Hiroshima or Takayama?

Neither city is a beach destination, but only Hiroshima gives you a swim at all. In high summer its calm, sheltered stretch of the Inland Sea is warm, and a ferry to Miyajima, Ninoshima or Etajima reaches small sandy beaches that fit into an island day.

Takayama lies deep in the Hida mountains, about two hours from the coast at Toyama Bay. Here, bathing means a hot spring, not the sea.

Hiroshima has more to eat and more places to eat it. Okonomiyaki built on the griddle, winter oysters from the bay, conger eel and tsukemen give it a deep local repertoire. Nagarekawa and Hondori are packed with izakaya serving Inland Sea fish.

Takayama's table is narrower and centres on Hida beef, served grilled on a magnolia leaf with hoba miso or on skewers from the old-town stalls, alongside soy-based ramen and market pickles. Both have sake on the doorstep, Saijo's brewery street for Hiroshima and the cedar-ball breweries of the merchant quarter for Takayama. Only Hiroshima keeps its kitchens busy late into the evening.

The two are about equal for sightseeing, but they offer very different things. Hiroshima's culture is a single, heavy subject: the A-Bomb Dome and the Peace Memorial Museum, which need half a day and leave a lasting mark. Shukkeien garden and the castle grounds add calmer stops, in a city that is otherwise modern.

In Takayama the townscape is the sight. The Edo-period lanes of Sanmachi Suji survive largely intact, the Takayama Jinya is a rare feudal government office, and Hida Folk Village gathers thatched farmhouses on a hillside. It is atmosphere and craftsmanship rather than one defining visit.

Hiroshima has a real night out and Takayama barely has one. Nagarekawa is the largest entertainment district in the region, with stacked buildings of tiny bars, karaoke boxes and izakaya that stay busy past midnight, especially after a home baseball game.

In Takayama most visitors dine at their ryokan, the old town closes with its shops, and a few bars near the station see out the evening with a beer or a sake before eleven.

Takayama has the grander outdoors. The Northern Alps are within a bus ride, with the Shin-Hotaka ropeway climbing towards peaks near 3,000m, flat trails through Kamikochi beneath the Hotaka range, high walking on Norikura and snow in winter. The catch is that you have to plan around bus timetables, and Kamikochi closes in the cold months.

Hiroshima's nature is about sea and islands. Forest trails climb Mount Misen for views over the Inland Sea, Sandankyo Gorge offers a long riverside walk, and the Shimanami Kaido crosses the islands by bike. It is pleasant and varied, but the hills are modest.

Hiroshima is the better base. Miyajima and its floating torii are under an hour away, Iwakuni's Kintaikyo bridge, Onomichi, Takehara and Okunoshima's rabbits are close by, and the shinkansen brings Himeji Castle, Kurashiki and Korakuen within reach.

Takayama's outings are fewer but memorable. Shirakawa-go's thatched gassho villages, Hida-Furukawa's canals and the baths at Gero are all easy. Kanazawa, though, works better as the next stop than as a return trip, and much of the surrounding country is mountains rather than towns.

Hiroshima is the easier place with children. Feeding the deer on Miyajima, the ropeway up Mount Misen, Okunoshima's rabbits, the free science museum, Asa Zoo and a noisy baseball evening give plenty of variety. The one hard decision is how much of the Peace Memorial Museum younger children should see.

Takayama is just as safe and manageable, and children enjoy the morning markets, the street snacks, the festival floats and winter snow. Nothing there is built for them, though, so it works best as a short stop.

Both are easy to get around without a car, but they work differently. Hiroshima's flat centre is walkable, Japan's largest tram network runs out to the Miyajima ferry, and JR trains, the shinkansen and the Ujina island ferries cover the wider area.

Takayama is smaller still, with everything within about fifteen minutes' walk of the station. Getting further out depends on regional buses, which need some planning and can fill up in busy seasons.

Hiroshima has the broader shopping, with the long covered Hondori arcade, department stores, the national chains and malls around the station. Crafts from the surrounding area, such as Kumano brushes and Miyajima rice paddles, add some local character.

Takayama is almost entirely about traditional craft: amber Shunkei lacquerware, yew carvings, Hida bentwood furniture and sarubobo charms, plus market miso and pickles. It is excellent for one well-made object and poor for clothes.

Hiroshima is a little kinder to a budget. Business hotels are plentiful, okonomiyaki and set lunches cost little, and the Peace Park is free to walk. Spending builds up mainly on shinkansen day trips and island hotels.

Takayama's everyday costs are similarly modest, but the things people come for are expensive: a ryokan night with a multi-course dinner, a proper Hida beef meal, and rooms during the festival weeks.

Hiroshima offers far more on stage. Its kagura dance-drama, with masks, demons and drumming, runs regular evening shows aimed at visitors, alongside a symphony orchestra, touring productions and small live houses.

Takayama's performance is limited to its spring and autumn festivals, with karakuri puppets on the floats and lantern-lit processions. They are remarkable, but on other dates there is almost nothing to watch.

Takayama is the stronger choice for rest. Many ryokan bring hot spring water into their own indoor and open-air baths, the riverside pools of Okuhida are about an hour away, and Gero Onsen is under an hour by train.

Hiroshima has no springs of its own and relies on neighbourhood sento, super-sento and rooftop hotel baths. For a real onsen you go to the spa villages in the hills, or you can spend a quiet ryokan night on Miyajima once the day-trippers have left.