20 days travelling all around Japan

Hi there,

Here are some answers for you,

1. I think you may be a little optimistic, especially for August which is tourism high season. I'd estimate something like: 1hr to disembark, retrieve luggage and clear customs (taking you to 11:15am), and then a further 1hr to locate the exchange office, activate your pass and find your train/platform, taking you to 12:15pm. Based on this, this sample itinerary should help.

2. Yes, it certainly sounds like you will benefit from a JR Pass. In general a 7 day pass becomes cost effective if you do 1 return trip to Osaka. If you do a further trip to Hiroshima then the 14 day pass starts to become cost effective. It very much depends on your itinerary however. You can look up precise train timetables and costs at the Hyperdia travel planning website and learn how to use Hyperdia for JR Pass holders through our video blog.

3. Yes, it is very possible to get to and travel around Hokkaido with the JR Pass. The JR Pass is nationwide and covers all JR zones so that shouldn't be a problem. For reference, here is a sample itinerary from Tokyo to Sapporo.

Hope this helps!