Best IC Card for widest coverage

I have been finding it hard to work out the best IC pass to get?

I am going to be traveling through the Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku, and Hokkaido regions and am not sure is the Suica card will cover all the areas I need. Will I have to get more than one pass? There are so many I am unsure what to do.

Can i order them here and get them posted or do I have to sort it out there?

IC cards are not passes, they are just a convenient way of riding trains and buses because you don't need to buy tickets. They usually have no discount.
There's a page on this website about IC cards, here it is
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_003.html

The IC card that is the best for you depends on which airport you will arrive at. For example if you arrive at Narita, its easiest to get SUICA, and if you enter japan from kansai airport its easier to get ICOCA. They're basically the same thing, and dont give you discount. If you tell Us your more detailed itinerary We may be able to tell you which PASS is suitable for you.

Geography will tell you which is best. The best one would be the one you can buy first. No point in waiting for an ICOCA (JR West) if you're going to spend your first week in Tokyo (SUICA-JR East). One difference between the main JR IC cards is that the ICOCA is the only one allowed on the trams in Hiroshima.

But like I said, your point of entry will determine which one to get. And no, you cannot buy it outside the country and have it mailed to your home.

One web site offers sale of 2500 Yen Suica or Pasmo card. But shipping is not cheap, so I don't think it is worth the price. Their main business is JR Pass, so if you are buying JR Pass vouchers, then it might be worthwhile getting an IC card at the same time (one flat shipping fee for all cards and pass vouchers). Despite its name, I don't think it is the official JRP web site (it's probably just a travel agency with official-sounding name).
https://www.japan-rail-pass.com

You do not have a IC card shipped to you. That would be a total waste of money paying for shipping since a IC card can be purchased almost anywhere in Japan upon arrival.

Ok thankyou. So the IC card is just like an Oyster in London that you top up with cash?
And I would need another one when I get down to Hiroshima?

Thanks for all the replies!

No, you wouldn't need another when you get to Hiroshima. You use the same IC card, but one just can't use it everywhere. It's mainly used in the major metropolitan areas and not in rural Japan.

ok great thanks for all the advice, much appreciated!

As is mentioned by other posters, more concrete information on your journey may lead to good advices.
Your description "the Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku, and Hokkaido regions" is too vague to judge coverage of IC transportation cards.

So the IC card is just like an Oyster in London that you top up with cash?

They are similar to Oyster Card, which is also an IC transportation card, but there are also differences.

Oyster Card gives you discounts on transportation fees,
while IC cards of the ten Japanese major brands (for PiTaPa when it works as a prepaid card) basically don't.

There are named child-rate cards of the ten Japanese brands,
while there are no child-rate Oyster Cards.

Despite its name, I don't think it is the official JRP web site (it's probably just a travel agency with official-sounding name).

Indeed.
It seems you'd better check this website instead for information on Japan Rail Pass.
http://www.japanrailpass.net/en/index.html