Hokuriku Arch Pass: price, what it covers and is it worth it

The Hokuriku Arch Pass costs 35,000 yen for 7 days, Ordinary Car (overseas travel agent, JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION or travel agent in Japan); children pay 17,500 yen. Seven consecutive days from the day you choose. The Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Tsuruga, and JR East and JR West limited express and local trains, the Tokyo Monorail and the Noto Railway (Nanao to Wakura Onsen) within the pass area.

Updated October 4, 2026

35,000 yenadult, 7 days, Ordinary Car (overseas travel agent, JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION or travel agent in Japan)

17,500 yenchild

19of our City to City routes covered

ShinkansenVisitors from abroad

Price

Seven consecutive days from the day you choose.

Hokuriku Arch Pass: official prices for adults and children
Version	Where you buy it	Adult	Child
7 days, Ordinary Car	overseas travel agent, JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION or travel agent in Japan	35,000 yen	17,500 yen

Children aged 6 to 11 when the pass or exchange order is bought pay the child price; each pass holder can bring up to two children aged 1 to 5 free.

What the pass covers

The Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Tsuruga, and JR East and JR West limited express and local trains, the Tokyo Monorail and the Noto Railway (Nanao to Wakura Onsen) within the pass area.
Limited express trains such as the Haruka and the Thunderbird, in reserved seats.
The Tohoku and Yamagata Shinkansen between Tokyo and Omiya, and the Joetsu Shinkansen between Tokyo and Takasaki.
The IR Ishikawa Railway (Kanazawa to Tsubata), Ainokaze Toyama Railway (Takaoka to Toyama) and HAPI-LINE FUKUI (Fukui to Echizen-Hanando), only when you ride straight through.

Not covered

The Tokaido Shinkansen and the Sanyo Shinkansen.
The Hayabusa and Komachi between Tokyo and Omiya need a separate limited express ticket.
Getting off at stations in the middle of the IR Ishikawa Railway or Ainokaze Toyama Railway sections.
Green Car and GranClass seats cost extra.

Does the Hokuriku Arch Pass pay off?

Add the journeys you plan to see whether the pass pays off. Below the tool are the normal one-way and round-trip fares for every journey in our City to City data that this pass covers, from the same JR and railway searches.

Normal fares for the journeys the Hokuriku Arch Pass covers, and their share of the pass price
Journey	One way	Round trip	Share of the pass price
Osaka to NaganoThunderbird + Kagayaki	16,290 yen	32,580 yen	93%
Kyoto to NaganoThunderbird + Kagayaki	15,080 yen	30,160 yen	86%
Tokyo to KanazawaKagayaki	14,600 yen	29,200 yen	83%
Tokyo to ToyamaKagayaki	13,180 yen	26,360 yen	75%
Osaka to KanazawaThunderbird + Tsurugi	9,410 yen	18,820 yen	54%
Tokyo to NaganoKagayaki	8,450 yen	16,900 yen	48%
Kyoto to KanazawaThunderbird + Tsurugi	7,720 yen	15,440 yen	44%
Tokyo to MatsumotoLimited Express Azusa · inside the area on the official map	6,730 yen	13,460 yen	38%
Tokyo to KaruizawaHakutaka	6,130 yen	12,260 yen	35%
Kyoto to KobeJR Special Rapid · inside the area on the official map	1,110 yen	2,220 yen	6%
Tokyo to KamakuraJR Yokosuka Line · inside the area on the official map	1,040 yen	2,080 yen	6%
Osaka to UjiSpecial Rapid + Section Rapid · inside the area on the official map	960 yen	1,920 yen	5%

All 19 journeys

Journey	One way	Round trip	Share of the pass price
Osaka to NaganoThunderbird + Kagayaki	16,290 yen	32,580 yen	93%
Kyoto to NaganoThunderbird + Kagayaki	15,080 yen	30,160 yen	86%
Tokyo to KanazawaKagayaki	14,600 yen	29,200 yen	83%
Tokyo to ToyamaKagayaki	13,180 yen	26,360 yen	75%
Osaka to KanazawaThunderbird + Tsurugi	9,410 yen	18,820 yen	54%
Tokyo to NaganoKagayaki	8,450 yen	16,900 yen	48%
Kyoto to KanazawaThunderbird + Tsurugi	7,720 yen	15,440 yen	44%
Tokyo to MatsumotoLimited Express Azusa · inside the area on the official map	6,730 yen	13,460 yen	38%
Tokyo to KaruizawaHakutaka	6,130 yen	12,260 yen	35%
Kyoto to KobeJR Special Rapid · inside the area on the official map	1,110 yen	2,220 yen	6%
Tokyo to KamakuraJR Yokosuka Line · inside the area on the official map	1,040 yen	2,080 yen	6%
Osaka to UjiSpecial Rapid + Section Rapid · inside the area on the official map	960 yen	1,920 yen	5%
Osaka to NaraJR Yamatoji Rapid · inside the area on the official map	840 yen	1,680 yen	5%
Kyoto to NaraJR Miyakoji Rapid · inside the area on the official map	720 yen	1,440 yen	4%
Osaka to KyotoJR Special Rapid · inside the area on the official map	580 yen	1,160 yen	3%
Tokyo to YokohamaJR Tokaido Line · inside the area on the official map	530 yen	1,060 yen	3%
Osaka to KobeJR Special Rapid · inside the area on the official map	420 yen	840 yen	2%
Kyoto to ArashiyamaJR Rapid · inside the area on the official map	240 yen	480 yen	1%
Kyoto to UjiJR Miyakoji Rapid · inside the area on the official map	240 yen	480 yen	1%

Fares are one adult, reserved seat where trains have them, from the City to City pages (searched for 14 October 2026). A round trip is twice the one-way fare. The share compares the round trip with 35,000 yen for 7 days, Ordinary Car (overseas travel agent, JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION or travel agent in Japan).

Partly covered: 4 more journeys (not counted)

Tokyo to Takayama by Kagayaki + Hida: The official area map shows the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Toyama and the JR line from Toyama to Inotani inside the pass area; Inotani to Takayama is outside, so you pay the fare and limited express charge for that part.
Tokyo to Shirakawa-go by Kagayaki + bus: Covers the Kagayaki from Tokyo to Kanazawa; the bus from Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go is not part of the pass, so you pay the bus fare.
Tokyo to Shirakawa-go by Hakutaka + highway bus: Covers the Hakutaka from Tokyo to Shin-Takaoka; the highway bus from Shin-Takaoka to Shirakawa-go is not part of the pass, so you pay the bus fare.
Tokyo to Enoshima by JR Tokaido Line + Enoden: The official area map shows JR lines from Tokyo to Ofuna inside the pass area; the JR section from Ofuna to Fujisawa and the Enoden are outside, so you pay those fares.

Where to buy it

From a travel agency outside Japan as an exchange order (MCO), which you exchange in Japan with your passport within 3 months.
Online on JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION, paid by credit card.
An online booking is picked up at a station ticket machine (passport with an IC chip) or at a ticket office.
From a travel agency in Japan, up to one month before the first day of use.
Exchange locations include Nagano Station, Narita Airport, Haneda Airport and major Tokyo stations (JR East), and Kansai Airport, Osaka, Shin-Osaka, Kyoto, Kanazawa and Toyama stations (JR West).

Who can buy it: Only foreign visitors with a non-Japanese passport who enter Japan as a Temporary Visitor.

Seats and using the pass

Seats: Reserve seats at a ticket machine or ticket office (also online if you booked the pass on JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION); from the 7th reservation, use a JR ticket office.

The pass is valid from 0:00 on the first day to 24:00 on the last day (Japan time).
Show the pass to the train crew when you board at an unstaffed station.
Keep your passport with the pass and show it if JR staff ask.

Refunds

An exchanged pass can be refunded only at exchange locations in Japan, minus a 10% fee (at least 220 yen); no refund after you start using it or it expires.

Good to know

You can use only one of these passes at a time and cannot buy two for overlapping dates.
There is no youth or student price.
The pass cannot be reissued if it is lost or stolen.
JR East publishes a list of benefits for pass holders.

What the official page says

Official wordingThis pass is valid for the Hokuriku Shinkansen (Tokyo to Tsuruga), and ordinary car reserved and non-reserved seats of limited express and local trains of the East and West Japan Railway Companies, Tokyo Monorail, as well as between Nanao and Wakura Onsen on Noto Railway within the indicated zone.JR East

Frequently asked questions

How much is the Hokuriku Arch Pass?

35,000 yen for 7 days, Ordinary Car (overseas travel agent, JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION or travel agent in Japan). Children pay 17,500 yen (7 days, Ordinary Car).

What does the Hokuriku Arch Pass cover?

The Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Tsuruga, and JR East and JR West limited express and local trains, the Tokyo Monorail and the Noto Railway (Nanao to Wakura Onsen) within the pass area. Limited express trains such as the Haruka and the Thunderbird, in reserved seats. The Tohoku and Yamagata Shinkansen between Tokyo and Omiya, and the Joetsu Shinkansen between Tokyo and Takasaki.

Can I get a refund on the Hokuriku Arch Pass?

An exchanged pass can be refunded only at exchange locations in Japan, minus a 10% fee (at least 220 yen); no refund after you start using it or it expires.

Who can buy the Hokuriku Arch Pass?

Only foreign visitors with a non-Japanese passport who enter Japan as a Temporary Visitor.

Is the Hokuriku Arch Pass worth it for Osaka to Kyoto and back?

A round trip on the JR Special Rapid costs 1,160 yen, 3% of the pass price of 35,000 yen for 7 days, Ordinary Car (overseas travel agent, JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION or travel agent in Japan).

Is the Hokuriku Arch Pass worth it for Tokyo to Nagano and back?

A round trip on the Kagayaki on the Hokuriku Shinkansen costs 16,900 yen with reserved seats, 48% of the pass price of 35,000 yen for 7 days, Ordinary Car (overseas travel agent, JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION or travel agent in Japan).