By train
Fukuyama, an intermediate stop on the San'yo Shinkansen line, is approximately 25 minutes from Hiroshima via the Hikari ¥4800, one hour from Osaka ¥7850 and 90 minutes from Fukuoka ¥11000. One-seat rides on the Nozomi depart once per hour from Kyoto 80 minutes, ¥8700, Nagoya 2 hours, ¥12200 and Tokyo 3 3/4 hours, ¥17200.
You cannot use the Nozomi with the Japan Rail Pass; if coming from Tokyo, Nagoya or Kyoto you will have to change trains en-route. However, there are two early-morning Hikari trains from Nagoya and Kyoto that offer a one-seat ride to Fukuyama.
By bus
From Tokyo, Odakyu Bus and Chugoku Bus operate the nightly Etoile Seto to Fukuyama from Shinjuku Station 9 1/4 hours, ¥10500 each way.
Keihan Kyoto Kotsu runs three round-trips from Kyoto station 4 hours, ¥4100, and Kintetsu Bus runs seven round-trips from Osaka's Umeda and Namba stations 3 1/2 hours from Umeda, ¥3770.
From Hiroshima, Rose Liner buses operated by Ikasa Tetsudo and Tomo Tetsudo operate 2-3 times per hour out of the Hiroshima Bus Center 1 hour 40 minutes, ¥2300.