The Ainokaze Toyama Railway is a third-sector railway company in Toyama Prefecture. It is owned by a mixture of local government and local businesses. The company operates the former JR Hokuriku Main Line section across Toyama Prefecture. Its company section runs between Kurikara Station in Ishikawa Prefecture and Ichiburi Station in Niigata Prefecture, with Kurikara connecting to IR Ishikawa Railway and Ichiburi connecting to the Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihonkai Hisui Line. This section was separated from the JR railway network in March 2015, when the Hokuriku Shinkansen was extended to Toyama Station and Kanazawa Station.
An Ainokaze Toyama local train bound for Tomari at Kanazawa Station
Though this line does not connect directly with Kanazawa Station, at Kurikara Station the line connects with the IR Ishikawa Railway Line. Both the Ainokaze Toyama Railway and the IR Ishikawa Railway run through train services on these two lines that connect Kanazawa Station with Toyama Station and Tomari Station.
Table of Contents
Key Destinations
Ainokaze Toyama Railway’s own station list covers 21 stations from Isurugi to Etchu-Miyazaki.
Isurugi – Fukuoka – Nishi-Takaoka – Takaoka-Yabunami – Takaoka – Etchu-Daimon – Kosugi – Kureha – Toyama – Shin-Toyamaguchi – Higashi-Toyama – Mizuhashi – Namerikawa – Higashi-Namerikawa – Uozu – Kurobe – Ikuji – Nishi-Nyuzen – Nyuzen – Tomari – Etchu-Miyazaki
Exact fares and journey times from Kanazawa depend on the IR Ishikawa Railway connection and the Ainokaze timetable, so check the official Ainokaze fare table and all-line timetable before traveling.
Kurikara Station
Kurikara Station links the Ainokaze Toyama Railway Line with the IR Ishikawa Railway Line for Kanazawa Station. For ticketing purposes, Kurikara is one of the boundary stations between the two railway companies.
Takaoka Station
Takaoka is Toyama Prefecture’s second largest city. Attractions here include the 16m high Great Buddha Statue (“Takaoka Daibutsu”), Zuiryuji Temple, a designated National Treasure that dates from 1645, and the preserved wooden residences and earthern storehouses of the Kanayamachi district. Transfers can be made here to JR West’s Johana Line and Himi Line.
Toyama Station
Toyama is the capital city of Toyama Prefecture. Its major tourist attractions are Toyama Castle and boat trips on the Matsukawa River. The city is also convenient for hiking routes along the Tateyama Mountain Range. Transfer here to the Toyama Chiho Railway Main Line and to JR Takayama Main Line services for Etchu-Yatsuo, Inotani, and Gifu.
Namerikawa Station
Namerikawa is a coastal city famous for its hotaruika or “firefly squid”. These sparkling squid rise from the sea in large numbers each spring. The city has its own Firefly Squid Museum, and seasonal spring boat tours are offered in years when the museum operates them; check the official schedule before planning a visit. At Namerikawa Station transfers can be made to the Toyama Chiho Railway Main Line.
Uozu Station
The city of Uozu has two unusual attractions. Between 1500 and 2000 years ago a coastal cedar forest here was buried and its roots are on display at the Uozu Buried Forest Museum. The city is also famous for its spring mirages, which can be seen over the sea from April to June. These mirages can be best observed from an observation deck at the Buried Forest Museum or from the Ferris Wheel at the Mirage Land amusement park.
Kurobe Station
From this station you can access both the Unazuki Onsen hot spring resort and the scenic Kurobe Gorge, one of Japan’s deepest and most beautiful ravines. From Kurobe Station transfer to Dentetsu Kurobe Station. You can get there on foot in 14 minutes or by taxi in 4 minutes. At Dentetsu Kurobe Station, take a Toyama Chiho Railway train to Unazuki Onsen Station. Sightseeing trains for the Kurobe Gorge depart from nearby Unazuki Station. Check the official Toyama Chiho Railway and Kurobe Gorge Railway sites before traveling.
A carriage flag on a train bound for Tomari
Tomari Station
Many through services from Kanazawa Station terminate at Tomari Station. It is possible to transfer here to through services for the Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihonkai Hisui Line. This line runs to destinations in Niigata Prefecture.
Ichiburi Station
Ichiburi Station in Niigata Prefecture is jointly operated by the Ainokaze Toyama Railway and Echigo Tokimeki Railway. This is the eastern boundary station of the Ainokaze Toyama Railway Line.
Itoigawa Station
This station in Niigata Prefecture is operated by the Echigo Tokimeki Railway. Some through trains continue beyond Tomari over the Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihonkai Hisui Line toward Itoigawa or Naoetsu. Service patterns vary by timetable, so check the Ainokaze all-line timetable before planning a through journey from Kanazawa.
Itoigawa Station is situated in a UNESCO Global Geopark and has an unusual tourist information center at Itoigawa Station. Called Itoigawa GeoStation GeoPal, the facility combines a Geopark Tourist Information Center with a Model Railroad & Diorama Gallery and a waiting room in which a preserved KiHa 52 diesel train is on display. Local attractions include the Fossa Magna Museum, dedicated to a dramatic local fault line in the earth’s crust, plenty of hot springs, and a scenic landscape ideal for hiking, cycling, and rock climbing.
Departure information for Ainokaze / IR through services at Kanazawa Station
Tickets
At Kanazawa Station, ordinary tickets for Ainokaze destinations reached via IR Ishikawa Railway can be bought from IR Ishikawa Railway ticket machines or the IR ticket office. ICOCA and other compatible IC cards can be used within the permitted Ainokaze / IR / JR local-line IC-card areas, but there are area restrictions and some longer cross-area journeys require a paper ticket. If you begin at an Ainokaze station, check Ainokaze’s ticket-sale rules for cross-company travel.
The Ainokaze Liner
The Ainokaze Liner is an all-reserved-seat rapid service for peak travel periods. A separate 300 yen liner ticket is required. It stops at IR Kanazawa, Isurugi, Takaoka, Kosugi, Toyama, Namerikawa, Uozu, Kurobe, Nyuzen, and Tomari. Liner tickets are sold at liner stop station windows and can also be bought on board on the day of travel, but they are not sold from ticket machines. Check the official timetable before traveling.
Using the Japan Rail Pass
The Ainokaze Toyama Railway is not a JR line, so ordinary travel on this line is not generally covered by the Japan Rail Pass. The official pass conditions include a narrow no-stopover exception for the Ainokaze Toyama Railway between Toyama and Takaoka. This exception is valid only on ordinary trains and only when using JR-line trains that extend beyond that section. You cannot use the pass for ordinary Ainokaze travel to other stations, and if you use the Ainokaze Liner you must also buy a liner ticket.
For Kanazawa – Toyama travel with a Japan Rail Pass, the simpler covered route is usually the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
The Toyama Emaki, a special event train, at Kanazawa Station
Useful Links
For route, fare, timetable, ticket, and IC-card information, check the official Ainokaze Toyama Railway pages for stations, timetables, fares, tickets, and IC cards.
For pass rules and connecting railways, check the official Japan Rail Pass conditions, Toyama Chiho Railway, and Kurobe Gorge Railway pages.
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. Last updated 24-May-2026.
