JR Kansai Hokuriku Area Pass

The JR Kansai Hokuriku Area Pass is a rail pass for exclusive use by foreign tourists. It provides pass holders with seven consecutive days of unlimited travel on designated train and bus lines (including shinkansen and limited express trains) in the Kansai Region, Hokuriku Region and Okayama. It roughly combines the coverage areas of the Kansai Wide Area Pass and Hokuriku Area Pass into a single pass.

Purchase the Kansai Hokuriku Area Pass

Validity

1. Unlimited use of local, rapid and limited express JR trains along the lines shown on the map above.
2. Unlimited use of of the Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Okayama and on the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Tsuruga and Joetsu Myoko. However, the Tokaido Shinkansen between Kyoto and Osaka is not covered.
3. Seat reservations can be made for free (see details below).
4. Unlimited use of the IR Ishikawa Railway between Kanazawa and Tsubata to access the JR Nanao Line, the Ainokaze Toyama Railway between Toyama and Takaoka to access the JR Himi and Johana lines, and the Hapi Line Fukui between Fukui and Echizen-Hanando to access the JR Kuzuryu Line; however, it is not allowed to get on and off at any stations in between. The liner surcharge for Ainokaze Liner trains is not covered.
5. Unlimited use of the Kyoto Tango Railway, which provides access to Amanohashidate.
6. Unlimited use of the Wakayama Railway.
7. Unlimited use of local JR buses around Kyoto and Kanazawa.
8. Free use of rental bicycles at designated Ekirin Kun outlets within the covered area.
9. The pass is valid on seven consecutive calendar days (midnight to midnight).
10. Only foreign visitors to Japan (with temporary visitor status) can use the JR Kansai Hokuriku Area Pass. It cannot be used by residents of Japan.
11. The pass can be used only by a single person. It cannot be transferred between multiple persons. The pass holder has to carry his/her passport at all times.

Points of sale

The JR Kansai Hokuriku Area Pass can be purchased online through various websites, including the official JR West website, and at selected travel agents outside of Japan. The actual pass has to be picked up at a major station in the area covered before use. An advantage of purchasing the pass through the official website is that you can make seat reservations online, while others can make seat reservations only at ticket machines and ticket offices.

Purchase the Kansai Hokuriku Area Pass

Seat reservations

Seat reservations can be made at no additional cost at ticket offices. The first six reservations can alternatively be made at ticket machines, but subsequent reservations can be made only at ticket offices. Furthermore, those who purchased their pass through the official JR West website can also use the JR West website to make seat reservations, but the website is not very easy to use.

Assessment

The JR Kansai Hokuriku Area Pass is of excellent value for travelers visiting the Kansai and Hokuriku regions. For example, it costs about the same as a round trip between Osaka and Kanazawa. The pass provides access to most major tourist destinations in the Kansai Region; Okayama, Kurashiki and Naoshima west of Osaka; and many destinations in the Hokuriku Region including Kanazawa, Fukui, the Noto Peninsula and the Kurobe Gorge. If used well, it can provide large savings over regular tickets.

Alternative tickets

The coverage area of the Kansai Hokuriku Area Pass corresponds roughly to the combined coverage areas of the Kansai Wide Area Pass and Hokuriku Area Pass (except that the Kansai Hokuriku Area Pass includes the Hokuriku Shinkansen as far as Joetsu Myoko, but does not include Takamatsu). The Kansai Wide Area Pass costs 12,000 yen for five days and the Hokuriku Area Pass costs 7,000 yen for four days, which together is the same as the Kansai Hokuriku Area Pass (19,000 yen for seven days).