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Board at Tokyo, Ueno or Ōmiya東京・上野・大宮
Platforms 20–23 at Tokyo Station
Every Kagayaki and Hakutaka also stops at Ōmiya, useful if you are staying north of the centre.
Reserve
eki-net or any JR office
Oct–NovDirect from Tokyo Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen. Toyama is 20 minutes closer than Kanazawa and the station is the hub for the Alpine Route and the Kurobe Gorge.
Tokyo to Toyama takes 2h 4m on the fastest Kagayaki and costs ¥13,180 (reserved seats only). The Hakutaka takes about 2h 30m, has unreserved cars and stops at Nagano, Itoigawa and Kurobe-Unazukionsen on the way. A return is ¥26,360.
Take the Kagayaki if one leaves when you want to. There is none from Tokyo between 10:22 and 15:48, and in that gap the roughly hourly Hakutaka is the only train. The Hakutaka is also the one to take if you want to break the journey at Nagano, Itoigawa or the Kurobe Gorge.
| Route | Train | Time | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo → Toyama | Kagayaki (reserved only) | 2h 4m | ¥13,180 |
| Tokyo → Toyama | Hakutaka | about 2h 30m | ¥13,180 reserved |
| Tokyo ⇄ Toyama return | ¥26,360 | ||
| Toyama → Kanazawa | Any | 18–23 min | ¥3,390 |
| Tokyo → Kurobe-Unazukionsen | Hakutaka | about 2h 20m–2h 35m | see Kurobe |
Regular-season fares. Busy and peak days add ¥200–¥400.
From a Tokyo hotel to a Toyama sushi counter.
Every Kagayaki and Hakutaka also stops at Ōmiya, useful if you are staying north of the centre.
The line breaks out on to the coast at Itoigawa. Left-hand seats (the E seat is the window) face the Tateyama range; right-hand seats face the Sea of Japan. On a clear winter morning the mountains win.
The Chihō Railway to Tateyama and Unazuki leaves from Dentetsu-Toyama next door. Hotels are within five minutes on foot. Getting around Toyama.
A plain return is cheaper as tickets. Add two day trips and the Arch Pass wins.
Tokyo–Toyama return, a day in Kanazawa and a day in Itoigawa come to ¥40,620 in a week; the pass is ¥35,000.
See on Klook ↗Find your whole route, not just this leg, before you buy.
Rail pass hub →Five minutes on foot from the station, a tram stop outside and a large breakfast buffet. Good value.
Across the road from the south exit. The pick for a late Shinkansen in or an early one out.
International-chain rooms beside Toyama Castle, six minutes by tram. East-facing rooms can see Tateyama.
2 hours 4 minutes on the fastest Kagayaki and about 2 hours 30 minutes on the Hakutaka.
¥13,180 one way reserved, ¥26,360 return, at regular-season 2026 fares.
Yes, by about 20 minutes. Toyama is 2h 4m from Tokyo and Kanazawa 2h 24m. The two are 18 to 23 minutes apart.
Yes, and so does the Hokuriku Arch Pass. For a simple return, single tickets are cheaper than either.
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