Everything you need to know about the JR Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass
What is the JR Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass?
The JR Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass allows you to travel from Kansai Airport, Osaka and Kyoto to Nagoya via the Hokuriku region.
It offers unlimited rides on limited express, express, rapid, and local trains in the designated area as well as non-reserved seats on the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Tsuruga and Toyama.
It also includes unlimited rides on various buses routes connecting Shirakawa-go to Takayama, Toyama, Gokayama, Shin-Takaoka, and Kanazawa.
How much does it cost?
- 5-day pass:
- Adult: 14,000 yen
- Child: 7,000 yen
Child passes are only available for those between 6 and 11 years old.
Where can it be used?
The JR Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass allows unlimited travel on:
- JR local and limited express trains:
- Between Nagoya and Toyama on the following lines:
- Tokaido line
- Takayama lines
- Between Tsuruga and Kyoto and stations within the Osaka City area on the following lines:
- Hokuriku line
- Kosei line
- Tokaido line
- Between stations within the Osaka City area and Kansai Airport on the following lines:
- Hanwa line
- Kansai Airport line
- Between Nagoya and Toyama on the following lines:
- Hokuriku Shinkansen between Toyama and Tsuruga station (non-reserved seats only)
- Designated bus lines including:
- Nohi Bus and Hokutetsu Bus between Takayama, Shirakawa-go and Kanazawa/Toyama
- Nohi Bus, Kaetsuno Bus and Dolphin Traffic Bus between Takayama, Shirakawa-go and Shin-Takaoka
- Kaetsuno Bus between Shirakawa-go and Shin-Takaoka
Important information
- Six free seat reservations are included for limited express trains and the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
- Additional seat reservations will incur a fee per reservation.
- The pass is valid for foreign tourists only.
- You must hold a passport issued by a country other than Japan.
- You must reside outside Japan and are visiting Japan on a temporary visitor visa(*).
- 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.
- The pass cannot be used to travel on the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Toyama and Tokyo.
- The pass cannot be used to travel on the Tokaido Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Kyoto.
- All bus routes other than Kaetsuno Bus (with some exceptions) require reservations to be made before travel.
Valid Period
The rail pass is valid for 5 consecutive days.
Where to buy
- Purchase through online or offline travel agents outside of Japan.
- Available for purchase on the official JR West website.
- Available to purchase in Japan at JR West and JR Central ticket offices as well as branches of JR Tokai Tours.
- If purchased outside Japan or online, the rail pass must be collected from a JR West and JR Central ticket office or a branch of JR Tokai Tours.
How to reserve seats
You can reserve seats on Shinkansen and limited express trains by making seat reservations at a JR West and JR Central “Midori no Madoguchi” (ticket office) or at a reserved seat ticket vending machine.
How to use
Insert 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.
For stations without automatic ticket gates, present your pass to the JR staff at the entrance to the platforms.
Value
This passes offers a convenient and cost-effective way to travel between the Kansai, Hokuriku and Nagoya areas.
A one-way trip between Nagoya and Kanzawa can cost around 10,770 yen, while a one-way trip from Kanazawa to Osaka will cost 9,810 yen. Each trip would require a combination of Shinkansen and limited express trains for the shortest travel time.
As an adult pass costs 14,000 yen, this pass can provide considerable value for those looking to travel the Hokuriku route between Osaka/Kyoto and Kanazawa or Nagoya.
Even more cost savings can be gained by using the pass for travel on local lines covered by the pass around your destination.
It can be beneficial to plan your journeys on trains included in the rail pass in advance, as this will also help you to determine if you can match, or ideally exceed, the value of the pass with your intended travel.
