Hello, I will be visiting Japan arriving on September 12th and departing September 20th with the intend of buying the 7-day pass for use between September 13th and September 19th.
- For 7-day validity should I exchange my Rail Pass only on September 13th (1st day of the period) or is it possible for me to do this the day before that when I arrive in Japan?
- For the purpose of the forum, I intend to use the JR Pass for Tokyo - Kyoto, Kyoto - Nara (roundtrip), Kyoto - Hiroshima (roundtrip), and possibly Kyoto-Osaka (roundtrip), besides the Haruka Service to Kansai and the Yamanote Line in Tokyo.
(1) For all of these trips is my pass eligible as I believe it is?
(2) I understand that Nozomo/Mizuho/Hayabusa services are not covered by the pass. If I desired to take one of these services, is there any way to pay a supplement in addition to the pass for that reservation, or would it be the full fare for that seat?
(3) I do wish to pay a little more for the Green Pass. Would my routes (At least Tokyo-Kyoto, Kyoto-Hiroshima and Haruka) have the Green Car service?
(4) In mid-September, is it advisable to make my reservations at a JR office ahead of time, or should it be fine to do this at the station before departure?
(5) If I do buy the Green Pass and for some reason can not get a reservation in a train, would JR allow me to use the standard service for that train instead? (I am just considering possible problems)
Thank you for any answers you can provide me.