Rail pass recommendations

Hi All,

I'm struggling to figure out what the best rail pass options are for my family (2 adults and 1 child) trip to Japan in June. We will be flying in to NRT, and need transport to our accommodation near Ueno station, then will be in Tokyo for 4 days. We plan to do a day trip out to Mt Fuji area (maybe Kawaguchiko?) while staying in Tokyo. Then we would like to take a shinkansen to Kyoto and spend 4 days in the Kyoto/Osaka area, with a trip to ITM airport at the end. A Japan Rail Pass doesn't seem to be the best option as we will need local transport around Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka areas. I was looking at the combined Skyliner and tokyo metro pass, then paying for a one way shinansen to Kyoto, followed by day passes in Kyoto/Osaka. Combining this with a bis trip to Kawaguchiko. Does that sound like a better option than a rail pass?

Any suggestions are appreciated, thanks!

Jason

A simple one way trip with some small other travel - the national JR pass would be poor value for money (double the cost of what you need) and any other passes would only save tiny amounts.

Agreed on the above about nation wide pass. Wont pay off.

Also be careful with those daily passes. Figure out also if they pay off. In most cases, adults wont use 1500-2000 yen per day of city only travel.

For example, bus and tram rides range from 120-150 yen per ride. A one way trip Kyoto to Osaka is 400-520 yen depending on which railway you choose.