W are arriving in Tokyo Narita on 20/12/2014. We are staying near the airport for the first night, as we arrive late. The next day, 21/12/2014, we intend to travel to Nozawa onsen, where we have booked a ryokan, and will ski etc. We leave Nazawa Onsen on the 28th December, and head to Kyoto where we will stay until the 3rd January. In Kyoto we are staying in a hotel near a railway station (I think Higashiama is the closest). We plan to use trains, buses etc to get around. We head back to tokyo on 3/1/15, staying in an apartment in Bunkyo. Also expecting to get around by train etc in Tokyo. Leaving there on 8/1/2014 to return to Narita to get 7:35pm flight home to Australia.
Do you think it would be useful for us to get a JR pass? Or would it be better to just pay for the trains as we go?
Also could you help me with clear instructions about getting from NArita to Nozawa onsen, then on to kyoto, and then on to tokyo?
Are signs etc written in English?
Advice will be much appreciated.