D-day for JR pass purchase

Hello, I am looking for advice on best option for arranging travel for our trip to Japan for 22 Dec to 11 Jan. What option would be best factoring in price, convenience, and booking seats during some peak travel periods (and have to factor in local bus and subway as well). As I would need to buy a JR Pass (if this was the best option) by September 26, in order to activate pass up to 3 months later i.e. to 26 December, would the below itinerary (factoring in we may do adhoc day trips by rail not mentioned below and we would obvioulsy use local public transport)lend itself to any of ther options below? Are there any other options?:

(A) Japan Rail Pass for 7, 14, or 21 days (buying via a seller such as Klook).
(B) Hayatoku-21 tickets offered by the official Smart-EX website with savings. (I think I can buy and reserve seats one month in advance? Are these e-tickets?)
(C) A mix of region passes (can you suggest which region pass(es) would work best on below itinerary and some Hayatoku-21 tickets for intercity trips between regions:

ITINERARY:
[22 Dec] Arrive Fukuoka 7:30pm – Shinkansen train to Hiroshima (seems a few late trains so should be ok) - check in AirBnB Hiroshima.

[23 Dec] Hiroshima

[24 Dec] Hiroshima – visit monuments

[25 Dec] Hiroshima Christmas day – day trip to Miyajima

[26 Dec] Arrive Kyoto - Shinkansen train to Kyoto

[27 Dec] Kyoto - Day trip to Arashiyama

[28 Dec] Kyoto - Oska day trip (Universal Studios?)

[29 Dec] Kyoto - day trip Hijemi Castle?

[30 Dec] Kyoto – day trip Nara

[31 Dec] Tokyo - Arrive Tokyo - Shinkansen to Tokyo (Will we get a seat on train on new years eve?)

[1 Jan] Tokyo -

[2 Jan] Tokyo -

[3 Jan] Tokyo - day trip to Hakone?

[4 Jan] Tokyo -

[5 Jan] Tokyo -

[6 Jan] Ski resort - Arrive Shizukuishi Prince Hotel ski resort near Morioka - Shinkansen to Morioka – 5 night ski package.

[7 Jan] Ski resort -

[8 Jan] Ski resort -

[9 Jan] Ski resort -

[10 Jan] Ski resort -

[11 Jan] Arrive Haneda airport by 6:30pm for 9:55pm flight - Shinkansen to Tokyo and connect to go to Henada airport same day.

Anysuggestions on the intercity travel plus locval transport inplaces above would be appreciated. thanks

You dont need JR nation wide pass

January 1 to 5 :Tokyo
You can buy subway pass or tokunai pass or JR Tokyo wide pass 3 day=10180 yen
Toei and Tokyo metro subway 1 day=900 yen
For hakone:you can buy odakyu rail pass 1 day =2000 yen

If I buy a 14-day JR Pass starting September 30, what time/day does it end - October 13 at 11:59pm? I am flying out of the country October 13 so want to make sure a September 30 start date will get me through October 13. Or is it safer to activate the JR pass October 1?

Thanks.

JR passes only make sense when you have a ton of shinkansen trips

Jr pass for 14 days
From the date you start( including) till the 14 th day including
Its not 24 hrs ticket

You dont have enough shinkansen travel to make any nation wide pass pay off.

Invest only in regional passes if they pay off for your situation. No info given about trips, so no advice can be given on each possible pass.

[6 Jan] to 11Jan I guess would not work for a 5 day regional pass as return trip to Tokyo outside 5 days.?

Is there a 5 day pass for first 5 days of my trip Fukuoka - Hiroshima (any worthy day trips apart from island trip) - Kyoto?

Updating this thread....

[31 Dec] Tokyo - Arrive Tokyo - Shinkansen to Tokyo (Will we get a seat on train on new years eve?)

Fortunately,
there are still many Tōkyō - bound NOZOMI and HIKARI trains
with vacant seats which can be reserved from Kyōto.

During the New Year busy days (from Dec. 28 to Jan. 4),
all the NOZOMI seats require reservation.

[29 Dec] Kyoto - day trip Hijemi Castle?

You have to visit Himeji earlier.

Himeji Castle and Kōkoen Garden
are closed on December the 29th and the 30th.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3501.html
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3502.html

[11 Jan] Arrive Haneda airport by 6:30pm for 9:55pm flight - Shinkansen to Tokyo and connect to go to Henada airport same day.

I recommend getting back to Tokyo on the previous night.

Depending on weather conditions, even the Shinkansen may be delayed.

[6 Jan] to 11Jan I guess would not work for a 5 day regional pass as return trip to Tokyo outside 5 days.?

Correct.

Unless you add a trip served by JR-East,
even if you get back to Tokyo on Jan. the 10th,
JR East Pass Tohoku area (5-day, 30000 yen) does not sound nice cost-wise.

Kyōto -- Tōkyō -- Morioka -- Tōkyō,
with your Shinkansen seats reserved
: 40650 yen or less for the JR regular tickets.
: 43850 yen or more
for the JR East Pass + the JR regular tickets (Kyōto -- Tōkyō).

----

JR regular cost and tickets for the major legs of your itinerary:

A-1.
JR basic fare,
Hakata -- Hiroshima -- Kyōto
within 5 days (from Dec. 22 or 23)
: 10010 yen.

A-2.
Shinkansen
HIKARI or SAKURA /
NOZOMI or MIZUHO surcharge,
Hakata -- Hiroshima on Dec. 22 or 23,
with your seat reserved
: 3930 yen / 4460 yen.

A-3.
Shinkansen HIKARI / NOZOMI surcharge,
Hiroshima -- Kyōto on Dec. 26,
with your seat reserved
: 4700 yen / 5340 yen.

B-1.
JR basic fare,
Kyōto -- Tōkyō -- Morioka
within 7 days (from Dec. 31)
: 13200 yen.

B-2.
Shinkansen HIKARI / NOZOMI surcharge,
Kyōto -- Tōkyō on Dec. 31,
with your seat reserved
: 5490 yen / 5810 yen.

B-3.
Shinkansen HAYABUSA surcharge,
Tōkyō -- Morioka on Jan. 6,
with your seat reserved
: 6830 yen.

C-1.
JR basic fare,
Morioka -- Tōkyō
within 4 days
: 8580 yen.

C-2.
Shinkansen HAYABUSA surcharge,
Morioka -- Tōkyō on Jan. 10 or 11,
with your seat reserved
: 6230 yen.

----

JR Sanyo Sanin Area Pass Hakata-Hiroshima-Kyoto for 23,000Y (7 days). Allows for side trips to Himeji (do it earlier) and Miyajima..

Day trip to Hakone - If you rearrange your trip - a base fare between Kyoto to Tokyo should allow for a stop at Odawara (for your Hakone trip) without paying an additional fare from Tokyo-Odawara-Tokyo. The only issue is the Nozomi does not stop at Odawara, so you must choose the Hikari (or Kodama) as the ticket will not allow backtracks