Shinkansen Line Guide · Hokuriku Shinkansen
Hokuriku Shinkansen Guide: Tokyo to the Sea of Japan —
Karuizawa, Nagano, Kanazawa & the New Line to Tsuruga
22 Stations · Tokyo to Tsuruga · Kanazawa in 2 hr 25 min · Extended to Fukui in 2024
🚄 Tokyo → Kanazawa in as little as 2 hr 25 min on the Kagayaki
⛰️ Over the mountains through Karuizawa and Nagano
🎛️ Since March 2024, running all the way to Fukui and Tsuruga
🦀 Gateway to Kanazawa, the Alps and the Sea of Japan coast
What Is the Hokuriku Shinkansen?
The Hokuriku Shinkansen is the great arc from Tokyo to the Sea of Japan. It shares tracks with the Joetsu line as far as Takasaki, then swings west over the mountains through the resort town of Karuizawa and the old castle city of Nagano, before running along the Hokuriku coast through Toyama to Kanazawa. In March 2024 it was extended south to Fukui and Tsuruga, opening a whole new region — Fukui’s dinosaurs, temples and crab coast — to fast rail from Tokyo.
Run by JR East and JR West with elegant E7/W7-series trains, it is the line that made Kanazawa a weekend destination and is now doing the same for Fukui. It threads through mountains, hot-spring towns and craft cities, and for many travelers it is the most scenically varied bullet-train journey in the country.
The Hokuriku is a line of two halves: mountains and ski resorts on the Nagano side, then the food-and-craft culture of the Sea of Japan — sushi in Toyama, gold leaf and geisha in Kanazawa, and now crab and dinosaurs in Fukui.
Kagayaki, Hakutaka, Asama & Tsurugi: Which Train?
🚄 Kagayaki — the fastest, all-reserved. Limited stops (Tokyo, Ueno, Omiya, Nagano, Toyama, Kanazawa, Fukui, Tsuruga). Tokyo–Kanazawa in 2 hr 25 min, Tokyo–Tsuruga in about 3 hr 8 min.
🚄 Hakutaka — the all-stations workhorse over the full route, stopping at the smaller towns; Tokyo–Kanazawa in about 3 hr.
⛰️ Asama — the Tokyo–Nagano service, calling at the Gunma and Nagano stations (Karuizawa, Ueda and more).
🌊 Tsurugi — the local shuttle along the Hokuriku end, linking Toyama, Kanazawa, Fukui and Tsuruga.
All are covered by the Japan Rail Pass and the JR East–West regional passes; note the Kagayaki requires a reserved seat (free to book with a pass).
The 22 Stations
From east to west, Tokyo to Tsuruga. Each links to our full area-and-hotel guide.
1. Tokyo (Tokyo) · 2. Ueno (Tokyo) · 3. Omiya (Saitama) — the Tokyo-area stops shared with the northern lines.
4. Takasaki (Gunma) — the junction where the Hokuriku splits from the Joetsu line.
5. Annaka-Haruna (Gunma) — quiet gateway to Lake Haruna and Isobe onsen.
6. Karuizawa (Nagano) — Japan’s most famous highland resort town.
7. Sakudaira (Nagano) — a sunny valley junction and gateway to the Yatsugatake foothills.
8. Ueda (Nagano) — the castle town of the Sanada samurai clan.
9. Nagano (Nagano) — host of the 1998 Olympics and home of the great Zenko-ji temple.
10. Iiyama (Nagano) — snow-country gateway to the Nozawa Onsen and Madarao ski areas.
11. Joetsumyoko (Niigata) — door to the Myoko Kogen ski and onsen highlands.
12. Itoigawa (Niigata) — a jade-and-geology coast town on the Sea of Japan.
13. Kurobe-Unazuki-Onsen (Toyama) — gateway to the Kurobe Gorge railway and Unazuki onsen.
14. Toyama (Toyama) — tram city on the bay, gateway to the Alpine Route.
15. Shin-Takaoka (Toyama) — a bronze-casting town near the Amaharashi coast and Gokayama.
16. Kanazawa (Ishikawa) — the jewel of the line: Kenroku-en, geisha districts and gold leaf.
17. Komatsu (Ishikawa) — an airport-and-industry city near the Kaga onsen.
18. Kaga-Onsen (Ishikawa) — gateway to the historic Kaga hot-spring villages.
19. Awara-Onsen (Fukui) — Fukui’s premier hot-spring resort and the door to the Tojinbo cliffs.
20. Fukui (Fukui) — dinosaur capital and gateway to Eihei-ji temple.
21. Echizen-Takefu (Fukui) — a craft town of knives, washi paper and lacquer.
22. Tsuruga (Fukui) — the current terminus, a historic port on Wakasa Bay.
Journey Times & Fares
Times are for the fastest applicable service; fares are approximate reserved-seat totals, one way.
| Route | Fastest time | Approx. fare (reserved) |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo → Kanazawa (Kagayaki) | 2 hr 25 min | ~¥14,380 |
| Tokyo → Tsuruga (Kagayaki) | ~3 hr 08 min | ~¥16,360 |
| Tokyo → Fukui | ~2 hr 55 min | ~¥15,500 |
| Tokyo → Toyama | ~2 hr 05 min | ~¥13,110 |
| Tokyo → Nagano (Asama/Kagayaki) | ~1 hr 20 min | ~¥8,340 |
| Tokyo → Karuizawa | ~1 hr 05 min | ~¥6,020 |
The Japan Rail Pass covers the whole line. Since 2024, reaching Osaka or Kyoto from Fukui/Tsuruga means a cross-platform change at Tsuruga to the Thunderbird limited express — quick and well signposted.
The 2024 Extension: Fukui Opens Up
For decades Fukui was one of Honshu’s least-visited prefectures, awkward to reach. The March 2024 extension changed that overnight, cutting Tokyo–Fukui to under three hours and putting the dinosaur museum, the Zen temple of Eihei-ji, the Tojinbo cliffs and the winter snow-crab coast within easy reach. If you want a region that feels newly discovered, the southern end of this line is it.
Which Airports Connect to This Line?
✈️ Tokyo Haneda & Narita: The eastern gateway, via Tokyo and Ueno.
✈️ Komatsu Airport (KMQ): The Hokuriku region’s main airport, near Komatsu and about 30 minutes by bus from Kanazawa — ideal for an open-jaw trip.
✈️ Toyama Airport (TOY): Close to Toyama, with Tokyo and some international flights.
✈️ Kansai (KIX) & Itami: From the western end, Tsuruga connects to the Kansai airports via the Thunderbird and onward trains.
Where Should You Stay Along the Line?
Kanazawa is the essential base — a small-Kyoto of gardens and craft. Karuizawa suits a highland-resort night, Nagano a temple-and-Olympics city stay, Toyama a bay-and-Alps gateway, and now Fukui a springboard for dinosaurs and Zen. Many stations are onsen or ski gateways where you sleep up the valley rather than by the tracks. Each station guide above gives the honest verdict.
