Kanazawa Station Map – Finding Your Way

Kanazawa Station is very well organized and easy to navigate. As well as the railway station, the station building also houses shops, restaurants, a tourist information center and other facilities. The railway offices, ticket machines and ticket gates are all in one clearly contained area on the south side of the main concourse. In this article we will introduce the general layout of the station and show you where to catch your train.

General Orientation

Kanazawa Station has two exits on its west and east sides. Outside both exits you will find bus terminals and taxi ranks. The East Exit is also called the Kenrokuen Gate. This is the main gate of the station and the one you are most likely to use for sightseeing. From the East Exit bus terminal you can catch tourist buses such as the Kanazawa Loop Bus and the Kenrokuen Shuttle for the major tourist sites in the city. Some highway bus services also use this side of the station, but you should always check the boarding point shown on your ticket or on the bus operator’s website.

Just outside the East Exit gate you will see escalators which go underground beneath the station plaza. These lead to the Hokutetsu Kanazawa Station from which you catch trains on the Hokutetsu Railway’s Asanogawa Line. This is a local railway run by a private company and separate from the main station. Probably you won’t need to use it.

The West Exit is also called the Kanazawa Port Gate (or Kanazawa-Ko Guchi). There are some hotels and car rental offices on this side of the station. At the West Exit bus terminal you can catch buses for Komatsu Airport from stop #3. Some long-distance bus services use west-side stops, so check your boarding point before going to the bus terminal.

Inside the station building there is a central concourse that runs directly between the east and west exits. All of the railway station facilities run along the south side of this concourse. These railway facilities are divided into two main areas: conventional lines and Shinkansen lines. The conventional-line gates and platforms are closer to the west side of the station. The Shinkansen gates and platforms are just inside the east side of the station.

Popular Hotels near Kanazawa Station

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Buying Tickets for Conventional Lines

Kanazawa Station is served by two rail companies: JR West and IR Ishikawa Railway. JR West handles Hokuriku Shinkansen tickets, JR Nanao Line tickets, JR limited express tickets, and JR reserved-seat tickets. IR Ishikawa Railway handles local conventional-line tickets on the IR Ishikawa Railway Line. These conventional-line services use the same platforms and you can access them through the same ticket gates, but the two companies have separate ticket machines. The machines are located beside each other and they are clearly labeled.

The JR West ticket machine is on the left and darker blue in color. The IR Ishikawa Railway machine is on the right and lighter blue in color. Both sets of ticket machines have a button you can press for English guidance, so they are easy to use.

Use the JR West ticket machine or the JR West Ticket Office for Hokuriku Shinkansen tickets, JR Nanao Line tickets, and JR limited express tickets such as the Noto Kagaribi and Hanayome Noren when those services are operating. The JR West Ticket Office is located between the conventional-line ticket gates and the Shinkansen ticket gates, and is a better choice for reserved seats, rail passes, or any ticket that involves several operators.

Use the IR Ishikawa Railway ticket machine or the IR Ishikawa Railway Information Counter for local conventional-line tickets south toward Komatsu, Kaga Onsen, and Daishoji, or north toward Tsubata and Kurikara. For local journeys beyond the IR Ishikawa Railway area, trains may continue onto other railways such as Hapi-Line Fukui toward Fukui and Tsuruga or Ainokaze Toyama Railway toward Toyama. For these through trips, check that the destination appears on the ticket machine or ask staff at the counter.

For the fastest rail route from Kanazawa to Komatsu, Kaga Onsen, Awara Onsen, Fukui, or Tsuruga, use the Hokuriku Shinkansen rather than a local conventional-line service.

Access to Conventional Line Platforms

Once you have your ticket you should go through the ticket gates. If your ticket is not accepted by the automatic gates, show it to the station staff at the manned gate.

Once inside the gates you should check the departure display for your train’s platform. There are seven conventional-line platforms on the 2nd floor which can be reached by stairways or elevators. Platform 4 is a stand-alone platform which is accessed via platform 5. Platform assignments vary by train and time, so use the departure displays rather than relying on a fixed platform list.

Conventional Line Services

The conventional-line platforms are used by IR Ishikawa Railway local trains, JR Nanao Line trains, and JR limited express services for the Noto Peninsula. The main point to remember is that these are conventional railway services, while the Hokuriku Shinkansen has its own separate ticket gates and platforms.

IR Ishikawa Railway local trains run south from Kanazawa toward Komatsu, Kaga Onsen, and Daishoji, and north toward Tsubata and Kurikara. Local trips that continue beyond Daishoji toward Fukui and Tsuruga use Hapi-Line Fukui for that section. Local trips that continue beyond Kurikara toward Toyama use Ainokaze Toyama Railway for that section.

The JR Nanao Line runs from Kanazawa toward Hakui, Nanao, and Wakura Onsen. JR limited express services such as the Limited Express Noto Kagaribi also use the conventional-line area. The Hanayome Noren excursion train operates on selected dates. Check the departure display for the platform and service status before going upstairs.

For journeys from Kanazawa toward Kyoto, Osaka, Maibara, or Nagoya, take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tsuruga and transfer there to the Limited Express Thunderbird or Limited Express Shirasagi. These limited express services do not depart from Kanazawa Station.

Shinkansen Tickets & Platforms

The Shinkansen ticket gates are located close to the East Exit of the station on the south side of the concourse. There are plenty of automated ticket machines on either side of the ticket gates, but buying Shinkansen tickets can be a little complicated, so you might want to use the JR West Ticket Office instead. Most staff can speak some English.

There are four Shinkansen platforms on the second floor which are numbered from 11 to 14. These can be reached by stairs, escalators, or elevators. Hokuriku Shinkansen trains use these platforms in both directions: south toward Komatsu, Kaga Onsen, Awara Onsen, Fukui, and Tsuruga, and north or east toward Toyama, Nagano, and Tokyo. You can check your train’s platform on a departure information screen on the 1st floor just inside the ticket gates.

For more detailed information on taking the Shinkansen check our article on the Hokuriku Shinkansen.

Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. Last updated 29-May-2026.