People have lived in Shiramine since pre-historic times, utilizing the rich natural environment of the surrounding mountains. Winter sees snow over 2m deep, and as such a unique architecture and lifestyle developed here. Even today, this rustic mountain lifestyle remains, just waiting for visitors to experience it.

The village has received international recognition by UNESCO, being an important part of both the Hakusan Tedorigawa UNESCO Global Geopark and Mount Hakusan Biosphere Reserve, and is frequently visited by international students, scientists, and universities throughout the year.

Despite being so remote, this village can be fairly easily accessed from Kanazawa for those with an adventurous spirit, even in mid winter! Furthermore, a number of accommodation options are available. Stay a night, or even a week! Regardless of how long you choose to stay, you will receive a warm welcome, and have a relaxing time.

Learn more about Shiramine here: Your guide to Shiramine | japan (visit-shiramine.com)

Day Trip from Kanazawa

Here is a quick guide for my recommended day trip from Kanazawa. See a detailed explanation and other routes below, along with advice and local know-how.

Weekday

  1. Catch the 7:30am train from Kanazawa Station to Nishikanazawa Station (IR Ishikawa Railway Line, bound for Komatsu), cost = 220 yen.
  2. Walk 100m to Shin-Nishikanazawa Station, and catch the 7:47am train to Tsurugi Station, cost = 540 yen. See here for details: https://jal.japantravel.com/ishikawa/getting-to-kanazawa-s-ancient-neighbor-tsurugi/60723
  3. Catch the 8:20am “Shiramine” bus from in front of Tsurugi Station, cost = 1,180 yen.
  4. Enjoy a day in Shiramine! See here for information on places to visit: https://www.visit-shiramine.com/
  5. Catch the 14:46 "Tsurugi" bus to Tsurugi Station.
  6. Catch the 15:58 train to Shin-Nishikanazawa Station, then the 16:33 train from Nishikanazawa Station to Kanazawa Station, arriving at 16:38.

Weekend

  1. Catch the 9am train from Kanazawa Station to Nishikanazawa Station (IR Ishikawa Railway Line, bound for Komatsu), cost = 220 yen.
  2. Walk 100m to Shin-Nishikanazawa Station, and catch the 9:09am train to Tsurugi Station, cost = 540 yen. See here for details: https://jal.japantravel.com/ishikawa/getting-to-kanazawa-s-ancient-neighbor-tsurugi/60723
  3. Catch the 9:40am “Shiramine” bus from in front of Tsurugi Station, cost = 1,180 yen.
  4. Enjoy a day in Shiramine! See here for information on places to visit: https://www.visit-shiramine.com/
  5. Catch the 15:46 "Tsurugi" bus to Tsurugi Station.
  6. Catch the 17:02 train to Shin-Nishikanazawa Station, then the 17:17 train from Nishikanazawa Station to Kanazawa Station, arriving at 17:45

Timetable (as of March 2025)

To Shiramine (from Tsurugi)

Weekdays

  1. Tsurugi (8:20) > Shiramine (9:14)
  2. Tsurugi (10:15) > Shiramine (11:09)
  3. Tsurugi (13:15) > Shiramine (14:09)
  4. Tsurugi (16:40) > Shiramine (17:37)
  5. Tsurugi (18:50) > Shiramine (19:44)

Weekends and Public Holidays

  1. Tsurugi (7:39) > Shiramine (8:33)
  2. Tsurugi (9:40) > Shiramine (10:34)
  3. Tsurugi (14:23) > Shiramine (15:17)
  4. Tsurugi (18:50) > Shiramine (19:44)

From Shiramine (to Tsurugi/Matto Stations)

Weekdays

  1. Shiramine (6:11) > Tsurugi (7:12)
  2. Shiramine (9:41) > Tsurugi (10:42)
  3. Shiramine (11:44) > Tsurugi (12:48)
  4. Shiramine (14:46) > Tsurugi (15:47)
  5. Shiramine (18:01) > Tsurugi (19:02)

Weekends and Public Holidays

  1. Shiramine (9:06) > Tsurugi (10:07)
  2. Shiramine (11:44) > Tsurugi (12:45)
  3. Shiramine (15:46) > Tsurugi (16:47)

Detailed Guide

Tsurugi to Shiramine

First, catch a train to Tsurugi from Kanazawa. See here for more information: https://jal.japantravel.com/ishikawa/getting-to-kanazawa-s-ancient-neighbor-tsurugi/60723

1. In front of Tsurugi Station you will find a bus stop.

2. Take the Shiramine bus when it arrives. Buses to Shiramine don’t have route numbers, so please check for “Shiramine” written in English and Japanese on the front of the bus.

3. Enter the bus from the rear, and collect a paper ticket from the machine near the door.

4. Ride the bus for about 1 hour. In front of the bus is a screen announcing the price and next stop. This appears in English and Japanese. When you see “Shiramine-Kita” or “Shiramine” as the next stop, press the stop buttons located on the poles throughout the bus.

5. To check the price, compare the number on your paper ticket to the number on the screen. The price to Shiramine is 1,180 yen as of March 2025.

6. When the bus stops, place your EXACT fair into the box at the top of the machine. DO NOT put your money into the coin or note slots. These are for splitting money into small change. If you don’t have exact change for the fair, you can split your money at the machine at any time along the ride.

Shiramine to Tsurugi

  1. Hail and catch the “Tsurugi” bus from a bus stop in Shiramine. The bus does not have route numbers, so be sure to check that Tsurugi or Matto is written underneath the Japanese on the front of the bus.
  2. Follow steps 3 to 6 in the above guide, replacing Shiramine with Tsurugi Station.
  3. From Tsurugi Station you can catch a local train to Kanazawa. See the following guide for details: https://jal.japantravel.com/ishikawa/getting-to-kanazawa-s-ancient-neighbor-tsurugi/60723

Tips and Advice

Checking Timetables

The Shiramine bus timetable is currently only available in Japanese. Even if you can't speak Japanese, you can still easily check the times with a little explanation. Let me teach you how to check the timetable. Visit the following website: https://arj.hokutetsu.co.jp/timetable/pathway.php

  1. In the left yellow 出発 box, copy the Japanese for Tsurugi Station 鶴来駅 into the empty space. Click the 候補 box to the right, and select 鶴来駅 from the drop-down menu
  2. In the green right 到着 box, copy the Japanese for Shiramine 白峰 into the empty space. Click the 候補 box to the right, and select 白峰.
  3. Then choose the day from the 曜日 row. Weekdays = 平日, Saturday = 土曜日, Sunday or Public Holidays = 日曜日・祝日
  4. Then in the next row, choose the departure or arrival parameters. Departing from = 出発, Arriving at = 到着, First bus = 始発便, Last bus = 最終便
  5. Then, if applicable, write the time of departure or arrival that you wish to search.
  6. Finally click the magnifying glass 検索 button, and any buses will be shown.
  7. This will display buses running from Tsurugi Station to Shiramine, with the departure and arrival times, and price.
Bus Timetable Search
Bus Timetable Search
Bus Timetable
Bus Timetable

Hailing a Bus

When you’re in Shiramine, you don’t need to wait at a bus stop to catch the bus. You can actually catch the bus from anywhere along the main road of Shiramine, just by hailing the bus. So, if you don’t want to walk to the bus stop, wait for the bus anywhere along the route, and wave your hand when you see the bus coming.

If you speak some Japanese, you can also ask the driver to stop anywhere along the line. If you don't speak Japanese, don't worry, the bus stops are all within walking distance of each other.

(The main road of Shiramine is the narrow North-South road that runs directly through the village, passing by the Shinsa store. It is NOT the large road that runs beside the river, and does not stop by the Saisai store in the center of the village)

Mt. Hakusan Hiking Buses

In summer and early autumn, several buses run to the foot of Mt. Hakusan, travelling through Shiramine. You can use these buses for travelling to Shiramine, or to travel from Shiramine to the trail head. See more information on these buses here: https://hakusan-geo.jp/en/area/293/

If you have any questions, please feel free to comment :)