Madogawa › Sea of Japan: on the left or the right, facing the direction of travel (Hokuriku Shinkansen)
Sea of Japan: on the left or the right, facing the direction of travel (Hokuriku Shinkansen)
Last updated: 17 Oct 2026
Sea of Japan on the Hokuriku Shinkansen: toward Tsuruga, on your RIGHT (facing forward) [Needs checking]; toward Tokyo, on your LEFT (facing forward) [Seen (hidden by noise barriers in places)] (calculated).
On the Hokuriku Shinkansen, it lies near the track around Itoigawa Station (the calculation uses one representative point on the water). The water surface is low and easily hidden by noise barriers and buildings, so the calculation alone never labels it "Line of sight only". It is labelled "Seen (hidden by noise barriers in places)" only when there are at least two records from the train window for that direction (a record that does not limit the direction counts for both directions).
Side and timing by direction
Seen = 2+ reports from the train + line of sight by calculation / Line of sight only = line of sight by calculation, fewer than 2 reports / Needs checking = reported but no calculated line of sight, cannot be judged by calculation alone, or neither reported nor in calculated line of sight (lakes and seas labelled Seen are shown as "Seen (hidden by noise barriers in places)")
| Direction | Label | Side | Section (near station) | Timing (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| toward Tsuruga | Needs checking | on your RIGHT (facing forward) | Itoigawa | About 105 min after leaving Tokyo, for about 2 min |
| toward Tokyo | Seen (hidden by noise barriers in places) | on your LEFT (facing forward) | Itoigawa | About 80 min after leaving Tsuruga, for about 2 min |
Times assume you board at the end of the line and are estimates from the published fastest travel times: where a published fastest time to an intermediate station exists, we use it, and between those points the time is spread in proportion to distance. They change if you board at an intermediate station or take a train that stops at every station. The table lists up to four of the longest sections with a line of sight, in the order you pass them (if there is a section on the opposite side, the longest of those is always included). "About N min" converts only the distance with a line of sight into time; sections where the view is interrupted are marked "hidden in places". Left and right are as you sit facing forward.
Noise barriers, buildings, trees and cuttings are not in the calculation. Low features such as lakes, rivers and the sea may be hidden by barriers.
Departure times that reach the section in daylight (by month)
Using the 2026 calendar, these are the ranges of departure times for which the sun is at least 6° high when the train enters the section, on all three of the 1st, the 15th and the last day of each month. This is not a weather forecast. Even on a clear day, haze or cloud can hide the view.
| Month | Departure (JST) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 6:00–14:15 |
| Feb | 5:50–14:50 |
| Mar | 5:15–15:20 |
| Apr | 5:00–15:50 |
| May | 5:00–16:15 |
| Jun | 5:00–16:40 |
| Jul | 5:00–16:35 |
| Aug | 5:00–16:00 |
| Sep | 5:00–15:15 |
| Oct | 5:05–14:30 |
| Nov | 5:40–14:05 |
| Dec | 6:00–14:05 |
| Month | Departure (JST) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 6:25–14:40 |
| Feb | 6:10–15:15 |
| Mar | 5:35–15:45 |
| Apr | 5:00–16:15 |
| May | 5:00–16:40 |
| Jun | 5:00–17:00 |
| Jul | 5:00–16:55 |
| Aug | 5:00–16:20 |
| Sep | 5:00–15:35 |
| Oct | 5:30–14:55 |
| Nov | 6:05–14:30 |
| Dec | 6:25–14:30 |
About this place
Oyashirazu, on the Sea of Japan coast, is known as a "natural barrier", where sheer cliffs of the Northern Alps drop into the Sea of Japan for about 10 km. Until the Meiji era, the Hokuriku road linking west and east had to run along the water's edge and was very dangerous.
Source: 糸魚川ユネスコ世界ジオパーク (checked 16 Oct 2026). Changes after that date (renovation, rebuilding, demolition) are not reflected.
A road was first cut through the Oyashirazu cliffs by the efforts of local people in 1883 (Meiji 16). Later National Route 8 and the Hokuriku Expressway were built; the Itoigawa UNESCO Global Geopark describes the site as showing four generations of roads.
Source: 糸魚川ユネスコ世界ジオパーク (checked 16 Oct 2026). Changes after that date (renovation, rebuilding, demolition) are not reflected.