Using Japan Rail pass on the below itinery

Hi Cheryl,

Here is a little breakdown of costs you would have without the JR-Pass.

Narita -> Ueno ¥ 2,740
Tokyo -> Hakuba ¥ 10,390
Hakuba --> Odawara (for Hakone) ¥ 10,180
Odawara --> Osaka ¥ 12,070
Osaka --> Kyoto ¥ 540
Kyoto Nara (return) ¥ 1,380
Kyoto --> Shibuya: ¥ 13,020

For a total of ¥ 50,320 the 14-day JR-Pass is: ¥45,100 saving you at least: ¥ 5,220 plus you can use to pass for local travel in Tokyo on JR-Lines and the Tokyo Monorail. I thought it would be smart to use it from day 1 (22nd) until the 4th. This would cover most of your travel and you could also make an other day trip from Tokyo on the 4th.

One thing I would like to point out is that the train is not the ideal way to get to Hakuba, while the trip is fully covered by the JR-Pass it takes about 500 minutes from Tokyo involving a number of transfers. The best way to get to Hakuba is by JR to Nagano and from there take the express bus. This bus is unfortunately not covered by the JR-Pass and costs 1,800 Yen. The same applies when you go to Hakone, the fastest way is to take the bus back to Nagano and from there take the train to Odawara.

While you are in Hakone a Hakone Free Pass may be of use if you plan to traverse the area lot, as it covers most kinds of transportation in the area, including trains, buses and rope-ways.

Hope this helps!
-Daniel