My wife and I will be arriving in Tokyo on December 27th and staying through January 1st. At that time we go to Kyoto for 2 days then on to Osaka for 4 days before flying to Seoul. We plan to take the train from Narita to Shinjuku and then hopefully taking a day trip at some point while in Tokyo. We will use the train when traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto and then again when going from Kyoto to Osaka. Also, we are hoping to take a few daytrips by train from Osaka, possibly to Hiroshima and Okayama.
Do you recommend purchasing a rail pass? If so, do you recommend a pass to cover our entire trip or is it more economical to get a 7 day pass to just cover the train from Tokyo to Kyoto, Kyoto to Osaka, and the daytrips from Osaka.
Also, what is the difference between the regular pass and the first class pass?
Lastyly, is it necessary to get a pass where we can book trains in advance since we are going to be traveling around New Years?
Thank you in advance for all help!!
JB