, the airport itself overlooks the sea, and the observation deck on the third floor (accessible by elevator from the departure lounge) provides a good vantage point for watching planes land over the water. The airport shop sells local crafts including Bingo-hina (traditional dolls from the eastern part of Hiroshima Prefecture) and salted sakura leaf sweets. Many passengers come to Hiroshima for the city's Peace Memorial Park and Museum, about an hour away by bus. But Mihara's slower pace can be a welcome contrast. The sake brewery in Mihara Station area (Mihara Shuzo) offers free tastings and sells bottles not easily found elsewhere. Food options in Mihara centre include okonomiyaki (the Hiroshima-style layered pancake) at shops like Mitsuwa, where the cooking is done on a hotplate in front of you. The local speciality is anago (conger eel) from the sea, served as sushi or grilled. Travelers connecting to other parts of Japan or arriving for a few days might find Mihara a convenient base: it is on the Shinkansen line (Nozomi stops at Fukuyama, 15 minutes east, but Mihara Station is served by Sakura and Kodama trains) and just a short ferry ride from the island of Ikuchijima, part of the Shimanami Kaido cycling route. That said, Mihara is not a major tourist destination, and most visitors will find Hiroshima city more convenient for hotels, restaurants, and attractions. But if you have a long layover or a flexible itinerary, Mihara offers an authentic slice of Japanese small-city life.

Practical Information

Hiroshima Airport is open daily from approximately 6:00 to 21:30. Check with your airline for precise terminal access times, as some early flights may require arrival before the building opens (in that case, wait outside the entrance). Contact the airport information desk at +81 848-86-8151 or visit the official website at http://www.hij.airport.jp/. The website has limited English but provides flight status, bus schedules, and parking details. Currency exchange is available but only during the hours the bank counter is staffed (7:00–20:00), so bring yen if arriving late. Baggage storage lockers are near the arrival exit; they are usually available but fill up on busy mornings. There are no hotels inside the terminal, but several business hotels are within walking distance of Mihara Station (about 25 minutes by bus). A concrete piece of advice: book the early morning bus from Hiroshima Station if you have a flight before 9:00—traffic on the narrow coastal road can be unpredictable, and the bus sometimes gets stuck behind slower vehicles. Allow 1 hour for the ride, not the posted 50 minutes.