Planned JR Pass Price Hikes
 

Just saw this author on a youtube.

Tokyo Cheapo | The Ultimate Guide To Tokyo

He mentioned that nobody is going to buy it at that price. It really doesn't make much sense. The regular fares aren't changing.

Here is the interview I saw on the Only in Japan channel. I don't see how those prices could stick. The regular roundtrip fare between Tokyo and Kyoto is almost break even at current prices. Just add on a one-way N'Ex trip and you save. A Kyoto-Nara day trip and some JR rides in Tokyo might be enough to break even.

They offer some good advice about Kanazawa and Kyoto starting at about 38:30 into the vid. At 39:40 John, the host, offers an opinion on Kyoto that I agree with 100%.

There are some comments about maiko (sounds like "my ko") which are apprentice geisha. John mentions tourists rentng yukata [or kimono] and going around sites. Japanese tourists do this (have seen women in kimono) but also Western tourists. There is appreciation for this and no sense of cultural appreciation.

Kanazawa has beautiful yuzen dyed and, I think, hand-painted kimono. I took a tour there that included a kimono shop. You can see the process. Gorgeous kimono, very expensive.

Here is a random website about the Kaga yuzen kimono (Kaga being an old-time name of the Kanazawa region).
5 Things You Should Know About Yuzen Kimono (japanobjects.com)

Good video which offers a reasonable explanation for the reasons for the rate increase in the general JR passes. What I found especially interesting is how unaware most of us are of the regional passes and how little they are actually used. It was only by chance that I read about the regional passes this past weekend and realized that we’d benefit from one for at least part of our trip.

And now I’m really glad that I’ve got Kanazawa in my itinerary - though a bit nervous over Kyoto, given how popular it has gotten over the years.

John mentioned the attitude of Kyoto-jin in the last 10 years. It has been longer than that, IME, going back to my first visit (of 3 or 4 visitw to Kyoto) in 2001. But, it is understandable because of clueless/rude tourists (more every year). And the fact is that it is unusual to encounter rude Japanese, so it stands out. And to be fair gaijin can't be expected to understand (and they are not) the Japanese Way (I only have a few clues). But, they could just calm/slow down and watch and listen to get an idea of how it works.

Those regional passes can be confusing, I guess, and it is just easier to get the nationwide pass. The Takayama-Hokuriku Tourist Pass was good for you until you added Hiroshima.

Used to have to show your JR Pass to a gate attendant and one time the guy asked to see my passport (which I happened to have and am supposed to always carry). Now the passes work like tickets with the machine reading them I guess they aren't concerned about people sharing a pass or giving it away with a couple days left.

This is why I always suggest that visitors stop in a big JR station office when they arrive (Narita airport, Tokyo Station, etc.). If you show the agents your itinerary (destinations and dates), they almost always suggest regional passes, even if you don't ask.
I like having train passes, even if they don't save us a lot of money, as it makes traveling so easy... We often will book trains for our whole journey at the beginning (especially for long segments where trains can be busy), but have flexibility knowing that if our plans change, we can change tickets for free with no issues.