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Hokuriku Arch Pass (2026): Price, Route and Is It Worth It?

You want to travel between Tokyo and Osaka the long way, through Kanazawa, and wonder if the Hokuriku Arch Pass saves money. Short answer: a one-way trip along the arch costs under ¥26,000 in single tickets, so the ¥35,000 pass only pays off if you add a lot of extra JR rides in the same 7 days.

We checked the price and the rules on JR West's official pass page on 6 November 2026. JR West says the page is current as of 28 January 2026. JR East's page blocks automated checks.

Already decided? JR West sells the pass for ¥35,000 on its own site. Agents sell an e-ticket or exchange order that you swap for the pass in Japan; compare their price with JR West's.
Hokuriku Arch Pass on Klook ↗
By How to Book Japan Editorial TeamLast checked Nov 7, 2026

Some links on this page are affiliate links. We say when buying from JR directly is just as good.

The Hokuriku Arch Pass at a glance
Price
¥35,000 adult · ¥17,500 child (6–11)One price. It depends on the day you buy, not the day you travel.
Valid for
7 consecutive daysFrom 0:00 on day 1 to 24:00 on day 7, Japan time.
Main route
Tokyo – Kanazawa – Tsuruga – Kyoto – OsakaHokuriku Shinkansen, then the Thunderbird limited express.
Not covered
Tokaido Shinkansen (Tokyo–Shin-Osaka)So you can't use it to go straight back to Tokyo.
Who can buy
Foreign passport, entered as a Temporary VisitorJapanese nationals can't use it.
Verdict
Worth it only with many extra ridesA single one-way arch trip is cheaper with normal tickets.

Is the Hokuriku Arch Pass worth it?

Add up what you would pay anyway. These are regular one-way adult fares from JR's own tables.

Tokyo → Kanazawa
Kagayaki · fastest 2h24 · under ¥16,000Fare plus the ¥6,900 reserved-seat fee in JR West's Hokuriku Shinkansen fee table. A JR fare search gives the exact total.
Kanazawa → Kyoto
Shinkansen + Thunderbird via Tsuruga · under ¥9,000JR West's fare table for the 2024 Tsuruga opening gave ¥7,720 (regular season). Peak days cost up to ¥400 more. A JR fare search gives today's exact price.
Kyoto → Osaka
JR Special Rapid · ¥580
Total, one way
under ¥26,000The pass costs ¥35,000, so you need more than ¥9,000 of extra JR rides.
Buy the pass

You ride a lot in 7 days

Tokyo to Kanazawa and back, plus Toyama, Fukui and an airport train. Or the full arch plus several side trips.

Skip the pass

You go one way, once

Tokyo → Kanazawa → Kyoto → Osaka with a few nights on the way. Single tickets cost more than ¥9,000 less.

Need to get back from Osaka to Tokyo in the same week? The pass doesn't cover the Tokaido Shinkansen. The arch pass plus a Nozomi ticket (¥14,720) is ¥49,720, almost the same as a 7-day JR Pass bought on the official site (¥50,000).
Check prices on Klook ↗Compare on KKday ↗

Affiliate links. JR West's own price is ¥35,000; compare before you pay.

What does the pass cover?

Hokuriku Shinkansen
Tokyo – Tsuruga, reserved seats
Other Shinkansen
Tokyo – Omiya and Tokyo – Takasaki onlyHayabusa and Komachi need a separate limited express ticket.
Limited expresses
e.g. Thunderbird and HARUKA, reserved seatsThe exact valid area is shown on the route map on JR West's pass page.
Local JR trains
JR West and JR East lines in the valid area
Tokyo Monorail
IncludedHandy for Haneda Airport.
Private lines
IR Ishikawa (Kanazawa–Tsubata), Ainokaze Toyama (Toyama–Takaoka), Hapi-Line Fukui (Echizen-Hanandō–Fukui)End to end only. You can't get off in between.
  • Not covered: Tokaido Shinkansen (Tokyo–Shin-Osaka) and Sanyo Shinkansen
  • Green Car and GranClass cost extra
  • Sleeper cars aren't covered
  • From your 7th seat reservation, you must book at a JR ticket office, not a machine

Where to buy: JR West or an agent?

JR West's price is ¥35,000. Agents set their own price, so compare. The other differences are how you pay and how you collect the pass.

Official

JR-West Online Train Reservation

Opens one month before your first day, at 10:00 Japan time. Credit card only: virtual and numberless cards are refused. You can reserve seats online too.

Before you fly

Klook or KKday

¥35,000 at JRExchange in JapanPassport needed

You get an e-ticket or exchange order and swap it for the pass in Japan within 3 months. Useful if your card fails on JR's site.

Hokuriku Arch Pass on Klook ↗KKday ↗
Affiliate links

How to buy it on JR West's site

  1. Open JR West's Hokuriku Arch Pass page and choose to book online It sends you to JR-West Online Train Reservation. Booking opens one month before day 1, at 10:00 Japan time.
  2. Enter your start date and your passport name Use the name exactly as in your passport.
  3. Set a 4-digit ID and pay by credit card Write down the reservation number. You need it, the 4-digit ID, the same card and your passport to collect the pass.
  4. Collect the pass in Japan Ticket machines read IC-chip passports. Without one, go to a ticket office.
    You'll want maps working the moment you land. A Japan eSIM is set up before you fly.
    Japan eSIM on Klook ↗
  5. Reserve seats before boarding At machines, ticket offices, or online if you bought on JR West's site.

What if…?

…my card is refused on JR West's site?

Virtual and numberless cards aren't accepted. Try a physical card, or buy from an agent and exchange the voucher in Japan.

…I want to change my start date?

You can't once the pass is exchanged. The refund fee is 10%, at least ¥220, and only before use.

…a train is delayed on day 7?

Validity isn't extended for delays. If you're already on a train at midnight, you can finish that ride without leaving the station.

Other passes to compare

Takayama-Hokuriku Area Pass

¥19,800 for 5 days. Nagoya, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka. No Tokyo.

Read the guide →

Japan Rail Pass

¥50,000 for 7 days online. Covers the Tokaido Shinkansen (Hikari, Kodama).

JR Pass calculator →

Which pass?

Compare all regional passes by route.

Pass finder →

What we checked

Checked on 6 November 2026

JR West's English Hokuriku Arch Pass page: price, 7-day validity, covered lines, eligibility, purchase and refund rules. The page says it is current as of 28 January 2026.

Fares from JR West and JR Central fare tables (Kanazawa–Kyoto, Kyoto–Osaka, Tokyo–Shin-Osaka). For Tokyo–Kanazawa we give an upper limit: JR West's Hokuriku Shinkansen fee table lists a ¥6,900 reserved-seat fee, and the base fare for that distance is under ¥9,000.

JR East's pass page returned an error to our automated check, so we could not read it.

Planning the Hokuriku leg?

If you only ride Tokyo → Kanazawa, a single Shinkansen ticket is the simple choice. For sights in Kanazawa and Shirakawa-go, start with the area guides.

Tokyo to Kanazawa by Shinkansen →Kanazawa area guide →Hokuriku Arch Pass on Klook ↗

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