7 or 14 Pass

Hi there,

Yes, a 7 day JR Pass would give you amazing value for your trip compared to purchasing normal rail tickets.

The cost of a normal return Tokyo - Kyoto using the JR Pass is about the same cost of a 7 day JR Pass. In other words, you would get your day trips to Hiroshima and Nara for free. A return Hiroshima - Kyoto alone is around 21,000yen.

Hope this helps,
Daniel

Hi,
To be clear, you'd get you money's worth for both passes, but you'd get far greater value by doing your long distance travel within 7 days.
Be sure to see Miyajima as well. You can see both Hiroshima and Miyajima with an early morning start. You can cover the Peace Park/Museum, castle, Shukkeien Garden and Okonomiyaki-mura, and then go down to take the JR ferry to the island. Aside from the Itsukushima Shrine with the giant "floating" torii, the Daishoin Temple is also a must-see place. There are several other pagodas and temples, and climbing Mt. Misen offers a fantastic view over the island and whole area.

If you have time, just a bit past Miyajima is Iwakuni with its iconic historical bridge and mountaintop castle.

You should consider some day trips from Tokyo as well - 3-4 days is quite enough for the city. You can use a Tokyo Wide Pass and see many nearby places, like Nikko, Kamakura, Izu, Karuizawa or Kusatsu. If you have one day left on your JR Pass, then Sendai is another good possibility. For within Tokyo, you can save money on a 2 or 3 day subway pass.
To get to/from Narita cheaply, consider taking the 1000 yen bus.

Good luck.