Transportation questions

[JasonS]

I'm going to Japan in a month, and have a few transportation questions.

One of the places on my itinerary is Takayama. It looks like the train from Nagoya to Takayama is called the Hida WideView. Does anyone know if this is a JR line, so that I can use the JR Rail Pass?

I would like to take a day trip from Takayama to Shirikawa-go (Ogimachi). I read that the Tokai-Hikuriku Expressway recently opened, so the trip takes less than an hour. Can anyone confirm that for me?

Lastly, not truly a transportation question, but.... If I only have 1 full day in Hiroshima, plus an afternoon after arrival and morning before departing, will I have enough time to see the Peace Park and also make it to Miyajima? It would be nice to see Miyajima, but not at the expense of missing parts of Hiroshima.

Thanks!

[Charles Barkley]

You will have plenty of time to do both. Just get up early and take the trolly to Miyajima, which is sepctacular, in the morning and go to the park on your way back to the city in the midafternoon.

Really, miyajima is as good as any temple complex in Japan so I would call it a must see.

[Fel1city]

You can definitely use the JR Pass on Hida wide View: and I also read the info about the bus trip now shorter due to the expressway opening: there is a timetable published so presumably it's true........have fun!!

[JasonS]

Thanks to both of you for the responses.

It looks like the Itsukushima-Jinja shrine on Miyajima opens pretty early (6:30 am, based on my Lonely Planet book). Hopefully I can get myself out of bed early enough to catch one of the first ferries.

Thanks again!

[ArmandV]

In 2004, our tour group took the shinkansen to Hiroshima from Kyoto. Upon arrival, we were bused to the Miyajima Island ferry terminal and were ferried over to Miyajima. We spent about 2-3 hours on the island before heading back by ferry to our buses.

We then were taken to Peace Park and museum. We had plenty of time to see it all.

[JasonS]

Thanks Armand. That gives me a ballpark figure on how much time to allocate to Miyajima.

[slaughterj]

Lastly, not truly a transportation question, but.... If I only have 1 full day in Hiroshima, plus an afternoon after arrival and morning before departing, will I have enough time to see the Peace Park and also make it to Miyajima? It would be nice to see Miyajima, but not at the expense of missing parts of Hiroshima.
Thanks!

More than enough! I have been there a couple of times, and you can even catch a train early in Osaka, ride ~2 hours, go to either site, then go to the other site, and ride ~2 hours back to Osaka in time for dinner ~7-8pm.