Hiroshima, Kagawa, Okayama - Sanyo & Setouchi Trip '2026 GW Part 1: Iwakuni Airport to Miyajima

Hello. I'm TRIP_YUKO, a travel-loving accountant in my late 30s.🙋

My time off was during the calendar-based Golden Week.
This year's GW trip was to the Sanyo region of Hiroshima, Kagawa, and Okayamato.
I went to Aki-no-Miyajima and the art island of Naoshima, which I'd been wanting to visit!🛳️

6:40 From Haneda Airport to Iwakuni Airport

On a flight in the 6 o'clock hourfrom Haneda Airport✈️

On this day, my husband, who always wakes up without fail, didn't wake up for a rare change, perhaps because he was golfing in a downpour the day before, and his phone battery was dead. I had come home late from overtime and forgot to set my alarm...
I woke up at the time I was supposed to be on the train😱😱😱💦💦
I completely overslept😅 I was so panicked~💦

SomehowI pulled off a miracle and arrived at Haneda Airport.

The crowds were several times larger than usual, as expected for GW😲
If there had been traffic, I would have been done for... It was a close call again...😨

Well, to head to our first spot, Miyajima in Hiroshima, our flight destination was Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
It has better access to Miyajima than Hiroshima Airport, and it was cheaper than flying to Hiroshima. It's strange, even though it's further away.

Safely boarded~ Thank goodness✈️

8:20 Arrived at Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport

I was tired and dozing off, and before I knew it, we arrived at Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport.

It's my first time at Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport!🙌
Isn't it secretly satisfying to conquer airports one by one?😊
Iwakuni Airport was smaller than I imagined.

From Iwakuni Airportto Iwakuni Station by local bus🚍️
The bus stops right in front of the airport arrival lobby, which is very convenient.
And what's more,it's only 7 minutes to Iwakuni Station!!😲
So close~! So convenient~!

8:57 Iwakuni Station →🚊→ Miyajimaguchi Station

From Iwakuni Station, we head toMiyajimaguchi Station via the JR Sanyo Main Line🚊
Even though this is Yamaguchi Prefecture,it's easily accessible, arriving at Miyajimaguchi Station in 22 minutes.
If you're going to Miyajima, Iwakuni Airport is definitely the way to go☝️

9:30 Takeout at Anagomeshi Ueno🍱

First, on the way from JR Miyajimaguchi Station to the ferry terminal, we stopped by thefamous restaurant“Anagomeshi Ueno” to pick up our pre-orderedMiyajima specialty, "Anagomeshi" (conger eel rice) takeout!🍱

Speaking of Miyajima specialties, it's "Anagomeshi".
There are several delicious and popular restaurants both on and off the island, butbecause it's such a popular tourist destination, it's extremely difficult to actually eat there...

But I want to eat it!!😫😫😫

So, while I was proposing plans on Coconala, the secret strategy I came up with was to 'get takeout from a popular restaurant'.☝️

Anagomeshi Ueno is, a super popular restaurant boasting a Tabelog rating of 3.66👏
Despite opening at 9:30 AM, there were customers waiting in line who couldn't fit into the first seating, and I witnessed its popularity firsthand😲

Takeout is the perfect option for a greedy person like me who doesn't want to waste time sightseeing but still wants to eat delicious food. I highly recommend it!!😄

By the way, reservations can be made on the day. (Please call during business hours.)

⛴️Ferry terminal for the first time in 19 years

This is my first visit to Miyajima in 19 years.
I visited with my seniors from work back then, but the area around the ferry terminal has completely changed.
Well, I barely have any memories of it anyway😅 It should have been a more old-fashioned, Showa-era style ferry terminal.

The open and sophisticated design suits the blue sky.
It seems the Miyajimaguchi terminal was renovated in 2020. No wonder it's so clean!

The ferry to Miyajima has two routes: JR West Miyajima Ferry and Miyajima Matsudai Kisen. In the past, they were completely separate terminals, but they have been consolidated into the new terminal, and the boarding areas are now right next to each other. You can use transportation IC cards for both, and

there is no difference. With more frequent service, it seems convenience has improved tremendously as you can just take whichever one comes first.

What surprised me was how many people were going to Miyajima!!😲😲 Is it always this crowded!? World Heritage sites are no joke!😲



It was almost 10 AM, so it must have been peak time, but I never imagined there would be a line just to board the ferry⛴️

9:45 Departure to Miyajima

Since I was almost at the front, I was able to sit in the front seat with a great view〜😆 The large windows offer a nice view. What beautiful weather〜☀

The ferry arrived at Miyajima in about 10 minutes.

Continued in ②