On January 31, 1920, he took his remaining vessels and numerous refugees to Tsuruga in Japan.
Fleeing the Ashikaga, Nitta brought the Princes away from Yoshino, where the Southern Court of Go-Daigo was based, towards Tsuruga in Echizen.
Major stops along the Kitaguni route included Shin-Osaka, Kyoto, Maibara, Tsuruga, Fukui, Kanazawa, Toyama, Naoetsu, and Nagaoka.
The section from Nagahara to Ōmi-Shiotsu, originally electrified with 20 kV AC, was re-electrified to 1,500 V DC on September 24, 2006 enabling DC-only EMUs used in Osaka-Kyoto region to operate, and the Special Rapid through train service from JR Kyoto Line (Tokaido Main Line) was extended beyond Ōmi-Shiotsu to Tsuruga on the Hokuriku Main Line.
Trains for Sapporo depart Osaka at 11:50, and call at Shin-Ōsaka, Kyoto, Tsuruga, Fukui, Kanazawa, Takaoka, Toyama, Naoetsu, and Nagaoka, with the final passenger pick-up made at Niitsu at 19:39.