Ishikawa Transport Guide: Kanazawa Access, Local Buses, and Transfers

For transport in Ishikawa, the first step is to decide how to reach Kanazawa, then look at local bus passes and the options for travelling to Kaga and Noto. This page is based on official Ishikawa Prefecture tourism information and operators’ websites (checked on 2026-10-28). The official sources do not provide a total fare from Osaka to Kanazawa including transfers, so no such fare is given here. Return to the Ishikawa Prefecture Travel Guide.

Key Points

From Tokyo, take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kanazawa Station. Official information gives about 2.5 hours for the fastest Kagayaki service.
From Osaka, Kyoto, or Nagoya, take a JR limited express to Tsuruga Station, then transfer to the Hokuriku Shinkansen. The official information does not state a journey time.
The Kanazawa One-Day Bus Pass costs 800 yen for adults and 400 yen for children. It is valid only on the day of use and covers buses in designated parts of the city centre, not the entire prefecture.
Official information describes buses from Shirakawa-go to Kanazawa and from Takayama to Kanazawa as taking “just over two hours”.

Getting to Kanazawa and Ishikawa

According to Ishikawa Prefecture’s official tourism information on access to Ishikawa:

Starting point	How to travel
Tokyo	Hokuriku Shinkansen; the fastest Kagayaki takes approximately 2.5 hours to Kanazawa Station
Osaka, Kyoto, or Nagoya	JR limited express to Tsuruga Station, then transfer to the Hokuriku Shinkansen. No journey time is provided on the official page.
Komatsu Airport	Approximately 40 minutes by bus from Kanazawa. Domestic services include Haneda, Sapporo, Fukuoka, and Naha; international services include Seoul, Shanghai, Taipei, and Hong Kong.
Noto Satoyama Airport (Wajima)	Two flights to Haneda per day, taking about one hour (the official page does not specify a date; confirm before departure)
Shirakawa-go and Hida Takayama	Several buses each day, taking just over two hours to Kanazawa. The Shirakawa-go Tourism Association page gives approximately 1 hour 20 minutes for the highway bus from Kanazawa Station to Shirakawa-go.
Highway bus	Services depart from major cities on Honshu; the official page does not give journey times or fares.
Cruise ship	The port is approximately 20 minutes by bus from Kanazawa Station.

Kanazawa One-Day Bus Pass

Official information from Hokuriku Railroad:

Item	Details
Price	Adults (junior high school age and over) 800 yen; children (elementary school age) 400 yen
Validity	Valid for one day, on the day of use; sold year-round
Coverage	Scheduled buses in the designated central Kanazawa area (see the map in the official brochure)
Accepted on	Hokuriku Railroad Group scheduled buses, West Japan JR Bus services, Kanazawa Castle Town Loop Bus, Kanazawa Flat Bus, and Kanazawa Shopping Bus
Not accepted on	Regular sightseeing tour buses, highway and limited express buses, and the Kanazawa Light-Up Bus
Where to buy	Hokuriku Railroad Ticket Centre (near stop 4 at the west-exit Kanazawa Station bus terminal), 7:00 to 19:30; Hokutetsu Group Information Centre at the east-exit Kanazawa Station bus terminal, 7:00 to 19:00; Hokutetsu Bus Service Centre, Musashi M’ZA store, 10:00 to 19:00; Nomachi and Shin-Nishi-Kanazawa stations on the Ishikawa Line; Hokutetsu-Kanazawa Station on the Asanogawa Line; hotels and tourist information centres displaying the relevant sticker. Not sold on board buses.
Important notes	Board scheduled buses from the rear door and exit at the front. If boarding or alighting outside the pass area, pay an additional basic fare from the boundary stop. Refunds are permitted only up to the day before the pass becomes valid, with a 100-yen handling fee.

Other Transport Within the Prefecture

According to Ishikawa Prefecture’s official tourism information:

Item	Details
Kanazawa sightseeing buses	Two sightseeing loops run from Kanazawa Station to places such as Kanazawa Castle, Kenrokuen Garden, and Omicho Market. A one-day pass is available, but the official page does not give its price.
Kaga	The Hokuriku Shinkansen takes about 15 minutes from Kanazawa to Kagaonsen Station. Canbus connects Kagaonsen Station with hot-spring areas, attractions, and Komatsu Airport.
Noto	The limited express takes about one hour from Kanazawa to Wakuraonsen. The Nanao Line continues via the Noto Railway to Anamizu. Hokuriku Railroad highway buses take approximately 2.5 hours to Wajima and 3 hours to Suzu (first-come, first-served seating).
Hokuriku Railroad railways	Ishikawa Line (Nomachi to Tsurugi) and Asanogawa Line (Kanazawa to Uchinada)
Rental cars	You can drive with your home-country driving licence and an international driving permit. Rental car outlets are available at Kanazawa, Kagaonsen, and Wakuraonsen stations, Komatsu Airport, and Noto Satoyama Airport. Official information warns that “winter tyres are essential in Ishikawa”. For driving regulations, see Driving Rules.
Bicycles	Bicycle rentals are available in Wakura Onsen, Wajima, Komatsu, and Hakusan; Kanazawa also has the Machi-Nori public bicycle scheme.

Travelling to Shirakawa-go and Takayama

According to official Nohi Bus information:

The bus from Takayama to Shirakawa-go takes approximately 50 minutes. The one-way fare is 2,800 yen, rising to 2,900 yen from December 1, 2026. Some services require reservations (telephone: 0577-32-1688).
The 19:00 departure from Takayama does not operate on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, August 13–15, or December 29 to January 3.
Another Nohi Bus announcement lists the current fares as 2,800 yen from Shirakawa-go to Kanazawa and 4,200 yen from Takayama to Kanazawa. From December 1, these change to 2,900 yen and 4,400 yen respectively. The official page does not give a journey time from Takayama to Kanazawa, so none is stated here. For details, see Transport in Gifu Prefecture.

Avoid Confusion

The city one-day pass only covers designated buses in central Kanazawa. It cannot be used on Shinkansen trains, limited express services, or highway buses.
Bus and rail operating conditions in Noto change by date. Check operators’ notices before departure.

Further reading: Ishikawa Attractions, Route and Timetable Search Tools.