The Noto Kagaribi is a limited express service operated by JR West that links Kanazawa Station with Nanao and Wakura Onsen on the Noto Peninsula. It runs via the IR Ishikawa Railway Line between Kanazawa and Tsubata and JR West’s Nanao Line beyond Tsubata. Some trains run through to Wakura Onsen, while others terminate at or start from Nanao, so check the destination of your train before boarding.
JR West lists five Noto Kagaribi services in each direction. The service is useful for Hakui, Nanao, and Wakura Onsen, but stopping patterns vary by train. The Japan Rail Pass covers JR services on this route, and the official pass conditions include the IR Ishikawa Railway section between Kanazawa and Tsubata when you pass through on a JR train that continues beyond that section. Stopovers or separate travel on IR Ishikawa Railway can require additional payment.
The Limited Express Noto Kagaribi at Kanazawa Station
Table of Contents
Destinations
The Noto Kagaribi serves the Noto Peninsula route from Kanazawa toward Nanao and Wakura Onsen. Because individual trains can have different final destinations and stopping patterns, check the departure board and the JR West timetable before planning around a specific intermediate station.
For many visitors the main reason to use this service is to reach Wakura Onsen, but Unoke, Hakui, and Nanao also have points of interest nearby. For more details on these locations please refer to our article on the Nanao Line.
Carriage banners on the Noto Kagaribi
Unoke Station
Unoke Station is near the Ishikawa Nishida Kitaro Museum of Philosophy. Limited express services may not stop at Unoke, so use the JR West timetable before planning around this station.
Hakui Station
Hakui Station is useful for Cosmo Isle Hakui, a space science museum close to the station.
Nanao Station
Exit here for the Ishikawa Nanao Art Museum, the preserved traditional buildings on the shopping street of Ipponsugi Dori, and the lively market at Nanao Fisherman’s Wharf.
Wakura Onsen Station
Wakura Onsen is a historic hot spring town on Noto Peninsula’s Nanao Bay, but accommodation and visitor services are reopening in stages after the 1-Jan-2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake. The Wakura Onsen Tourism Association lodging update dated 1-Apr-2026 lists 9 member ryokan accepting tourists, with some properties operating provisionally while rebuilding continues. Check official accommodation status before booking.
Kagaya, the town’s best-known ryokan, has an official reopening target at the end of fiscal 2027, so do not plan a stay there without checking the ryokan’s own notices. Wakura Onsen Soyu is the town’s public bath, and free foot bath facilities include Tsuma Koibune no Yu at Yuttari Park. Check official pages for hours, fees, and temporary closures before visiting.
Noto Kagaribi departure information at Kanazawa Station
Timetables
Noto Kagaribi departure platforms, destinations, stopping patterns, and fares vary by train. At Kanazawa Station, check the departure board before boarding, because some services run only as far as Nanao rather than Wakura Onsen.
Use the JR West Route Maps and Timetables page to check departure times, fares, platforms, and connections before traveling.
Other services
Limited Express Thunderbird services run between Osaka/Kyoto and Tsuruga. Travelers from Kyoto or Osaka should take the Thunderbird to Tsuruga, transfer to the Hokuriku Shinkansen for Kanazawa, and then transfer at Kanazawa to the Noto Kagaribi or another Nanao Line train.
The Hanayome Noren sightseeing train is another JR West service between Kanazawa and Wakura Onsen, but it runs on a limited schedule rather than every day. JR West’s 2026 plan has Hanayome Noren #1 and #4 operating mainly on Saturdays, Sundays, and selected holiday periods through September 2026. Hanayome Noren #2 and #3 are not included in that plan. The announced times are as follows:
| Trains from Kanazawa | Kanazawa | Wakura Onsen |
| Hanayome Noren #1 | 11.00 | 12.31 |
| Trains from Wakura Onsen | Wakura Onsen | Kanazawa |
| Hanayome Noren #4 | 17.07 | 18.27 |
For more details please check our article on the Hanayome Noren, and confirm operating days on the official JR West Hanayome Noren page.
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. Last updated 25-May-2026.
