Regional passes
Hokuriku Arch Pass vs 7-day JR Pass: Tokyo to Osaka
Is the Hokuriku Arch Pass worth it? Its price, what it covers between Tokyo and Osaka, who can buy it, and when singles or the 7-day JR Pass cost less.
Short answer
You only go Tokyo to Osaka and back, with no stop in Kanazawa
SmartEX
Two Hikari reserved seats Tokyo–Shin-Osaka cost ¥28,800. The Hokuriku Arch Pass costs ¥35,000 and cannot be used on the Tokaido Shinkansen, so singles are cheaper by ¥6,200.
Book single Shinkansen tickets on SmartEX →You want one pass for a Tokyo–Kanazawa–Osaka line and have a lot of other JR rides in the same 7 days
the official JR Pass site
The Hokuriku Arch Pass is ¥35,000 against ¥50,000 for the 7-day Ordinary JR Pass on the official store, ¥15,000 less. It only wins over singles if the rides it covers add up to more than ¥35,000.
Buy on the official JR Pass site →
Your own route? Use the JR Pass calculator.
Is the Hokuriku Arch Pass worth it? It is a 7-day JR West pass at ¥35,000 for adults, ¥15,000 less than the 7-day Ordinary JR Pass at ¥50,000 on the official online store. The catch is what it leaves out. JR West's page lists the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Tsuruga and Tokyo among the covered trains, and says it cannot be used on the Tokaido Shinkansen.
This page sets the pass against ride-by-ride tickets and against the national pass, using only fares we could read on official pages. For the national pass price, see JR Pass price in 2026. For the break-even sums on the Tokaido line, see JR Pass vs individual tickets. To add up your own rides, use the JR Pass calculator. Prices are adult prices, checked on November 2, 2026.
Hokuriku Arch Pass worth it? Price, validity and area
| Adult (12 and over) | Child (6 to 11) | |
|---|---|---|
| Hokuriku Arch Pass, 7 days | ¥35,000 | ¥17,500 |
JR West's page sells it as a 7-day pass only. It is valid on consecutive days, from 0:00 on the start day to 24:00 on the last day, all year round. The page states that the price depends on the purchase date, not the exchange or use date, and that prices are subject to change. The page's own tagline describes the area as unlimited rides "from Kansai area to Toyama, Ishikawa, and Fukui".
What is covered, as JR West lists it:
- Reserved seats on the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Tsuruga and Tokyo.
- Reserved seats on limited express trains such as the Haruka and the Thunderbird.
- Special Rapid, Rapid and Local trains on JR West and JR East lines, and the Tokyo Monorail.
- Three partner railways on limited sections: the IR Ishikawa Railway between Kanazawa and Tsubata, the Ainokaze Toyama Railway between Toyama and Takaoka, and the Hapi-Line Fukui between Echizen-Hanando and Fukui. The IR Ishikawa Railway and the Ainokaze Toyama Railway must be ridden over the full segment between the two stations, without getting off at stations along the line. The Hapi-Line Fukui is covered on local trains only, and only between Echizen-Hanando and Fukui.
The page does not spell out a Tokyo-to-Osaka timetable or route, so we do not describe one. The Haruka is named among the covered limited express trains.
What it does not cover
- The Tokaido Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Tokyo, and the Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Hakata. This is the most important line in this comparison. If you take the Tokaido Shinkansen for one direction, you pay for it separately.
- Hokuriku Shinkansen GranClass needs a separate GranClass ticket. First Class (Green) needs Green tickets and separate express tickets.
- A separate limited express ticket is required for the Tohoku/Hokkaido Shinkansen Hayabusa and the Akita Shinkansen Komachi.
- Reserved seats must be booked before boarding. The page says non-reserved seating is not available on trains with only reserved seats.
Who can buy it, and how
JR West states the conditions: you must hold a passport issued by a foreign government and enter Japan with "Temporary Visitor" status. Japanese nationals cannot use the pass, including those who hold foreign permanent residency. One pass of the same type can be bought or exchanged per person for the same use period, and the passport must be shown to receive the pass.
There are three ways to buy:
- Overseas travel agency: buy an MCO or e-ticket abroad, then exchange it in Japan within 3 months of issue, with your passport.
- JR-WEST Online Train Reservation: pay by credit card (virtual and numberless cards are not accepted), then collect the pass at a station ticket machine or ticket office with the reservation number, your 4-digit ID, the same card and your passport. Reservations open 1 month before boarding, at 10:00 JST.
- Japanese travel agencies: available up to 1 month before the first day of use.
After exchange, the start date, duration and pass type cannot be changed. Validity is not extended for delays or service disruptions. Refunds carry a handling fee of 10% of the price, with a minimum of ¥220 per pass, and none are given once use has started.
The sums: pass, singles and the 7-day JR Pass
Fares are one way, ordinary car, reserved seat, normal season. Tokyo to Shin-Osaka is ¥14,400 by Hikari or Kodama and ¥14,720 by Nozomi. We could not read an official single fare for Tokyo to Kanazawa or Kanazawa to Osaka, so they are not in the table.
| Plan | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo–Shin-Osaka and back, Hikari, singles | 14,400 × 2 = ¥28,800 | Cheapest plan here |
| Tokyo–Shin-Osaka and back, Nozomi, singles | 14,720 × 2 = ¥29,440 | |
| Hokuriku Arch Pass alone | ¥35,000 | Cannot cover the Tokaido Shinkansen |
| Hokuriku Arch Pass one way, Tokaido Hikari back | 35,000 + 14,400 = ¥49,400 | Before any other rides |
| 7-day JR Pass, Ordinary, official online store | ¥50,000 | Includes the Hikari, not the Nozomi |
The Hokuriku Arch Pass is ¥15,000 less than the 7-day JR Pass on the official store (our calculation). Passes sold by travel agencies outside Japan cost ¥53,000 for purchases from October 1, 2026, and the online price is frozen only "for a limited time", so confirm it before you buy. See Nozomi with a JR Pass for the Nozomi ticket pass holders buy separately.
For the pass to beat singles, the rides it covers must total more than ¥35,000 at single fares (our calculation).
When the Hokuriku Arch Pass is not worth it
- A plain Tokyo and Osaka round trip. Singles on the Hikari cost ¥28,800, ¥6,200 less than the pass, and the pass does not cover the Tokaido Shinkansen anyway. See Tokyo to Osaka Shinkansen cost for the single fares.
- A short trip on the covered line and little else. The pass costs ¥35,000, so the rides it covers have to add up to more than that.
- Anyone who needs the Nozomi or a Tokaido return. Each Tokaido ride is paid on top of the pass.
- Japanese passport holders. The pass is closed to you under JR West's stated conditions.
- Short stays. The pass is 7 days only, with no shorter version.
It makes more sense when your 7 days really are built around the covered line: the Hokuriku Shinkansen out of Tokyo, the limited express trains beyond Tsuruga, and local JR trains along the way. Total those rides at single fares before you buy.
Sources
All checked on November 2, 2026.
- JR West, Hokuriku Arch Pass (price, validity, valid and excluded trains, eligibility, how to buy, refunds): https://www.westjr.co.jp/travel-information/en/tickets-passes/other/hokuriku-arch-pass/
- Japan Rail Pass, price page (7-day Ordinary ¥50,000 online): https://japanrailpass.net/en/purchase/price/
- JR Group notice dated April 9, 2026 (agency price ¥53,000 from October 1, 2026; online price unchanged for a limited time): https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/news/_pdf/2026/0001.pdf
- JR Central Tours, Tokyo–Shin-Osaka totals (Hikari ¥14,400, Nozomi ¥14,720): https://travel.jr-central.co.jp/plan/tokushu/shinkansen/seat/
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