Infrastructure III - more Shinkansen lines

Shinkansen extension work is also happening in  Hokuriku and Kyushu.
The line from Nagano - Kanazawa  is excpected to be open by 2014 with future plans to extend it down the coast to Fukui and then onto Shin-Osaka on a yet to be finalised route.  When we were in Noto Hanto in the summer much of the line seemed to be completed.     In Kyushu, from March 2012 the Shinkansen from Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kagoshima in the south of the island will be running.

What a pity people living in Japan aren't eligible for the JR pass.... I am not sure of the fares on the yet to be opened routes, but Tokyo to Shin Aomori is 16,570 Yen (165 USD or so) one way.
http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en001.html

Shinkansen map Nov 2011

Shinkansen Map 2008

http://funtraveltips.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/shinkansen_map2.jpg

The route of the Hokuriku Shinkansen

Hokuriku Shinkansen line outside Kanazawa Sept 2010

Hokuriku Shinkansen line at Itoigawa Sept 2010

Hokuriku Shinkansen

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Hokuriku_Shinkansen_map.png

Kyushu Shinkansen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kyushu_Shinkansen_map_Kagoshima_route_and_Nagasaki_route.png

The Kyushu line

http://www.ask.com/wiki/Kyushu_Shinkansen