The Noto Kagaribi is a limited express service operated by JR West that runs between Kanazawa Station and Wakura Onsen Station. It provides a speedy and comfortable train ride to the popular resort town of Wakura Onsen. There are 5 round trip services each day that run along the IR Ishikawa Railway Line and JR West’s Nanao Line. At Kanazawa Station these trains depart from Platforms 5, 6 and 7. These services are fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass.
The Limited Express Noto Kagaribi at Kanazawa Station
Contents
Destinations
The Noto Kagaribi makes limited stops at the following stations. Stations in brackets [] are not served by all trains.
Kanazawa – [Tsubata] – [Unoke] – [Takamatsu] – Hakui – [Yoshikawa] – Nanao – Wakura Onsen
The main destination is Wakura Onsen, a very popular luxury hot spring resort on the coast of the Noto Peninsula. However, the stations of Unoke, Hakui, and Nanao also have some points of interest nearby. For more details on these locations please refer to our article on the Nanao Line. Limited express fares and example train times from Kanazawa Station are given below.
Carriage banners on the Noto Kagaribi
Unoke Station
Exit here for the Nishida Kitaro Museum of Philosophy.
Train fare: 1,250 yen
Train time: 16 minutes on Noto Kagaribi #3
Hakui Station
Exit here for the Cosmo Isle Space Science Museum.
Train fare: 1,670 yen
Train time: 32 minutes on Noto Kagaribi #1
Nanao Station
Exit here for the Nanao Art Museum, the preserved traditional buildings on the shopping street of Ipponsugi Dori, and the lively market at Nanao Fisherman’s Wharf.
Train fare: 2,060 yen
Train time: 51 minutes on Noto Kagaribi #1
Wakura Onsen Station
Wakura Onsen is a hot spring resort town on Noto Peninsula’s Nanao Bay. The town has many traditional ryokan style hotels. The most famous of these hotels is Kagaya, which has been ranked as Japan’s number 1 ryokan for the last 36 years. Guests can enjoy the soothing mineral waters at their hotel, or use some of the town’s public bathing facilities. There is a free outdoor foot bath at Yuttari Park and Wakura Onsen Soyu is a public bath house which charges 440 yen to use its facilities.
Train fare: 2,230 yen
Train time: 58 minutes on Noto Kagaribi #1
Departure times displayed at Platform 7, Kanazawa Station
Timetables
| Trains from Kanazawa | Kanazawa | Wakura Onsen |
| Noto Kagaribi #1 | 8.56 | 9.54 |
| Noto Kagaribi #3 | 11.23 | 12.22 |
| Noto Kagaribi #5 | 15.00 | 15.57 |
| Noto Kagaribi #7 | 18.34 | 19.38 |
| Noto Kagaribi #9 | 20.08 | 21.11 |
| Trains from Wakura Onsen | Wakura Onsen | Kanazawa |
| Noto Kagaribi #2 | 7.01 | 8.06 |
| Noto Kagaribi #4 | 8.41 | 9.44 |
| Noto Kagaribi #6 | 13.00 | 14.04 |
| Noto Kagaribi #8 | 15.20 | 16.29 |
| Noto Kagaribi #10 | 17.30 | 18.29 |
Other services
There is one round trip Limited Express Thunderbird service between Kanazawa and Wakura Onsen each day. The Thunderbird #15 service departs from Kanazawa Station at 13.10 and arrives at Wakura Onsen Station at 14.07. The Thunderbird #20 service departs from Wakura Onsen Station at 10.14 and arrives at Kanazawa Station at 11.18.
The Hanayome Noren excursion train also makes two round trips between Kanazawa and Wakura Onsen each day. Departure and arrival times are as follows:
| Trains from Kanazawa | Kanazawa | Wakura Onsen |
| Hanayome Noren #1 | 10.15 | 11.42 |
| Hanayome Noren #3 | 14.15 | 15.32 |
| Trains from Wakura Onsen | Wakura Onsen | Kanazawa |
| Hanayome Noren #2 | 12.07 | 13.21 |
| Hanayome Noren #4 | 16.30 | 17.54 |
For more details please check our article on the Hanayome Noren.
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.
