Kanazawa Station (金沢駅) is a major railway station in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West), the private railway operator Hokuriku Railroad, and the third-sector operator IR Ishikawa Railway. Beneath a square in front of the JR station is Hokutetsu-Kanazawa Station, the terminal of the Hokuriku Railroad Asanogawa Line.

Lines

Station layout

IR Ishikawa Railway platforms

IR Ishikawa Railway platforms are elevated above street level, featuring three island platforms with one cut-out platform (for Track 4) on the Up (Toyama) side of the middle island platform, serving seven tracks in total. A large roof covers the station building, in order to prevent train stoppages due to accumulated snow within the station.

JR (Hokuriku Shinkansen) platforms

The Hokuriku Shinkansen platforms are adjacent to the east exit, between the Motenashi Dome and the IR Ishikawa Railway tracks. The Shinkansen station has two island platforms serving four tracks. The departure melody used on the Hokuriku Shinkansen platforms was composed by songwriter and producer Yasutaka Nakata, who was born in Kanazawa.

Hokutetsu platforms

The platforms for the Hokutetsu Asanogawa Line are located underground, below the JR West platforms.

Adjacent stations

History

The station opened on 1 April 1898. With the privatization of JNR on 1 April 1987, the station came under the control of JR West. The platforms for the Hokuriku Shinkansen opened on 14 March 2015. From 14 March 2015, with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension from Nagano, local passenger operations over sections of the Hokuriku Main Line running roughly parallel to the new shinkansen line were reassigned to different third-sector railway operating companies. From this date, Kanazawa Station became the western terminus of the IR Ishikawa Railway Line of Ishikawa Prefecture. At the timetable revision effective 16 March 2024, the Hokuriku Shinkansen extended between Kanazawa and Tsuruga. All Thunderbird and Shirasagi limited express services were discontinued between Tsuruga and Kanazawa Stations. From the same date, the Hokuriku Main Line between Daishoji Station and Kanazawa Station was reorganized as the IR Ishikawa Railway Line, thus the former Hokuriku Main Line section of the station became exclusively used for the IR Ishikawa Railway Line including some through trains to the Nanao Line.

Passenger statistics

In fiscal 2016, the JR West portion of the station (including the conventional line section later removed from the JR West operation) was used by an average of 22,668 passengers daily (boarding passengers only).

Surrounding area

East exit

West exit

Bus services

The bus terminals are located in both east exit(Kenrokuen exit) exit and west exit (Kanazawa Port exit). Almost all buses to central Kanazawa including Kanazawa Loop Bus depart from east gate, however some lines such as City Liner depart from west exit. Most expressway bus stop was in east terminal but moved to west terminal in July 2023. The gates and lines shown below are as of July 2023.

East Exit

West Japan JR Bus departs from gate 4 and 5 in east gate terminal. The local buses from other gates are operated by Hokuriku Railroad (Hokutetsu Bus.) There is a departure information board in front of the station exit which shows the timetable of Kanazawa Loop Bus and Machi-bus and also the first two buses to Kenrokuen Garden, Higashi Chaya District, Nishi Chaya District, Omi-cho Market, Korinbo and 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. The transportation information center (Hokutetsu Bus ticket counter and West Japan JR Bus ticket center) is located near gate 7.

Gate 1

Gate 2

Gate 3

Gate 4

Gate 5

Gate 6

Gate 7

Gate 8

Gate 9

Gate 10

Gate 11

Kanazawa Eki-mae Stop

The stop is located in front of the former Kanazawa Miyako Hotel.

Kanazawa Eki Higashi Stop

The stop is located in front of the former Kanazawa Miyako Hotel.

West Exit

West Japan JR Bus departs from gate 7 and 8 in west gate terminal. Hokutetsu Bus departs from gate 2-6 and also gate 7 and 8. There is Hokutetsu Bus ticket center located near gate 3.

Gate 1

Gate 2

Gate 3

Gate 4

Gate 5

Gate 6

Gate 7

Gate 8

Gallery