Hokuriku,
the quiet, yet most beautiful side of Japan.

A week in Hokuriku covers Toyama and Kanazawa properly, with whole days for the Alpine Route, the Kurobe Gorge and Kanazawa's gardens. Two weeks is the trip to take if you can: add Awara Onsen, Fukui and the Wakasa coast, then finish in Kyoto by Thunderbird. With only 3 days from Tokyo, stay in Toyama and Kanazawa. See Slow Hokuriku and the day-by-day itineraries.

The Hokuriku Shinkansen runs from Tokyo Station to Toyama in 2h 4m (¥13,180 reserved) and to Kanazawa in 2h 24m (¥14,600) on the fastest Kagayaki, then on to Fukui and Tsuruga. The Kagayaki is all-reserved, so book a seat even with a rail pass. See the Hokuriku Shinkansen guide.

Hokuriku is called the quiet side of Japan because it faces the Sea of Japan, away from the Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka corridor that most visitors follow, and it sees a small fraction of their tourists. In our view it has more mountains, fresher fish and better sake than any of them. See why Hokuriku.

The Hokuriku Arch Pass (¥35,000, 7 days, foreign visitors only) is the best-value pass for Tokyo to Kyoto or Osaka through Toyama, Kanazawa and Fukui. The nationwide 7-day JR Pass (¥50,000 from JR, ¥53,000 through agents such as Klook from 1 October 2026) only pays off for longer trips, and a Tokyo to Kanazawa return alone is cheaper on normal tickets. See getting around.

Mid-April to May and October to November are the best times to visit Hokuriku, with sakura or autumn leaves, clear days and the Alpine Route open. Winter brings snow crab and powder snow but grey skies, and June to July is the rainy season. See when to visit.

Hokuriku has seasonal sights no other region does: firefly squid glowing in Toyama Bay (March–May), the Yuki-no-Otani snow wall on the Alpine Route (from mid-April), the 3,000 m Tateyama range seen across the sea on clear winter days, snow crab from 6 November and winter yellowtail. See when to visit.