Everything you need to know about the JR Hokuriku Area Pass
What is the JR Hokuriku Area Pass?
The JR Hokuriku Area Pass allows foreign tourists to explore the Hokuriku region between Tsuruga and Kurobe-Unazukionsen, offering unlimited rides on designated trains and buses.
It also includes travel on the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Tsuruga and Kurobe-Unazukionsen.
How much does it cost?
- 4-day pass:
- Adult: 7,000 yen
- Child: 3,500 yen
Child passes are only available for those between 6 and 11 years old.
Where can it be used?
- Non-reserved seats on the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Tsuruga and Kurobe-Unazukionsen.
- JR-WEST limited express, rapid and local trains within the pass area.
- Limited express, rapid, and ordinary trains on the HAPI-LINE FUKUI (between Fukui and Echizen-Hanando).
- Limited express, rapid, and ordinary trains on the Noto Railway (between Nanao and Wakuraonsen stations).
- Limited express, rapid, and ordinary trains on the IR Ishikawa Railway (between Kanazawa and Tsubata).
- Limited express, rapid, and ordinary trains on the Ainokaze Toyama Railway (between Toyama and Takaoka).
- West JR Buses (local routes only)
Important information
- Valid for four consecutive calendar days (midnight to midnight) from the date of your choice.
- Exclusively for foreign visitors to Japan (on temporary visitor status).
- Not valid for Japanese residents.
- The age of a child is defined as the age on the date of purchase. A passport or other such document is required to prove a child’s age.
- Children under 6 years old who do not require seat reservations do not need a pass.
- A separate fee is applicable if you wish to use the Green Car or GranClass.
- Youth fares (including student discount) are not offered for this pass.
- You can only use one JR Hokuriku Area Rail Pass at a time while travelling in Japan. (You cannot purchase two of the same type of pass if their validity periods overlap)
Where to buy
- Purchase through online or offline travel agents outside of Japan.
- Travelers must collect the physical pass at a JR West Travel Service Center, JR West Ticket Office (Midori-no-madoguchi) or at a passport reader-equipped ticket machine in a JR West station.
- Available for purchase on the official JR West website.
For a full list of JR West locations where passes booked via the official JR West website can be collected, the JR West website provides a search function that will find the all locations where the pass can be collected in their area.
How to reserve seats
Free seat reservations available at:
- Seat reservation ticket machines.
- JR ticket offices.
- JR West Train Reservation website (collect physical tickets at a ticket machine or ticket office).
How to use
Insert only your rail pass into the automatic ticket gate.
Make sure to pick up your rail pass after passing through the gate. The rail pass cannot be reissued even if it is lost or stolen etc.
Value
The pass offers value for those wishing to explore the Hokuriku region and cities such as Toyama, Kanazawa and Tsuruga.
For one adult, a one-way trip on the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Tsuruga and Kurobe-Unazukionsen will cost approximately 8,200 yen.
This is 1,200 yen more than the cost of the JR Hokuriku Area Pass.
If you require transport to the Hokuriku Region from Tokyo or Osaka/Kyoto, it may be more cost effective to use the Hokuriku Arch Pass.
The JR Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass may also be a viable alternative if travelling from Osaka/Kyoto or Nagoya.
