We are planning a 18 day holiday at the end of May through the first part of June. Our plan are for Haneda Airport - Tokyo - Kyoto - Osaka - Kansai Airport. We also plan on taking a day trips to Nara and Kobe. I'm wondering if the JR Rail pass is the best way to go? I'd like to go down to Hiroshima too, my ancestral home, but wondering if that would be too adventurous for a day trip.
We are also traveling with my 2.5 year old son and would like to forward our luggage so we don't have to carry it on the Shinkansen. Are there any recommendations?