Kansai-Hokuriku Area Pass
JR West trains from Kansai to Kanazawa, Toyama and Fukui, including the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tsuruga and the Sanyo Shinkansen to Okayama, for 7 days
JR West
Adults from¥19,000Price checked 2026/11/12
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Fares
| Ticket | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| 7 consecutive days | ¥19,000¥2,714 a day | ¥9,500¥1,357 a day |
Child fares are for ages 6 to 11. From age 12, the adult fare applies. Each pass holder can bring up to two children aged 1 to 5 for free; a third needs a child pass, as does a young child who takes a reserved seat or travels alone. Babies under 1 ride free. Age is counted on the date the exchange order is issued or the pass is bought.
Prices depend on the date you buy the pass, not the date you use it.
Is the Kansai-Hokuriku Area Pass worth it?
- You go Osaka to Kanazawa and back: ¥18,820 in single tickets, just under the ¥19,000 pass, so any extra ride puts you ahead.
- You add Toyama or Fukui: Kanazawa to Toyama on the shinkansen is ¥3,390 one way and Osaka to Fukui ¥7,290, and the Haruka from Kansai Airport (¥3,590 to Kyoto) is included too.
- You only go Osaka to Kanazawa and back with nothing else: single tickets cost ¥18,820, slightly less than the pass.
- You come from or go on to Tokyo: the Hokuriku Shinkansen east of Joetsumyoko isn't covered.
- You plan to see Shirakawa-go: the bus from Kanazawa isn't covered.
Fares are regular-season reserved-seat fares; on off-peak dates the Thunderbird and Hokuriku Shinkansen cost ¥200 less each way.
What's covered
- The Hokuriku Shinkansen between Tsuruga and Joetsumyoko, via Fukui, Kanazawa and Toyama
- The Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Okayama, including the Nozomi and Mizuho
- Limited expresses such as the Haruka, Thunderbird and Konotori
- JR West lines around Kansai and out to Okayama, Kinosakionsen, Tottori, Shirahama and Kii-Katsuura, and in Hokuriku to Nanao, Himi, Johana and Itoigawa
- The Kyoto Tango Railway to Amanohashidate, the Wakayama Electric Railway and the Noto Railway to Wakuraonsen
- Three short private-line links: IR Ishikawa Railway between Kanazawa and Tsubata, Ainokaze Toyama Railway between Toyama and Takaoka, and Hapi-Line Fukui between Echizen-Hanando and Fukui
- Reserved seats in ordinary cars, as many as you like; from the 7th booking, reserve at a ticket office
- West Japan JR Bus local buses in the area
- The Hokuriku Shinkansen beyond Joetsumyoko towards Tokyo, the Tokaido Shinkansen, and the Sanyo Shinkansen west of Okayama
- GranClass and Green Cars, which need extra tickets
- The Super Hakuto and Super Inaba between Kamigori and Tottori, which need a separate fare
- Paid seats such as the A-seat on Kansai local and rapid trains
- Getting off at intermediate stations on the IR Ishikawa, Ainokaze Toyama or Hapi-Line Fukui links
- Expressway buses
How to use it
The pass runs for 7 consecutive days, from 0:00 on the first day to 24:00 on the last. If it runs out while you are on a train, you can finish that trip as long as you don't leave the station.
Reserve seats before you board. Some trains have reserved seats only. If you bought or exchanged the pass through a travel agency, reserve at a ticket office, since ticket machines won't issue your seats; with a pass bought through JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION you can also reserve online.
The three private-line links only count as a full trip between their two end stations: Kanazawa and Tsubata on local or limited express trains, Toyama and Takaoka on local trains, and Echizen-Hanando and Fukui on local trains. On the Sanyo Shinkansen, luggage over 160 cm in total needs a seat with an oversized baggage area. Carry your passport with the pass, as staff may ask to see it.
Before you buy
The pass is for holders of a foreign passport who enter Japan as a Temporary Visitor. Japanese nationals can't use it, even with permanent residence abroad. You can hold only one of the same pass for the same dates.
There are three ways to buy it. Travel agencies outside Japan sell an exchange order or e-ticket, which you exchange for the pass in Japan within 3 months, showing your passport. JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION takes bookings from 10:00 (Japan time) one month before your first day; you pay by credit card and collect the pass at a station ticket machine, if your passport has an IC chip, or at a ticket office. Travel agencies in Japan sell it up to one month ahead.
Refunds: an exchange order you haven't exchanged goes back to the overseas agency that sold it, under its own fee. A pass already issued can only be refunded at an exchange office in Japan, less a handling fee of 10% of the price (at least ¥220). There are no refunds once the pass is in use.
Questions
Does the Kansai-Hokuriku Area Pass cover the Hokuriku Shinkansen?
Yes, between Tsuruga and Joetsumyoko, via Fukui, Kanazawa and Toyama. Beyond Joetsumyoko towards Tokyo it is not covered.
Can I take the Thunderbird from Osaka or Kyoto?
Yes. The Thunderbird is covered, including reserved seats.
Can I go from Kanazawa to Tokyo with it?
No. The Hokuriku Shinkansen is covered only as far as Joetsumyoko.
Are seat reservations free?
Yes, as many as you like. From the 7th booking, reserve at a JR ticket office.
Do children need their own pass?
Children aged 6 to 11 need a child pass, ¥9,500. Up to two children aged 1 to 5 ride free with each pass holder.
Who can buy it?
Holders of a foreign passport who enter Japan as a Temporary Visitor. Japanese nationals can't use it.
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