Tokyo to Kanazawa Shinkansen (2026): ¥14,400, How to Book

Take the Kagayaki (かがやき) from Tokyo Station (東京駅): it is the fastest train to Kanazawa (金沢), the 06:16 departure arrives at 08:43, and every seat is reserved, so book before you go.^[2][2],[4] JR West’s Shinkansen e-ticket is ¥14,400 for a reserved seat in the regular season.^[5] If you have no reservation, look at the slower Hakutaka (はくたか): JR East lists its ordinary cars as having only some reserved seats.^[3]

Key facts

• Fastest: Kagayaki, 2 hours 27 minutes on the 06:16 from Tokyo; all seats reserved.^[2][2],[4]
• Fare: ¥14,400 for an e-ticket in an ordinary reserved seat in the regular season, from JR West’s e5489.^[5][5],[7]
• Cheapest: a non-reserved e-ticket at ¥14,070, ¥330 less than a regular-season reserved seat, for the Hakutaka, which takes 3 hours 4 minutes.^[5][3]
• Last train on weekdays: Kagayaki 519 at 21:04, arriving 23:30.^[1],[2],[4]
• Luggage: no oversized-baggage reservation on this line; up to 2 items within 250 cm and 30 kg each.^{[12],[13][13]}

The times on this page come from JR East’s current timetable, and the fares are JR West’s e-ticket prices for purchases from March 14, 2026.^[5] The e-ticket price for a reserved seat changes across four seasons, so the figure for your date can be higher or lower than the regular-season price shown here.^[5]

Kagayaki or Hakutaka: which train?

Item	Kagayaki	Hakutaka	Flight + airport bus
Tokyo to Kanazawa	2 hours 27 minutes (06:16 → 08:43)	3 hours 4 minutes (06:28 → 09:32)	Flight of 60 to 70 minutes, then the airport bus
Seats	All reserved	Ordinary cars with some reserved seats	Not compared here
Stops on the way	Ueno, Omiya, Nagano, Toyama	Ueno, Omiya, Takasaki, Karuizawa, Nagano, Toyama and others	Komatsu Airport, then bus
E-ticket fare	¥14,400 reserved	¥14,400 reserved, ¥14,070 non-reserved	Not compared here
Japan Rail Pass	Covered	Covered	—

The Kagayaki calls only at Ueno (上野), Omiya (大宮), Nagano and Toyama before Kanazawa.^[2] The Hakutaka stops at most stations on the line, from Takasaki and Karuizawa to Kurobe-Unazukionsen and Shin-Takaoka.^[3]

The catch is the middle of the day. On the weekday timetable, every Kagayaki toward Kanazawa that leaves Tokyo between 11:00 and 15:59 is marked as not running every day. The trains you can count on in those hours are the Hakutaka for Tsuruga at 24 minutes past each hour, from 11:24 to 15:24.^[1] Check your exact train and date in the booking site before you plan around a midday Kagayaki.

The first train toward Kanazawa is the 06:16 Kagayaki, and the last is the 21:04 Kagayaki, which reaches Kanazawa at 23:30.^[1],[2],[4] Coming from Kyoto or Osaka instead, the Thunderbird and the change at Tsuruga is the route.

Where and when do I book?

1. Choose JR West's e5489 for the e-ticket

   JR West sells the Shinkansen e-ticket only through e5489, its internet reservation service, and you pay by credit card.^[5],[7] This is the ¥14,400 regular-season reserved-seat price.^[5] smartEX is not the site for this trip: it is the reservation service for the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen, and the Hokuriku Shinkansen is not one of its lines.^[9]

2. Book when sales open

   e5489 sells Hokuriku Shinkansen e-tickets from 10:00 one month before your travel date until 4 minutes before departure.^[5],[6] Since the Kagayaki has no non-reserved seats, book as soon as your date is fixed.^[2],[4]

3. Set an IC card, or collect paper tickets

   Set an IC card such as ICOCA on the e-ticket booking, and you board by touching it at the Shinkansen gate, with no ticket to collect.^[5],[7] If you book on JR West’s English site, JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION, you collect tickets before boarding with the physical credit card you paid with. In Tokyo you can do this at JR East Travel Service Centers and certain reserved-seat machines. If you board without collecting them, you must buy the tickets again at the full price.^[8]

4. Board at Tokyo, Ueno or Omiya

   The Kagayaki and Hakutaka both stop at Ueno and Omiya after Tokyo, so board at whichever is closest to your hotel; the 06:16 Kagayaki leaves Ueno at 06:22 and Omiya at 06:41.^[2][3]

Once you arrive, the two-day Kanazawa plan starts at Kanazawa Station.

Which pass covers this?

The Japan Rail Pass covers both the Kagayaki and the Hakutaka, because it is valid on every JR Shinkansen except the Nozomi and Mizuho.^[10] The pass does not get you onto a Kagayaki without a seat, since every seat on it is reserved.^[2],[4] Seat reservations are free: book them on the JAPAN RAIL PASS Reservation site if you bought the pass there, or at a reserved-seat ticket machine or JR ticket office.^[11] Whether the nationwide pass pays off depends on the rest of your trip.

If your trip continues from Kanazawa to Kyoto or Osaka and comes back, JR West’s regional pass may cost less. The Hokuriku Arch Pass review compares it with single tickets on this route.

Is flying to Komatsu faster?

Not clearly, once you add the airport bus. Komatsu Airport’s flight list for October lists eight flights from Haneda, the last leaving at 20:40. The flights listed with both times take 60 to 70 minutes, and the 18:50 and 20:40 flights are cancelled from October 25.^[14] The bus to Kanazawa Station leaves about 15 minutes after each domestic arrival.^[16],[15] For the ride itself, Hokuriku Railroad only publishes a timetable for the other direction: Kanazawa Station West Gate to the airport takes 45 minutes.^[16]

On top of the flight, the wait and the bus ride, you also travel to Haneda and wait at the airport. The Kagayaki takes 2 hours 27 minutes from Tokyo Station to Kanazawa Station.^[2] Flying makes sense mainly if you are already at Haneda.

To choose a base near the station or near the old districts, see where to stay in Kanazawa.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to reserve space for a large suitcase?

No. JR West says a reservation for oversized baggage, over 160 cm, is needed only on the Tokaido, Sanyo, Kyushu and Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen.^[12],[13] The general JR limit still applies: up to 2 items, each within 250 cm in total length, width and height, no longer than 2 m, and up to 30 kg.^[13]

Green Car or GranClass?

In the regular season, the Green Car e-ticket is ¥20,860.^[5] GranClass is ¥31,860 on trains with attendant service, and the GranClass Seat ¥25,060 on trains without it.^[5] The Hakutaka’s GranClass has no beverage or light meal service.^[3] Japan Rail Pass holders pay the limited express fee and the GranClass fee on top for GranClass.^[10]

Can I stop in Nagano or Toyama on the way?

Not on one e-ticket. A booking can link up to 3 trains only if you do not leave the Shinkansen ticket gates, and each e-ticket is valid for 1 day.^[5] If you want to leave the station at Nagano or Toyama, book each leg separately.

Can I use an IC card on this route?

Yes, with an e-ticket. Set an IC card such as ICOCA on your e5489 booking, and the card opens the Shinkansen gate in place of a paper ticket.^[5],[7]

When do seats for the year-end holidays go on sale?

At 10:00, one month before each travel date, the same as on every other day.^[5],[6] The Kagayaki has no non-reserved cars to fall back on.^[2],[4]