The Hokuriku Shinkansen is a high speed “bullet train” rail line that runs between Tokyo Station and Tsuruga Station via Nagano, Toyama, and Kanazawa. It is jointly operated by JR East and JR West.
The line first opened as the Nagano Shinkansen between Tokyo and Nagano in 1997, was extended to Kanazawa Station in March 2015, and was extended again from Kanazawa to Tsuruga in March 2024. For Kanazawa, it is the main shinkansen route east to Toyama, Nagano, Omiya, Ueno, and Tokyo, and west to Fukui and Tsuruga.
The Hokuriku Shinkansen in Kanazawa Station
Train Services
The main Hokuriku Shinkansen services used from Kanazawa are the Kagayaki, the Hakutaka, and the Tsurugi.
The Kagayaki is the fastest service and has reserved seats only. The Hakutaka stops at more stations and has non-reserved cars on many services.
The Tsurugi mainly operates on the JR West side of the route, linking Tsuruga with Kanazawa, Toyama, and intermediate Hokuriku stations; many Tsurugi services connect at Tsuruga with Thunderbird services to Kyoto and Osaka and Shirasagi services to Maibara and Nagoya. In addition to these three trains there is an Asama service that runs between Tokyo and Nagano and does not continue to Kanazawa.
The Japan Rail Pass covers ordinary and Green Car travel on JR Group services on this route, but Gran Class requires extra payment.
Departure times and the tracks for the three services are clearly displayed at Kanazawa Station
Key Destinations
Below are some major stops of interest on the Hokuriku Shinkansen east of Kanazawa. Exact fares and journey times vary by train service, seat type, season, and timetable revision, so use the JR West Route Finder or JR East timetables before buying tickets. Kagayaki services are reserved-only; Hakutaka services stop at more stations and usually take longer. The fastest Kagayaki services link Kanazawa and Tokyo in around 2 hours 28 minutes.
Kanazawa Station
Kanazawa was the Hokuriku Shinkansen’s terminus from 2015 until the Tsuruga extension opened in 2024. It is one of the line’s main intermediate stations. Kanazawa is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture and a major center of both modern and traditional arts and crafts in the Hokuriku region. Its main tourist locations include the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, the partially reconstructed Kanazawa Castle, Myoryuji Temple (also called the Ninja Temple) which has many secret passages and trap doors, the traditional teahouses of the Higashi Chaya geisha district, and Kenrokuen garden, which is said to be one of the three great gardens of Japan.
Popular Hotels near Kanazawa Station
Shin-Takaoka Station
Shin-Takaoka Station serves the city of Takaoka; Toyama Prefecture’s second largest city. The main attractions here are 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.
Toyama Station
Toyama is the capital city of Toyama Prefecture. Its most popular tourist attractions are Toyama Castle and boat trips on the Matsukawa River. The city is also within striking distance of hiking routes along the Tateyama Mountain Range.
Kurobe-Unazukionsen 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-Unazukionsen Station transfer to the nearby Shin-Kurobe Station and take a local train to Unazuki Onsen Station. The journey costs 630 yen and takes 25 minutes. Sightseeing trains for the Kurobe Gorge depart from nearby Unazuki Station. Before planning a trip into Kurobe Gorge, check the Kurobe Gorge Railway website, because operating sections and seasonal schedules can change; for the 2026 season, the railway is scheduled to run only between Unazuki and Nekomata until 30-Sep-2026.
Itoigawa Station
Itoigawa is situated in a UNESCO Global Geopark and celebrates this fact with 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.
Joetsumyoko Station
This station serves the city of Joetsu in Niigata Prefecture. Joetsu is known for two castles: the ruins of Kasugayama Castle which date from 1573, and the partially reconstructed Takada Castle. The park around Takada Castle is famous for its cherry blossoms in the spring.
Iiyama Station
The city of Iiyama in Nagano Prefecture has heavy winter snow fall and is nicknamed “little Kyoto of the Snow Country” because of its many shrines and temples. It is famous for its February Snow Festival.
Nagano Station
Nagano City’s most popular attraction is Zenkoji Temple, known for its gigantic Sanmon and Niomon gates. Nagano is better known though as a jumping off point for the Japan Alps, and the popular ski resorts of Hakuba, Shiga Kogen and Nozawa Onsen (also known for its hot springs). Other nearby attractions include the town of Obuse, the former home of famed ukiyo-e painter Katsushika Hokusai, and the snow monkeys of the hot spring town Yudanaka.
Ueda Station
The city of Ueda is best known for Ueda Castle which dates from 1583 and is a 15 minute walk from Ueda Station. Bessho Onsen is a popular hot spring resort town just outside of Ueda City.
Sakudaira Station
Sakudaira Station serves the city of Saku in Nagano Prefecture. This city is known for Tatsuoka Castle, an unfinished 19th century castle that was meant to be built in the shape of a 5 pointed star. It is also the site of the Usuda Star Dome, a public astronomical observatory. Every year in the first week of May, Saku City holds a colorful Hot Air Balloon Festival in which balloonists from all over Japan take part.
Karuizawa Station
Karuizawa is an elegant mountain resort town that is popular year round because of its mild weather, but particularly in the summer when people take refuge here from Tokyo’s intense city heat. Outdoor activities include tennis, hiking, and golfing in summer and skiing and ice skating in winter. The town also has many shopping and hot spring bathing facilities.
Takasaki Station
Exit here to visit the remaining structures of Takasaki Castle which dates from 1428, the Gunma Museum of Modern Art, and also a 41.8 meter high statue of the Goddess of Mercy called the Byakue Dai-Kannon. Takasaki is said to be the home town of the traditional “Daruma” tumbling dolls, and holds a large daruma doll market every January 6th and 7th.
Omiya Station
Once a city itself, Omiya is officially designated as a ward of Saitama City. Exit here for Omiya’s Railway Museum, the large Hikawa Shrine, which is said to date from 473 BC, Omiya Bonsai Village, which is the center of bonsai culture in Japan, and Omiya Bonsai Art Museum.
Ueno Station
Ueno is best known for its large park, Ueno Zoo, Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, and the National Museum of Nature and Science. There are also many shrines and temples in the area. For more information about Ueno area read our Ueno Station Guide.
Tokyo Station
Tokyo is Japan’s capital city and most populous metropolis with endless opportunities for sightseeing, shopping, dining and entertainment. Popular districts include the historic area of Asakusa, Harajuku for its pop culture and fashion boutiques, and Roppongi and Shibuya for neon-lit nightlife. The Tokyo Station Hotel offers 150 guestrooms and suites located right in the Tokyo Station Building.
Buying Tickets at Kanazawa Station
At Kanazawa Station you can find shinkansen ticket machines and a ticket office close by the shinkansen ticket gates. Buying your tickets at the ticket office is probably easiest as there are many different seat preferences to choose from.
Shinkansen ticket machines at Kanazawa Station
On the Hokuriku Shinkansen there are THREE seating classes: Ordinary seats, Green seats (which is 1st class), and the luxury Gran Class seats. You can choose reserved or non-reserved seats for Ordinary cars on many services and these seats are fairly comfortable. Tickets for the Green cars are a little more expensive and have to be reserved. Green car seats are larger and offer a little more comfort, quiet, and leg-room.
Gran class seats
Green car seats
Ordinary seats on Hokuriku Shinkansen
You can use the Japan Rail Pass for ordinary car or Green Car travel on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, according to the type of pass you hold. Gran Class is the premium class of shinkansen seating. These seats must be reserved. There are only 18 seats in a Gran Class car, spaced in rows of three which makes them very spacious. The leather seats are automated and can recline up to 45 degrees. Each seat also comes with its own fold-away table, footrest, reading lamp, and call button. Attendants are on hand serving complimentary meals and drinks. Gran Class is not covered by the Japan Rail Pass in the same way, so pass holders must pay the limited express fee and the Gran Class fee to enjoy this special service.
Kanazawa Station’s JR ticket office
For ordinary tickets both non-reserved (自由席 – jiyu seki) and reserved seats (指定席 – shitei seki) are usually available in separate carriages on Hakutaka and Tsurugi services. However, on the Kagayaki express service there are no non-reserved seats, so you must reserve a seat in advance. Reserved seats will cost you a little extra. However, during busy periods (particularly national holidays) the non-reserved carriages do fill up, so it may be worth making a reservation to avoid the risk of standing throughout the journey.
To summarize, when buying your tickets you will need to offer the following information:
- The number of travelers.
- The departure station and destination.
- The date and time of travel.
- One-way or return.
- Preferences: Ordinary or Green Car, Reserved or Non-reserved.
When you purchase your tickets you will receive three cards. One is your basic fare ticket (乗車券 – joshaken). You can use this ticket to pass through regular JR ticket gates. Another is your super express ticket (特急券 – tokkyuken). You will need both your basic fare ticket and super express ticket to pass through the shinkansen gates. And the third card may look like a ticket, but it is actually just a receipt. You can see a pictorial English guide to these tickets on the JR Central website. Be sure to keep all your tickets safely so you can show them to the conductor on the train.
The shinkansen ticket gates at Kanazawa Station
Hokuriku Shinkansen Expansion
The Hokuriku Shinkansen was extended from Kanazawa to Tsuruga in 2024, adding stations at Komatsu, Kaga-Onsen, Awara-Onsen, Fukui, Echizen-Takefu, and Tsuruga. The long-term plan is for the line to continue to Shin-Osaka Station where it would connect with the Tokaido and Sanyo shinkansen lines. Until the line is extended farther west, passengers traveling between Kanazawa and Kyoto, Osaka, Maibara, or Nagoya generally transfer at Tsuruga between the Hokuriku Shinkansen and limited express services such as Thunderbird or Shirasagi.
Map & Timetables
View a complete map of Japan’s shinkansen high-speed train network.
To look up train times, fares, and connections quickly on this route use the JR West Route Finder. JR East also publishes Hokuriku Shinkansen timetables for services from Tokyo toward Karuizawa, Nagano, Kanazawa, and Tsuruga.
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. Last updated 22-May-2026.
