What JR Rail Pass do we purchase in Hawaii before coming to Japan.

Hi there!

It would depend on the period of time that you will be traveling. This because a 7 day JR Pass would help you make some good savings if you can make the return Tokyo - Kansai (Kyoto - Osaka - Kobe) within its validity period. A 14 day JR Pass however would not pay for it self with the above itinerary.

As for purchasing the pass, you can order one online here or buy one at a local re-seller.

There's no other JR Regional pass that covered the route between Tokyo - Osaka exept for the ''normal'' nation wide JR Pass but you can look into an Kansai Area Pass for your travel between Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe if you don't have a normal JR Pass.

I hope this helps!
Daniel

Daniel-san,

Hoping that the 7 day JR Rail Pass will work for us since we will be spending 9 nights/10 days in Japan, arriving at Narita Airport on Monday, October 21 and returning from Narita Airport on Wednesday, October 30. Unfortunately with a 10 day stay, we are right between the 7 day and 14 day rail pass. So, now I'm thinking that the individual purchase of a round trip ticket from Tokyo to Osaka and back will cost a lot more if we do not have a rail pass. Therefore, with that added cost in mind, I'm thinking inorder to maximize the highest and best use of the 7 day JR Rail pass, when we arrive at Narita on Monday, October 21, we just purchase a Narita Express Round Trip + Suica Card. Then activate the 7 day JR Rail Pass on Tuesday, October 22 to travel from Tokyo to Osaka. Then spend the 7 days moving around between Osaka/Kyoto and Kobe and back to Tokyo on Monday, October 28 which will be the 7th and final day. Then spend the remaining 2 days in Tokyo where we can get around with just a Suica Pass and then leave for Narita on Wednesday, October 30 on the return half of our Narita Express round trip which we purchased at the Narita Terminal upon arrival from Honolulu. Doing the math, this would sound like the most economical way to maximize the 7 day JR Rail Pass. Just confirm if this sounds like a plan and if this JR Rail Pass will allow us to travel between these above named 4 cities. Is that correct? If not, I'm open to any suggestion from the expert. Since this will be our fist trip outside of Tokyo.

Hi Again!

That is exactly how I would have done it! You can than use the Suica balance to travel around Tokyo for the first couple of days.

I am not sure if you have time for this but you could make a day trip from either Osaka or Kyoto to Nara, which is great if you want to break from all the big cities. Which would also help maximizing the JR Pass.

Have a great trip!
Daniel

Daniel-san,

Nara sounds like a great suggestion. But, I'm also wondering how could we make a side trip either beginning or ending of our trip to see Hakone and/or Mt. Fuji. Thinking that maybe we sign up for a all day tour vs trying to pay for a side trip by train or bus to the Fujisan Station (Fuji Kyuko Line) and Yamanakako-mura where I currently am holding one night hotel reservation at the Hotel Mt. Fuji? Mt. Fuji is such a beautiful sight that it would be a shame not to try (at least) to get up close and back to Tokyo rather than try to stay overnight. What do you think my friend.

Hi again!

Fuji is very iconic for Japan and it is very a very beautiful sight. However Fuji does like to hide and it is common for Fuji to be completely hidden in the clouds. For this reason I would not suggest a day trip just to see Fuji but instead visit the area around Fuji such as Hakone with a secondaty goal, which can be as simple as enjoying the local Nature.

Hakone can be visited without much hassle of the way back from Kyoto as it has its own Shinkansen station called Odawara, which is located directly on the route between Kyoto and Tokyo. From Odawara you can take a local train into the area. Hakone is a very beautiful area and you can enjoy a private onsen there with a view of Fuji, what more could you wish for?