Plan your trip
to Japan FR

Tokyo to Kanazawa: price, time and JR Pass

The short answer

Cheapest: ¥12,850 (about $82) per person, in about 2 h 45 to 3 h 10. Fastest: about 2 h 28, for ¥14,600 (about $93). The Japan Rail Pass covers this whole trip.

The two stations are 451 km (280 miles) apart by rail.

The two ways to get there

JR train

Hokuriku Shinkansen Kagayaki

Tokyo → Kanazawa, direct, reserved seat compulsory

¥14,600 about $93 · per person
about 2 h 28 journey time
Japan Rail Pass: yes Covered by the Japan Rail Pass.
Who runs it
JR The public rail network, six regional companies. The Japan Rail Pass is valid on their lines and on nothing else. Source
Which train
Kagayaki and Hakutaka Kagayaki and Hakutaka: The two services between Tokyo and Kanazawa. The Kagayaki runs direct and is fully reserved; the Hakutaka stops more often and keeps unreserved cars. The pass covers both. Source

The fastest bullet train on the line. Every seat is reserved and there are no unreserved cars at all: with a Japan Rail Pass the reservation is free, but it is compulsory, so book it before you board. Fare source

JR train

Hokuriku Shinkansen Hakutaka

Tokyo → Kanazawa, unreserved seat

¥12,850 about $82 · per person
about 2 h 45 to 3 h 10 depending on how many stops
Japan Rail Pass: yes Covered by the Japan Rail Pass.
Who runs it
JR The public rail network, six regional companies. The Japan Rail Pass is valid on their lines and on nothing else. Source
Which train
Kagayaki and Hakutaka Kagayaki and Hakutaka: The two services between Tokyo and Kanazawa. The Kagayaki runs direct and is fully reserved; the Hakutaka stops more often and keeps unreserved cars. The pass covers both. Source

It calls at almost every station between Nagano and Tsuruga, so it is slower than the Kagayaki, but it keeps unreserved cars, numbers 1 to 4: you board without reserving anything. Fare source

Last checked August 11, 2026. The dollar figure is worked out at the exchange rate of the site's last update and is never stored beside the yen.

A regional pass covers this trip

Less known than the national Japan Rail Pass and often far cheaper, they are only valid inside their own area. These cover this trip end to end.

We earn a commission on the Klook links below, and it costs you nothing extra. It does not change which pass we say covers your trip.

Hokuriku Arch Pass ¥35,000 (about $223) for 7 consecutive days See this pass on Klook

This trip inside your whole itinerary

One trip on its own never tells you whether the Japan Rail Pass is worth it. That depends on every other leg of the journey, and on the regional passes, which are far cheaper and cover only their own area.

See what the passes cost

Where to sleep at either end: Tokyo, Kanazawa.