There are several new rail passes for foreign tourists only that upcoming travelers to Japan should be aware of.
Some are only valid for a few months while others may be here to stay. Of note are the revised Hokkaido Rail Passes along with the different version of the JR Sanyo-Shikoku-Kyushu Rail pass.
http://www.japan-guide.com/news/0021.html
Aloha!
New Japan Rail Passes
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Very interesting. I saw your mention of the new Sanyo-etc pass on another thread and was thinking that I could have used the Northern Kyushu version like a 5-day Sanyo Area Pass last November (I used the 4-day Sanyo Area Pass but might have used the 5-day pass, getting the flexibility of a that 5th day for only 2000 yen more).
That Kansai Wide Area Pass looks really interesting. KIX, Osaka & Himeji on the shinkansen, Okayama and Kyoto and Hikone and Kinosaki Onsen.
Yes, makes one want to plan another trip to Japan, ne?