A Hokuriku Shinkansen train at Kanazawa Station. Photo: Ryo 683 / Wikimedia Commons / CC0
- A single Shinkansen e-ticket from Tokyo to Kanazawa is ¥14,400 for a reserved seat in the normal season (¥12,980 to Toyama), on JR West's price list for tickets bought from March 14, 2026.
- The Hokuriku Arch Pass is ¥35,000 for 7 days: Tokyo to Kanazawa and on to Osaka, with reserved seats on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, the Thunderbird and the Haruka. It costs more than a Tokyo – Kanazawa round trip at e-ticket prices.
- If you stay around Kanazawa and Toyama, the Hokuriku Area Pass (¥7,000, 4 days) covers non-reserved seats between Tsuruga and Kurobe-Unazukionsen, but not trains to Tokyo.
Buy single tickets for a Tokyo – Kanazawa round trip; price the Arch Pass against your own route if you also go on to Osaka and Kansai Airport.
At JR West's normal-season e-ticket price, a reserved seat each way between Tokyo and Kanazawa comes to ¥28,800, less than the ¥35,000 Arch Pass. Peak-season prices are higher.
The Arch Pass adds the Thunderbird to Osaka, the Haruka to Kansai Airport and local JR lines for 7 days, so it pays off only if you ride more of them.
- 1Single e-ticketsFor a round trip from Tokyo
- 2Hokuriku Arch PassTokyo to Osaka across the Hokuriku region
- 3Hokuriku Area PassFor days based in Kanazawa or Toyama
The Hokuriku Shinkansen runs from Tokyo through Nagano, Toyama and Kanazawa to Tsuruga. You can ride it on single tickets or on one of several passes for foreign visitors, and the price gap between them depends on how far you go beyond Kanazawa.
Below, I compare them using the operators' own pages, checked on October 22, 2026. For where Kanazawa and Toyama fit into a trip through the mountains, see my Japanese Alps without a car guide.
Tickets and passes compared
| Ticket | Price (adult) | Valid | Hokuriku Shinkansen |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-ticket Tokyo – Kanazawa | ¥14,400 | One trip | Reserved seat |
| E-ticket Tokyo – Toyama | ¥12,980 | One trip | Reserved seat |
| Hokuriku Arch Pass | ¥35,000 | 7 days | Tokyo – Tsuruga, reserved |
| Japan Rail Pass | ¥50,000 | 7 days | All trains |
| Kansai-Hokuriku Area Pass | ¥19,000 | 7 days | Tsuruga – Joetsu-Myoko |
| Hokuriku Area Pass | ¥7,000 | 4 days | Tsuruga – Kurobe-Unazukionsen, non-reserved |
E-ticket prices are JR West's for an ordinary reserved seat in the normal season, for tickets bought from March 14, 2026. The Japan Rail Pass price is for the official online site. The Arch Pass and JR West's area passes are for foreign visitors entering Japan as temporary visitors.
Single tickets
JR West's price list for the Shinkansen e-ticket, sold on its e5489 site, gives these one-way adult prices:
| Between | Reserved (normal season) | Non-reserved | Green Car |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo and Kanazawa | ¥14,400 | ¥14,070 | ¥20,860 |
| Tokyo and Toyama | ¥12,980 | ¥12,650 | ¥19,440 |
| Kanazawa and Nagano | ¥8,970 | ¥8,640 | ¥12,540 |
- Seasons: reserved and Green Car prices rise or fall by season; the list shows the normal season only. The non-reserved prices are listed without seasons.
- Paper tickets: JR East revised its fares from March 14, 2026. I could not open its new fare pages, so paper ticket fares are not shown.
- GranClass: Tokyo – Kanazawa is ¥31,860 on the same list.
Where to buy
- JR-WEST Online Train Reservation (in English) can book the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Kanazawa and Tokyo. Booking opens at 10:00 Japan time 1 month before the train and closes 6 minutes before it leaves. At JR East stations, you can collect only tickets for the Hokuriku Shinkansen and for stations in central Tokyo.
- The e-ticket prices above are from e5489. I could not confirm that JR-WEST Online Train Reservation charges the same.
The Hokuriku Arch Pass
The pass is named for its arch-shaped route: Tokyo to Kanazawa, then on to Osaka and Kansai Airport.
- Price: ¥35,000 for adults and ¥17,500 for children, for 7 consecutive days.
- Covers: reserved seats on the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Tokyo and Tsuruga; reserved seats on the Thunderbird and Haruka limited expresses; JR West and JR East rapid and local trains in its area; the Tokyo Monorail; and short sections of IR Ishikawa, Ainokaze Toyama and Hapi-Line Fukui.
- Not covered: the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen. GranClass and Green Car need separate tickets.
- Buy: on JR-WEST Online Train Reservation, from an overseas agency (exchange the voucher within 3 months) or from a travel agency in Japan. You show your passport to collect it.
At normal-season e-ticket prices, a reserved seat each way between Tokyo and Kanazawa is ¥28,800, so the pass costs ¥6,200 more; reserved seats cost more in peak seasons, which narrows the gap. Coming from Osaka, the ¥8,000 HOKURIKU One-way Ticket (below) to Kanazawa plus the e-ticket on to Tokyo is ¥22,400. The One-way Ticket is sold only through some overseas travel agencies, so buy it before you fly. Price the pass against your own route before you buy it.
The Arch Pass page lists no JR Central lines, so the Hida limited express to Takayama is a separate ticket. For a trip that takes in Takayama and Shirakawa-go, see the Takayama-Hokuriku pass below and my guide to the Shirakawa-go bus.
The Japan Rail Pass
The Japan Rail Pass site says all trains on the Hokuriku Shinkansen are covered, in ordinary and Green cars. To ride a Nozomi or Mizuho train, you need a separate ticket.
| Ordinary pass, adult | Official online | Overseas agency |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days | ¥50,000 | ¥53,000 |
| 14 days | ¥80,000 | ¥84,000 |
| 21 days | ¥100,000 | ¥105,000 |
Against the ¥35,000 Arch Pass, the 7-day pass costs ¥15,000 more online. It can pay off if your 7 days also include the Tokaido Shinkansen (not on Nozomi trains) or other JR lines outside the region; add up those fares before you buy.
Regional passes and one-way tickets
- Hokuriku Area Pass: ¥7,000 for adults, 4 days. Non-reserved seats on the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Tsuruga and Kurobe-Unazukionsen, non-reserved seats on JR West limited expresses, JR West local trains and West Japan JR Bus local routes in the area (not highway buses). Not valid toward Tokyo.
- Kansai-Hokuriku Area Pass: ¥19,000 for adults, 7 days. Reserved and non-reserved seats on the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Tsuruga and Joetsu-Myoko, and on the Haruka, Thunderbird and other limited expresses. Not valid between Joetsu-Myoko and Tokyo.
- HOKURIKU One-way Ticket: central Osaka to Kanazawa is ¥8,000 for adults, on the Thunderbird and the Hokuriku Shinkansen. It is sold only through some overseas travel agencies, not in Japan.
- Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass: ¥19,800 for adults, 5 days. Non-reserved seats on JR from Nagoya to Toyama, from Tsuruga to Kyoto and from Osaka to Kansai Airport, and on the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Toyama and Tsuruga, with up to six free seat reservations. It also covers the buses from Takayama via Shirakawa-go to Kanazawa or Toyama. Nohi Bus asks for a reservation on most of them.
How I checked this
- I read the e-ticket price list on JR West's ticket site and the March 2026 fare change in JR East's FAQ.
- I read each pass page on the JR West, Japan Rail Pass and Takayama-Hokuriku pass sites, and JR-WEST Online Train Reservation's booking conditions.
- I compared prices only where an official page gives both. Sources: JR West; JR East; Japan Rail Pass; Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass
- Paper ticket fares from Tokyo to Kanazawa and Toyama after March 14, 2026: JR East's fare pages could not be opened.
- E-ticket prices in the off-peak, peak and busiest seasons.
- Whether JR-WEST Online Train Reservation can book Tokyo – Toyama: its conditions page names Kanazawa – Tokyo only.
- Whether JR-WEST Online Train Reservation charges the same as the e5489 e-ticket.
- Whether the HOKURIKU One-way Ticket is also sold from Kanazawa to Osaka.
- A Tokyo – Kanazawa – Osaka – Tokyo loop priced against the Japan Rail Pass: the Kanazawa – Osaka and Tokaido Shinkansen fares are not in this guide.
- Who can buy the Japan Rail Pass and the Takayama-Hokuriku pass.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kanazawa?
JR West lists a Shinkansen e-ticket on its e5489 site from Tokyo to Kanazawa at ¥14,400 for a reserved seat in the normal season and ¥14,070 for a non-reserved seat. Reserved-seat prices change by season. These prices apply to tickets bought from March 14, 2026.
Is the Hokuriku Arch Pass worth it?
Only if you ride more than a Tokyo – Kanazawa round trip. The pass is ¥35,000 for 7 days. At e-ticket prices a reserved seat each way between Tokyo and Kanazawa comes to ¥28,800, so in the normal season the pass costs ¥6,200 more and pays off only if your other rides on it add up to more than that. The pass also covers the Thunderbird to Osaka, the Haruka to Kansai Airport and the Tokyo Monorail.
Does the Japan Rail Pass cover the Hokuriku Shinkansen?
Yes. The Japan Rail Pass site says all trains on the Hokuriku Shinkansen are covered. A 7-day ordinary pass is ¥50,000 on the official online site and ¥53,000 from overseas agencies.
Where do I buy Hokuriku Shinkansen tickets in English?
On JR-WEST Online Train Reservation, which can book the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Kanazawa and Tokyo. Booking opens at 10:00 Japan time 1 month before you travel. The e-ticket prices in this guide are from e5489, JR West's ticket site, and I could not confirm that JR-WEST Online charges the same.
Can I use the Hokuriku Area Pass to Tokyo?
No. It covers non-reserved seats on the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Tsuruga and Kurobe-Unazukionsen only. Travel toward Tokyo needs a separate ticket.
Keep planning
Sources
- Shinkansen e-ticket prices (from March 14, 2026) — JR West
- Fare revision of March 2026 (FAQ, in Japanese) — JR East
- Hokuriku Arch Pass — JR West
- Hokuriku Area Pass — JR West
- Kansai-Hokuriku Area Pass — JR West
- HOKURIKU One-way Ticket — JR West
- JR-WEST Online Train Reservation: conditions — JR West
- Japan Rail Pass prices — Japan Rail Pass
- Trains you can ride with the Japan Rail Pass — Japan Rail Pass
- Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass — Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass