Oct–NovOne line from Tokyo over the mountains to Nagano and down to the Sea of Japan: Toyama, Kanazawa, Fukui and Tsuruga. Every station, the four services, and how to book them.
The Hokuriku Shinkansen (北陸新幹線) runs 575.6 km from Tokyo to Tsuruga through Nagano, Toyama, Kanazawa and Fukui. The fastest Kagayaki reaches Kanazawa in 2h 24m (¥14,600 reserved) and Tsuruga in 3h 6m (¥16,580). Four services share the line: Kagayaki, Hakutaka, Tsurugi and Asama. Fares are regular-season prices after the March 2026 revision; check live times on JR East and JR West before you travel. Riding on to Kyoto or Osaka, the ¥35,000 Hokuriku Arch Pass covers the whole line plus the Thunderbird.
JR East runs the line from Tokyo to Iiyama and JR West from Jōetsu-Myōkō to Tsuruga, but trains run straight through and one ticket covers the whole journey. The line shares track with the Tōhoku and Jōetsu Shinkansen as far as Takasaki, then climbs through Karuizawa to Nagano and reaches the Sea of Japan coast at Itoigawa. It opened to Nagano in 1997, to Kanazawa in March 2015 and to Tsuruga in March 2024.
Tsuruga is now the end of the line for travellers heading to Kyoto and Osaka. There you change to the Thunderbird limited express (Kyoto 52m–54m, Osaka 1h 20m–1h 25m); the planned extension to Shin-Osaka has no opening date. For a Kyoto trip that skips the crowds, see Kyoto without the crowds; to go on to Tokyo by the Tōkaidō instead, see the Golden Triangle.
A Tokyo to Kanazawa return costs ¥29,200 reserved, less than a 7-day pass. The pass pays when you ride on to Kyoto or Osaka: Tokyo ⇄ Kanazawa ⇄ Osaka by ticket is ¥48,020, against ¥35,000 for the Arch Pass. Work it out for your route.
The whole Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Tsuruga, reserved seats included, plus the Thunderbird to Kyoto and Osaka. Foreign visitors only; no Tōkaidō Shinkansen. Full guide · Is it worth it for you?
See on Klook ↗Every Hokuriku Shinkansen service plus the rest of the JR network. Worth it only if the same week also takes in another region. Full guide
See on Klook ↗Covers the Hokuriku Shinkansen only between Tsuruga and Jōetsu-Myōkō, with the Thunderbird and Kansai. For trips that start in Osaka or Kyoto and never reach Tokyo. Sold by JR West. Full guide
JR East Pass (5 days, ¥35,000): on this line it runs from Tokyo only as far as Jōetsu-Myōkō, so it covers Karuizawa, Nagano and Iiyama but not Itoigawa, Toyama or Kanazawa. Full guide
Data for the trip: a Japan eSIM gives unlimited mobile data from arrival on a QR code, for maps, timetables and translation. See on Klook ↗ · Every Hokuriku pass compared
JR East and JR West publish the only complete, current timetables. The pattern below is from the October 2026 timetable; JR revises it every March.
| Pattern, Tokyo to Kanazawa | October 2026 timetable |
|---|---|
| First Kagayaki | Tokyo 06:16, Kanazawa 08:43 (continues to Tsuruga, 09:34) |
| Fastest Kagayaki | Tokyo 07:20, Kanazawa 09:44 (2h 24m); Tsuruga 10:26 |
| Last Kagayaki | Tokyo 21:04, Kanazawa 23:30 |
| Kagayaki per day | 12 reach Kanazawa (plus an extra 15:48 on busy Fridays and Sundays); 9 run through to Tsuruga |
| Midday gap | No Kagayaki from Tokyo between 10:22 and 15:48; the roughly hourly Hakutaka fills it |
| Last train of the day | The 22:08 Asama from Tokyo, as far as Nagano only |
All four use the same 12-car E7 and W7 trains, with ordinary, Green Car and Gran Class seats. The difference is where they stop and whether you can ride without a reservation.
| Service | Runs | Stops | Unreserved cars | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kagayaki かがやき | Tokyo to Kanazawa or Tsuruga | Omiya, Nagano, Toyama, Kanazawa, Fukui, Tsuruga; some also Ueno, Komatsu, Kaga-Onsen, Awara-Onsen, Echizen-Takefu | None: all seats reserved | Tokyo to Nagano, Toyama, Kanazawa, Fukui |
| Hakutaka はくたか | Tokyo to Kanazawa or Tsuruga | Most stations, including Karuizawa, Jōetsu-Myōkō, Itoigawa, Kurobe-Unazukionsen and Shin-Takaoka | Yes | The smaller stations; a seat when the Kagayaki is full |
| Tsurugi つるぎ | Toyama or Kanazawa to Tsuruga | The stations between them | Yes | Day trips within Hokuriku; the Thunderbird connection at Tsuruga |
| Asama あさま | Tokyo to Nagano | Most stations in between | Yes | Karuizawa, Ueda and Nagano |
Times from Tokyo: Kanazawa 2h 24m on the fastest Kagayaki, 2h 26m–2h 34m on most, and 2h 53m–3h 13m on the Hakutaka. Itoigawa and Kurobe-Unazukionsen are served only by the Hakutaka. See Getting to Kanazawa, Getting to Toyama and Getting to Itoigawa for each town's own timetable notes.
Distance is the fare distance from Tokyo. Times are the fastest direct train from Tokyo; fares are one way with a reserved ordinary seat in the regular season (off-peak ¥200 less, busy ¥200 more, peak ¥400 more). A blank time means I have not confirmed it.
| Station | km | Fastest from Tokyo | Reserved fare | Stopping trains | Change here for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo 東京 | 0.0 | Kagayaki, Hakutaka, Asama | Tōkaidō Shinkansen, Narita Express, Yamanote Line; Haneda by Keikyu or monorail | ||
| Ueno 上野 | 3.6 | ¥2,600 | Most trains, some Kagayaki | Keisei Skyliner to Narita Airport | |
| Omiya 大宮 | 30.3 | ¥3,230 | Kagayaki, Hakutaka, Asama | Tōhoku and Jōetsu Shinkansen | |
| Kumagaya 熊谷 | 64.7 | ¥3,840 | Some Asama and Hakutaka | ||
| Honjō-Waseda 本庄早稲田 | 86.0 | ¥4,210 | Some Asama and Hakutaka | ||
| Takasaki 高崎 | 105.0 | ¥5,130 | Asama, Hakutaka | Jōetsu Shinkansen to Echigo-Yuzawa and Niigata | |
| Annaka-Haruna 安中榛名 | 123.5 | ¥5,460 | Some trains, mainly Asama | ||
| Karuizawa 軽井沢 | 146.8 | ¥6,130 | Asama, Hakutaka | Shinano Railway; the resort town itself | |
| Sakudaira 佐久平 | 164.4 | ¥6,570 | Asama, Hakutaka | JR Koumi Line | |
| Ueda 上田 | 189.2 | ¥6,900 | Asama, Hakutaka | Shinano Railway | |
| Nagano 長野 | 222.4 | 1h 20m | ¥8,450 | Kagayaki, Hakutaka, Asama (Asama terminus) | Nagaden to Yudanaka and the snow monkeys (44–46 min); Alpico bus to Hakuba (about 1h 10m; ski guide); Kita-Shinano Line to Myōkō-Kōgen |
| Iiyama 飯山 | 252.3 | ¥8,890 | Hakutaka | JR Iiyama Line | |
| Jōetsu-Myōkō 上越妙高 | 281.9 | about 2h | ¥9,660 | Hakutaka | Echigo Tokimeki Railway to Myōkō-Kōgen and the ski resorts (Myōkō access) |
| Itoigawa 糸魚川 | 318.9 | 2h 2m | ¥11,420 | Hakutaka | JR Ōito Line to Hakuba (1h 40m–2h 10m, ¥880, change at Minami-Otari); Nihonkai-Hisui Line to Nou (¥400) |
| Kurobe-Unazukionsen 黒部宇奈月温泉 | 358.1 | 2h 17m | ¥12,300 | Hakutaka | Chitetsu from Shin-Kurobe (1 min walk) to Unazuki Onsen and the Kurobe Gorge Railway, 26 min, ¥740 |
| Toyama 富山 | 391.9 | 2h 4m | ¥13,180 | Kagayaki, Hakutaka, Tsurugi (Tsurugi terminus) | Chitetsu to Tateyama for the Alpine Route (60 min, 15 Apr–30 Nov 2026); Hida limited express to Takayama (about 1h 30m); city trams |
| Shin-Takaoka 新高岡 | 410.8 | ¥14,050 | Hakutaka, Tsurugi | Jōhana Line to Takaoka; World Heritage Bus to Gokayama (Ainokura-guchi 1h 03m, ¥1,100) and Shirakawa-go (about 1h 55m, ¥2,000) | |
| Kanazawa 金沢 | 450.5 | 2h 24m | ¥14,600 | Kagayaki, Hakutaka, Tsurugi (Tsurugi terminus) | Highway bus to Shirakawa-go (1h 15m, ¥2,800) and Takayama (2h 15m, ¥4,200); limited express to Wakura Onsen on Noto (about 1h) |
| Komatsu 小松 | 477.6 | ¥14,820 | Hakutaka, Tsurugi, some Kagayaki | Local bus to Komatsu Airport | |
| Kaga-Onsen 加賀温泉 | 492.1 | ¥15,150 | Hakutaka, Tsurugi, some Kagayaki | CAN BUS loop to Yamanaka, Yamashiro and Natadera (¥1,300 digital day ticket) | |
| Awara-Onsen 芦原温泉 | 508.5 | 2h 51m | ¥15,810 | Hakutaka, Tsurugi, some Kagayaki | Keifuku bus to Tōjinbō (about 40 min, ¥790) |
| Fukui 福井 | 526.5 | 2h 49m | ¥16,030 | Kagayaki, Hakutaka, Tsurugi | Echizen Railway (Katsuyama 54 min for the Dinosaur Museum); Eiheiji Liner bus (about 30 min, ¥1,000 from 1 Oct 2026) |
| Echizen-Takefu 越前たけふ | 545.5 | ¥16,360 | Hakutaka, Tsurugi, some Kagayaki | ||
| Tsuruga 敦賀 | 575.6 | 3h 6m | ¥16,580 | Kagayaki, Hakutaka, Tsurugi (terminus) | Thunderbird to Kyoto (52m–54m, ¥3,420) and Osaka (1h 20m–1h 25m, ¥4,700); JR Obama Line to Obama (1h 4m–1h 9m, ¥990) |
Fares are for the March 2026 revision (fare tables: Hakutaka, Kagayaki). Ueno to Annaka-Haruna were checked on 15 October 2026 (regular season; ticket plus reserved express): Ueno ¥2,600 (¥200 fare, ¥2,400 express, a very short ride), Omiya ¥3,230, Kumagaya ¥3,840, Honjō-Waseda ¥4,210, Annaka-Haruna ¥5,460; Sakudaira ¥6,570. Unreserved seats cost ¥530 less (Tokyo to Kanazawa ¥14,070). Distances: fare kilometres from Tokyo. Times: the JR East October 2026 timetable. "Some Kagayaki" means only certain trains stop; check the stop list when you book. The Hakutaka stops at most stations but not every Hakutaka stops at every Kantō station.
Seats go on sale one month ahead at 10:00. These are the official JR sellers, not affiliates of ours.
Kagayaki fares one way from Tokyo, regular season. The Green Car and Gran Class are not covered by the Arch Pass or an ordinary JR Pass.
| Class | To Nagano | To Toyama | To Kanazawa | To Tsuruga |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary, reserved | ¥8,450 | ¥13,180 | ¥14,600 | ¥16,580 |
| Green Car (car 11) | ¥12,110 | ¥19,640 | ¥21,060 | ¥24,430 |
| Gran Class (car 12) | ¥19,110 | ¥30,640 | ¥32,060 | ¥35,430 |
Gran Class is 18 leather seats in car 12. Attendant service with drinks and a light meal runs on the Kagayaki only; on the Hakutaka, Tsurugi and Asama Gran Class is seat only, so check which train you are booking. My view: ordinary seats are roomy on this line, two-by-three with plenty of legroom. I'd pay for the Green Car only on a sold-out holiday, when it is often the last car with seats.
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| No oversized-baggage reservation | The "seat with oversized baggage area" booking for bags over 160 cm in total dimensions applies only on the Tōkaidō, Sanyō, Kyūshū and Nishi-Kyūshū Shinkansen. It does not apply on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, and nor does the ¥1,000 fee for skipping it. |
| Luggage spaces | Large-luggage spaces in the even-numbered cars and by the Green Car in car 11. First come, first served; they cannot be booked. |
| Size limit | JR's general limit is 250 cm in total dimensions and 30 kg per bag, two bags per person. |
| If you change to the Tōkaidō | Travelling on from Tokyo to Kyoto by Nozomi with a big case? Book the oversized baggage seat for that leg. |
The JR West luggage rules list the four lines only. With more than one big case, send it ahead instead: see luggage forwarding.
Kanazawa Station has two exits on opposite sides of the tracks. Pick the right one before you leave the Shinkansen gates.
Under the Tsuzumi-mon gate. The Castle Town Loop Bus leaves stop 7 every 15 to 20 minutes for Higashi Chaya, Kenrokuen and Korinbo. Buy the day pass at the bus office before boarding; it is not sold on the bus. Tourist information is here too.
Bay 4 for the reserved highway bus to Shirakawa-go (1h 15m) and Takayama (2h 15m, ¥4,200). The Komatsu Airport bus (about 40 min) also stops here, as do the car hire desks and Hyatt Centric.
The hands-free counter at the Kanazawa Station tourist information office sends bags to hotels in Kanazawa, the Kaga onsen towns, Noto and Awara the same day. Full details on Getting to Kanazawa.
Hokuriku Shinkansen timetables are published by the two operators: JR East's English timetable site lists every departure from Tokyo, Ueno, Omiya and Nagano, and JR West's Hokuriku Shinkansen and route map pages cover Jōetsu-Myōkō to Tsuruga. The station table on this page gives distances, fastest times and fares. Timetables change every March, so check the live pages before you travel.
The Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kanazawa costs ¥14,600 for a reserved seat in the regular season, or ¥14,070 for an unreserved seat on the Hakutaka. The Green Car is ¥21,060 and Gran Class ¥32,060 on the Kagayaki. A return costs ¥29,200 reserved. Fares are regular-season prices after the March 2026 revision.
No, the Hokuriku Shinkansen ends at Tsuruga, where you change to the Thunderbird limited express for Kyoto (52m–54m) and Osaka (1h 20m–1h 25m). The planned extension to Shin-Osaka has no opening date. The Hokuriku Arch Pass covers both the Shinkansen and the Thunderbird.
Yes, the Hokuriku Arch Pass covers the whole Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Tsuruga plus the Thunderbird, for ¥35,000 and 7 days. The Japan Rail Pass also covers the whole line. The Kansai-Hokuriku Area Pass covers only Tsuruga to Jōetsu-Myōkō, and the JR East Pass only Tokyo to Jōetsu-Myōkō. For a Tokyo to Kanazawa return alone (¥29,200), tickets cost less than any pass.
Only part of it: the JR East Pass covers the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Jōetsu-Myōkō, so Karuizawa, Ueda, Nagano and Iiyama, but not Itoigawa, Toyama, Kanazawa or Fukui. West of Jōetsu-Myōkō the line is JR West, and you pay the fare plus the limited express charge. The pass costs ¥35,000 for 5 days, the same as the Arch Pass for 7.
The fastest Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kanazawa takes 2h 24m: Kagayaki 503 leaves Tokyo at 07:20 and arrives at 09:44. Most Kagayaki take 2h 26m to 2h 34m and the Hakutaka 2h 53m to 3h 13m. A reserved seat costs ¥14,600 in the regular season. In the 2026 timetable there is no Kagayaki from Tokyo between 10:22 and 15:48.
The Kagayaki is the fast, all-reserved Hokuriku Shinkansen service from Tokyo to Kanazawa or Tsuruga, stopping at the main cities only. The Hakutaka covers the same route and stops at most stations, including Itoigawa and Kurobe-Unazukionsen. The Tsurugi shuttles between Toyama or Kanazawa and Tsuruga, and the Asama runs from Tokyo to Nagano only. All four use the same E7 and W7 trains.
The Kagayaki needs a reserved seat because every car is reserved, including for rail pass holders. The Hakutaka, Tsurugi and Asama have unreserved cars. From Tokyo to Kanazawa a reserved seat costs ¥14,600 and an unreserved seat on the Hakutaka ¥14,070 in the regular season. Pass holders reserve for free. Reserve two to three weeks ahead for Golden Week, Obon, New Year and autumn weekends.
No reservation is needed for large luggage on the Hokuriku Shinkansen. The seats with an oversized baggage area, required for bags over 160 cm in total dimensions, apply only on the Tōkaidō, Sanyō, Kyūshū and Nishi-Kyūshū Shinkansen. On the Hokuriku line, luggage spaces in some cars are first come, first served and cannot be booked. JR's general limit is 250 cm in total dimensions and 30 kg per bag.
Hokuriku Shinkansen tickets can be booked in English on JR-EAST Train Reservation (Eki-net) or JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION (e5489); both sell Tokyo to Kanazawa. Seats go on sale one month ahead at 10:00. Collect the tickets at a JR ticket machine or ticket office before boarding. Neither site is an affiliate of ours; we link to them because they are the official sellers.
Gran Class from Tokyo to Kanazawa costs ¥32,060 on the Kagayaki, against ¥21,060 for the Green Car and ¥14,600 for a reserved ordinary seat (regular season). Attendant service with drinks and a light meal runs on Kagayaki trains only; on the Hakutaka, Tsurugi and Asama Gran Class is seat only. I'd take the Green Car on a busy day and save Gran Class for a special occasion.
The Japan Rail Pass and the Hokuriku Arch Pass both cover the whole Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Tsuruga, all four services, with free seat reservations. The Arch Pass costs ¥35,000 for 7 days; the 7-day JR Pass costs ¥50,000 on JR's official site and ¥53,000 through agents such as Klook from 1 October 2026. Neither covers Gran Class. The Kansai-Hokuriku Area Pass covers only Tsuruga to Jōetsu-Myōkō.
The first Kagayaki from Tokyo leaves at 06:16 and reaches Kanazawa at 08:43, continuing to Tsuruga. The last Kagayaki to Kanazawa leaves Tokyo at 21:04 and arrives at 23:30. The last Hokuriku Shinkansen train of the day from Tokyo is the 22:08 Asama, which runs only as far as Nagano. Times are from the October 2026 JR East timetable.
Kanazawa Station's East (Kenrokuen) Exit, under the Tsuzumi-mon gate, is the one for the city: the Castle Town Loop Bus leaves from stop 7 (¥220 a ride, ¥800 a day). The West Exit is for the Shirakawa-go and Takayama highway buses (Bay 4, 1h 15m and ¥2,800 to Shirakawa-go) and the Komatsu Airport bus.
Tell us where you land and where you want to end up, and we'll suggest which stations to stop at and which pass, if any, is worth buying. We plan Hokuriku trips and guide small groups on weekends and national holidays.
Booking links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. How we choose