The true value of renting a car in Hiroshima isn't about the city attractions, but its potential as the geographic hub of the Chugoku region. From Hiroshima, you can connect Okayama, Yamaguchi, and Shimane prefectures in a single trip, experiencing the seasonal changes of inland mountain scenery—a level of mobility that public transportation simply cannot provide.
Why Hiroshima is Worth Renting a Car
Hiroshima Station is an important stop on the Sanyo Shinkansen, but the real highlight is the self-driving radius radiating outward from here. Public transport can only take you to major station cities, while renting a car lets you venture into mountainous areas, winding mountain roads, and remote hot spring villages—these are where the most authentic scenery of the Chugoku region lies.
Especially during spring and autumn, the Hiroshima car rental market shows significant off-season and peak-season differences. During the cherry blossom season (April-May) and autumn foliage season (October-November), daily rental rates are 30-50% higher than off-season, but these are also the most worthwhile times for self-driving in the surrounding mountain areas. If you can avoid Golden Week (late April to early May) and autumn holidays (mid-to-late October), you get the same seasonal scenery with 20-30% lower rental rates.
Three Classic Self-Driving Routes
1. Okayama Direction: Circular Route Around the Mountainous Areas Near Korakuen (Half-Day to One Day)
Drive east from Hiroshima for 1 hour to reach Okayama, passing through the irrigation canal scenery of the Kojima area along the way. You don't need to specifically visit Korakuen itself (it's crowded with tourists), but the mountain areas north of it in the Kibira Highlands have more self-driving value. In spring, follow Prefecture Routes 55 and 264 as they climb the plateau, passing through scattered rural villages and cypress forests; in autumn, the same route has quieter autumn foliage but ample parking. Have lunch in Takahashi City, where prices are 15-20% cheaper than Hiroshima. The round trip is about 150 km, with gasoline costs around 1,500-2,000 yen.
2. Yamaguchi Direction: Karato Market + Kammon Bridge + Inland Winding Mountain Roads (One Day)
This is the route I recommend most often. Drive southwest from Hiroshima for 90 minutes to reach Shimonoseki. The fresh seafood at Karato Market is indeed worth visiting, but the key is the self-driving around Kammon Bridge heading north from Shimonoseki. Yamaguchi Prefecture Route 276 winds along the coastline of Toyokita Town—not the fast-paced feeling of an expressway, but a speed where you can smell the sea breeze and see the daily life of fishing villages. Kannon Island itself is a "check-in spot," but the inland winding mountain road north of Kannon Island (Prefecture Route 493) is the secret of seasoned drivers—autumn maples are dense here, parking is ample, and visitors are very few.
On the way back, take the inland mountain road (Prefecture Route 437, National Route 191) through the hot spring villages in the mountains near the Shimane border. The total route is about 280 km, taking 6-7 hours. In spring when viewing cherry blossoms, the mountain cherry blossoms on this route bloom 2-3 weeks later than in the plains, perfectly avoiding the crowds.
3. Shimane Direction: Circular Route Around the Highlands Near Izumo Taisha (1.5 to 2 Days)
Drive north from Hiroshima for 2 hours into Shimane. This route is often overlooked, but Shimane's inland mountain areas actually have Japan's most complete autumn foliage resources. Take National Route 54 north from Hiroshima and rent a night at a hot spring ryokan in Miyoshi City (twin room about 8,000-12,000 yen/night, including dinner). On the second morning, depart for the area around Tamuyu Onsen upstream of the Hi River—in autumn, the autumn foliage here far exceeds that around Izumo Taisha.
Izumo Taisha itself has poor transportation conditions (parking lots are far), so the rental car advantage is that you can stop at smaller shrines in the surrounding mountain areas—like Susa Shrine and Yaegaki Shrine—places with both historical depth and convenient parking. Total round trip is about 320 km.
Rental Base and Cost Planning
Hiroshima Station North Exit has multiple rental car company branches. International driver's licenses are 100% recognized (bring your Taiwan driver's license with notarized Chinese translation + International Driving Permit). Mid-March to mid-April and mid-October to mid-November are peak seasons, with standard 5-passenger vehicles (Toyota Corolla class) costing about 6,500-8,500 yen per day; off-season (June-August, December-February) is about 4,500-6,000 yen.
The increase in rental costs during spring and autumn is closely related to fluctuations in global fuel prices. Recent Middle East geopolitical tensions have driven up aviation fuel costs, and rental companies' fuel subsidy costs have also increased, making the price difference between off-season and peak season more pronounced than in previous years—this means if your schedule is flexible, the cost advantage of off-season self-driving is greater.
Fuel Cost Estimate: Hiroshima city area fuel price is about 150 yen/liter, which may be 2-3 yen more expensive in remote mountain areas. Driving 200 km in a day consumes about 5 liters, costing 750-800 yen. Highway tolls for the shortest one-way trip (Hiroshima-Okayama, about 80 km) are about 2,000 yen, round trip 4,000 yen; if taking general roads on prefecture routes, fuel costs 300-400 yen but travel time increases by 30-40 minutes.
Regarding parking, most mountain attractions have free parking. The only exception is more well-known tourist area parking lots (usually 500-1,000 yen). During spring and autumn, be sure to arrive early to secure a spot.
Practical Self-Driving Details
International Driver's License and Rental Process: Taiwan driver's license notarized translations are accepted at major Hiroshima rental companies, but be sure to bring your passport. We recommend selecting "zero deductible" insurance (NOC exemption plan, about 1,000-1,500 yen/day) because there are occasional scratches risks on mountain winding roads.
Refueling Habits: Japanese gas stations generally have shorter operating hours than in Taiwan. Mountain gas stations close around 6 PM. If driving in the evening or at night, plan your refueling stops in advance. Highway rest areas have more expensive fuel, so it's recommended to refuel in towns.
Parking and Restrooms: During peak spring and autumn seasons, popular attraction parking lots fill up by 9-10 AM, so we recommend departing at 6-7 AM. Almost all parking lots in Japan have restrooms, including mountain attractions, so there's no need to worry about this.
Navigation: Japanese navigation accuracy is globally leading. When renting, choose to add an ETC card (automatic highway toll collection, no need to stop, occasional discounts available), or use Google Maps (offline map function works but signal is unstable in mountains, so it's recommended to download in advance).
Travel Tips
The key to mountain self-driving is departure timing. Japan's sunset is around 5:30 PM in March and 4:30 PM in November. Be sure to complete mountain ascent sections two hours before sunset, as visibility drops rapidly once it gets dark in the mountains.
If you can avoid Golden Week for spring car rentals, costs can be saved by one-third with almost no difference in scenery—early April or mid-May actually has fewer people and better scenery. Autumn foliage forecasts are usually released in mid-September, and nationwide foliage conditions are still shallow in early October, so you might as well wait until mid-to-late October—the perfect timing of lingering off-season rates and peak autumn foliage.
Finally, the core advantage of rental car self-driving is flexibility—when you encounter a particularly beautiful winding mountain road, you can decide on the spot to take a few extra loops; when you see a small shrine or hot spring village, you can stop immediately. This kind of mobility is something Hiroshima's extensive public transportation network can never provide.
