Train costs

Having used JR Passes often in the past, and well and truly reaping the rewards (using 3 x cost of pass at times) the convenience is appealing.

However the new price increases will render the pass not worth it for our proposed itinerary next year.
Probably 20,000 yen under valued. That's a lot!

Given the price increases, is there any info about whether the regular train costs are also going to increase?

If the regular cost of train travel is going to increase then the pass may become reasonable for convenience if the difference is less.

Thanks in advance

Given the price increases, is there any info about whether the regular train costs are also going to increase?

No, nothing in that direction has been announced by JR.

The JRP was heavily underpriced. Normal ticket costs may go up a bit (probably on 1/Apr) but nothing shocking. Just a small increase could be reasonable.

This is just my personal opinion.

The problem with the (nation wide) Japan Rail Pass is it's use in Tokaido shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Tokyo. This section is most crowded part of the long distance trains. 20 years ago, foreign travellers were about 5% of the total (95% was local Japanese), but in just before the COVID, they increased to 20%. The JRP doesn't allow holders to take Nozomi, so they concentrate to Hikari. Now you can see on Cyberstation that Hikari is the most congested trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen, probably due to the JRP holders.

So the price change is aimed to reduce the use of Tokaido shinkansen. The JRs may change the normal price, but it should be very mild (5-10%). Further local JR pass such as JR West's Kansai Hiroshima Area pass will not go up subatantially because there are usually vacant seats on Sanyo Shinkansen and local conventional lines.

Thanks everyone for your replies.
That all makes complete sense.

We are very grateful and have been very privileged to use the JR Pass so well and easily in the past.

I shall just factor in more time to purchase tickets (Nozomi/Mizuho here we come, lol).
Not an issue.

We already have Suica/Pasmo cards between the 4 of us so shall load them up as well.

Plans coming together nicely.

Many thanks again