Just noticed today that new applications and renewals will be subject to about a $70 fee increase over previous years. Old fee was JPY 15,750, new fee is JPY 22,000.

Benefits are marginal, probably the most valuable is the travel insurance, spotty lounge access for cardholder (for those without some alliance based status) and ability to transfer points to both UA and AA (in addition to a few other less advantageous <read: fuel surcharge on award tickets> carriers). They say that this year they added two additional travel benefits:

First has marginal value, giving luggage home shipping service from Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda, Osaka Kansai, and Nagoya for 1 bag up to 30kg, but they chose JAL ABC which is a rather customer unfriendly service for people with normal jobs because of their extremely limited delivery hours. Works fine I guess for people with housewives at home all the time. It's the same awful service that AMEX Japan offers free with many of their cards, there are definitely better couriers with more flexible delivery schedules available (Yamato and Sagawa are both up until 9:00pm for example which the other baggage delivery companies at Narita utilize)

Second, probably worthless for most people since in Tokyo we usually take the train or bus to the airport, but there is now a new airport parking benefit at either of the Tokyo airports for 30% off parking fees.

Link to the new fee notice in English here for those interested:
http://www.diners.co.jp/ja/press/afi_140220_e.html

There is a 50,000 point sign up campaign going on at the moment for JPY 200,000 spend. Not great with the annual fee compared to cards in the USA but an excellent bonus for Japanese cards.