乗Japan Train Trips

JR East / JR West · Shinkansen

Kagayaki かがやき

The fastest Hokuriku Shinkansen: Tokyo to Kanazawa in about 2½ hours, now running on to Tsuruga.

Journey
About 2 hr 30 min to Kanazawa
Frequency
Around once an hour
Book tickets
Shinkansen

かがやき

Kagayaki

東京
金沢敦賀
Reserved seatsPower outletFree Wi-FiToiletsAccessibleLuggage space

Kagayaki is the express service of the Hokuriku Shinkansen (E7/W7 series): few stops, all seats reserved.

Covered by the JR Pass (Ordinary and Green), except for Gran Class.

01

座席タイプ別ガイド

Which seat to book

普通車

Ordinary Car

¥¥¥¥

Cars 1–10 · 3+2 seats

Power outlets at every seat and plenty of legroom.

Best for: Most trips — and JR Pass holders.

Reserved seatsPower outletFree Wi-Fi

グリーン車

Green Car

¥¥¥¥

Car 11 · 2+2 seats

Wider leather seats and a quieter car.

Best for: Green JR Pass holders and long-haul comfort.

Reserved seatsPower outletFree Wi-Fi

グランクラス

Gran Class

¥¥¥¥

Car 12 · 18 seats, 2+1

First-class shells at the end of the train. On Kagayaki it is seat-only (no attendant service).

Best for: A once-in-a-trip splurge.

Reserved seatsPower outletFree Wi-Fi

¥ = no extra seat charge · ¥¥¥¥ = most expensive. Charges vary by season — see the official fare table.

02

予約・決済攻略

How to book from abroad

Book on JR East's English booking site, the JR-WEST ONLINE TRAIN RESERVATION, or at any JR ticket office.

One month ahead.

  1. 1

    Reserve online

    JR Pass holders can reserve seats for free on the same sites.

  2. 2

    Collect or go ticketless

    Pick up tickets at a machine with your booking card, or link an IC card where available.

Ways to pay

  • International credit cards
  • Cash at ticket offices
03

車内グルメ・駅弁

Eat & drink on board

Ekiben to bring along

釜

峠の釜めし

Toge no Kamameshi

Oginoya (荻野屋) · about ¥1,500

Japan's most famous ekiben since 1958: seasoned rice cooked in a real Mashiko-ware clay pot, topped with chicken, quail egg, chestnut and mountain vegetables. Keep the pot as a souvenir.

Halal: NoVegetarian: NoPork-free: Check label
  • Yokokawa — Oginoya main shop next to the station
  • Karuizawa — Oginoya stand inside the station
牛

牛肉どまん中

Gyuniku Domannaka

Shinkineya (新杵屋) · about ¥1,500

Sweet-soy simmered beef and minced beef over Yamagata's Tsuyahime rice — a perennial best-seller at Tokyo Station.

Halal: NoVegetarian: NoPork-free: Check label Contains beef
  • Yonezawa — Shinkineya shop in the station
  • Tokyo — Ekibenya Matsuri (inside the ticket gates)
04

途中下車

Make a stopover

Tokyo → Karuizawa (3 hrs) → Kanazawa

Break the Hokuriku Shinkansen trip at Karuizawa for forest walks and the original kamameshi.

  1. 08:30

    東京

    Tokyo

  2. 09:40

    軽井沢

    Karuizawa

    3h stopover

    • · Kyu-Karuizawa Ginza street
    • · Kumoba Pond
    • · Toge no Kamameshi

  3. 15:00

    金沢

    Kanazawa

    • · Kenrokuen garden
    • · Omicho market

Use the coin lockers at Karuizawa station (large ones go first on busy days), or send bags ahead to Kanazawa.

05

手荷物

Luggage on this train

  • Luggage spaceOverhead racks fit carry-on size. Bigger bags go in the space behind the last row of each car — book a last-row seat if you have one.

Local experiences

Things to do near Kaga-Onsen

Spin Trip Gacha

No hand-picked spots here yet — let Trip Gacha pick a random local experience for your trip.

Kagayaki goods

Links go to Amazon.co.jp / Rakuten Ichiba. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases; we may also earn a commission from Rakuten at no extra cost to you.

コンビニ受け取り

Pick up your order at a konbini

  1. STEP 1

    Order on Amazon.co.jp or Rakuten

    Overseas cards work; Amazon.co.jp can be switched to English.

  2. STEP 2

    Choose konbini pickup

    Amazon: Lawson, FamilyMart or Ministop (not 7-Eleven). Rakuten: only shops that offer it — look for コンビニ受取 at checkout.

  3. STEP 3

    Wait for the pickup email

    It contains a barcode or pickup number. Allow a few days, and check the holding period.

  4. STEP 4

    Collect at the counter

    Show the code at the register (or print a slip at Lawson's Loppi terminal). No hotel front-desk hassle.

Not available for marketplace-seller items, chilled/frozen food, alcohol or oversized goods. Pickup stores and rules change — confirm on the checkout screen.