Super easy to buy on kkday, the machines at station are clearly marked. Initial exchange to actual Jr and bullet train tickets was super easy.
Then came the hard part. It was extremely difficult to choose assigned seats and even the station attendant took a long time to navigate the the bad menus. So leave extra time.
This time I used the JR pass seven-day pass, very useful because this trip took the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Kyoto to Toyama and Kanazawa and back to Kyoto using JR pass for remote locations does save a lot of money on KKDay buy eMCO e-ticket redemption and use is very convenient
Great value! It's so convenient to travel solo to Kanazawa without having to transfer trains. Plus, you can scan a QR code so even foreigners can understand it in their own language. My only suggestion is that when using Traditional Chinese, it uses a Hong Kong accent, making it difficult to understand many Cantonese phrases. Taiwan also uses Traditional Chinese; I hope JR can improve this. It would be better to listen to a podcast without having to read the text. It could also be synchronized with the Japanese tour guide's introduction, as the TV on the bus shows a segment about the architectural structure of Shirakawa-go's Gassho-zukuri houses, but it's only in Japanese with English subtitles. I believe many people might not fully understand English.
Buying a JR pass online is convenient, and it was very convenient to use on this trip. The only drawback is that you can only reserve seats 7 times using the electronic ticket machine.
A two-day stay in Kanazawa would be more worthwhile. Don't miss the Takeo Nagaya House, the Kanazawa Century 21 Museum of Art, the Daisetsu Museum, and of course, Kanazawa Castle and Kenrokuen Garden.
Anonymous User
Family
Hokuriku Weather, Climate and Best Time to Visit
Data source:Meteostat Update date:2025-09
Hokuriku year round climate
Spring (March–May): Average 3.1–14.1°C, mild climate, but still rather cold in early spring, moderate rainfall. Common activities: Cherry blossom viewing (depending on the cherry blossom blooming time), hiking. Recommended clothing: Warm jacket, long-sleeved clothing, comfortable shoes.
Summer (June–August): Average 18.9–25.1°C, warm and humid climate, higher rainfall, especially in July and August. Common activities: Mountain hiking, visiting summer resorts. Recommended clothing: Breathable and sweat-wicking clothing, light rain gear.
Autumn (September–November): Average 12.9–21.0°C, comfortable and pleasant climate, moderate rainfall, gradually cooling down. Common activities: Autumn leaves viewing, hot spring bathing. Recommended clothing: Light jacket, long-sleeved clothing.
Winter (December–February): Average -1.6–-0.0°C, cold climate, higher chance of snowfall, moderate rainfall. Common activities: Skiing, hot spring experience. Recommended clothing: Warm jacket, hat, gloves, scarf, non-slip shoes.
Hokuriku climatological average
Annual average temperature: approx. 10°C / Annual rainfall: approx. 1975 mm / Summer humidity: 70%–80% / Rainiest month: August
Hokuriku monthly average temperature and precipitation
Month
Air temperature (°C)
Precipitation (mm)
January
-1.6°C
103.4
February
-1°C
72.2
March
3.1°C
118.9
April
9.7°C
89.5
May
14.1°C
131.6
June
18.9°C
188
July
23.3°C
259.1
August
25.1°C
321.5
September
21°C
214.7
October
12.9°C
148.4
November
6.9°C
189.2
December
0°C
138.6
Hokuriku weather for the next seven days
12/23
Tuesday
Sunny
3.5°C/-4.2°C
12/24
Wednesday
Moderate rain
4.9°C/-1.9°C
12/25
Thursday
Patchy rain nearby
4.6°C/-1°C
12/26
Friday
Moderate or heavy snow showers
1.2°C/-6.6°C
12/27
Saturday
Heavy snow
-2.7°C/-6.2°C
12/28
Sunday
Light freezing rain
2.3°C/-4.2°C
12/29
Monday
Partly Cloudy
3.9°C/-5.3°C
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