First time to Japan - Rail Info needed

My wife and I will be arriving into HND on the 29th of Dec and staying in tokyo/shinjuku for 2 nights before heading to Nozawa Onsen for 8 nights.

We plan to get to Nozawa by shinkansen to Nagano, then bus from Nagano to Nozawa.

After Nozawa we were planning on heading down to Fujikawaguchiko for 3 nights, before heading back to tokyo.

I have been doing a-lot of research on the trains/ JR passes, and still cant quite wrap my head around it.

Can some one tell me if it would be worth getting a JR pass for our movements?

Does the JR east pass cover where we want to go?

Getting from Nozawa or Nagano down to Fujikawaguchiko is the most confusing part to me.

Any info will help!!! Thanks =)

Use Hyperdia for fares, timetables and general route info.