Doing Japan independently by public transport

We are arriving in Tokyo on 21st August, on 23rd we are going on a cruise for 9 nights.

We are first time senior travellers to Japan, but we have travelled throughout Europe independently We would like to know whether we have the places below in correct order of travel by public transport. We are confused do we buy a rail pass or buy individually.

We usually spend 3-4 nights in each place. We are looking for suggestions on whether we do day trips or stay in certain areas.

These are the places we would like to visit.

Tokyo
Mt Fuji
Hakone
Kyoto
Osaka
Himeji
Hiroshima
Takayama
Tokyo night flight from Narita.

Any hotel recommendations would be appreciated. We require twin beds.

Thank you, we need all the help we can get. 😊

You can stay at all. All have good public transport options. So no issues with indipendence.

Himieji is normally done as a day trip from Osaka or Kyoto.

Kyoto and Oska are only 25 mins apart. So staying at one saves moving hotels. May not be an issue for slower travels with rime on their side.

Hakone and Fujisan can be done as day trips from Tokyo. But is you werent in a rush. Overnight at each is good.

A more detailed itinerary is needed to determine if a rail pass makes sense or not. But if you really are spending about 3 nights at each destination, and you have about 7 destinations on your list(???) (and I am not clear on where your cruise goes), then usually a country-wide pass is not warranted. You may opt for local passes (again, need to know more details to determine which pass).

The way you have written your question makes it read like you want to visit all those places between 21st and 23rd August. Obviously not practical or your intent. What is your actual time for travel? If it really is just three days, then stick with Tokyo.

I've got to agree this post is a little confusing. It seems as though you are in Tokyo for 2 nights from the dates you have suggested, but also suggest you will spend 3-4 nights in each location. If your in Tokyo for only 2 days, stay in Tokyo but if you have to get your culture fix consider Kamakura or Nikko as potential day trips. Nikko is best done over night

Assuming you�fll be 11 days in Japan and �gcruise�h doesn�ft mean that you�fll board a ship but that you will travel around Japan.

Tokyo
2 days in your itinerary. Will be a quick visit to Tokyo. Just to see some specific spots that interest you. Hakone and Fuji are doable as 2 (!) daytrips assuming that Fuji means Kawaguchiko. However as you�fll continue to Kyoto I would stay a night in Hakone.
Mt Fuji
what do you want to do with Mt. Fuji? Climb it? Take one picture? Be at its base in Kawaguchiko for sometime? I assume that you only want to see it for a quick picture. In that case I would just take the risk of not seeing it at all. And have a try to spot it from Tokyo and from Hakone. In both places there is no guarantee that you can see it. But spending an entire day of your short trip in Kawaguchiko for one picture seems to be too much.
Hakone
Kyoto
Osaka
As PP said you should stay in one place only as both cities are close. You haven�ft shared what your interests in visiting Japan are but Osaka by most is considered as a not terribly interesting city. So I personally would skip it completely and concentrate on Kyoto. But you might have a specific interest in Osaka.
Himeji
Himeiji should be doable on route to Hiroshima from Kyoto or Osaka.
Hiroshima
Only Hiroshima or also Miyajima?
Takayama
I am personally not a big fan of Takayama but many people are. iOS quite far away and would take most of the day from Hiroshima to get here. Also from Takayama to Tokyo is going to be a rather lengthy trip. But if you are determined to go that�fs fine. It just means less time sightseeing.

Tokyo night flight from Narita.
in that case I would stay in Takayama the night before to avoid an other hotel change.

My proposal for this trip would be:
Tokyo 2 nights day 1&2
Hakone 1 night, day 3
Kyoto 4 nights , day 4-7
Hiroshima 2 nights , day 8-9
Takayama 2 nights, day 10 & 11 , departure from Japan on the evening of day 11 from Tokyo.

Enjoy your trip to Japan!