3 days spare at the end of our trip

I will move from Osaka-Hiroshima-Kyoto-Toyko to finally Nikko on the 25/10/07 . I was wondering on an alternate route back to Osaka. My flight leave 8pm 29/10/07 but my JR pass will be activated on the 15/10/07 so I would need to be back close to Osaka or at Osaka on the day my JR pass which day 14 with be 28/10/07 if my calculations are correct. Any Ideas, places to stop overnight which has not already been on my agenda and would show me yet another side to Japan.

For your extra three days, you can consider some of the following popular places:

Miyajima near Hiroshima, Hakone/ Fuji lakes area/Kamakura near Tokyo, Nara near Kyoto.

From my experience, JR pass is only of good value if you catch a long distance ride every 1 or 2 days. So if cost is important to you, you might want to buy a 7 day JR pass plus single rides instead of 14 days pass. (Can check price of single ride on JR website). You can also visit Kyoto at the beginning or end of your trip from Osaka so you don't need the JR pass as Osaka and Kyoto are close by and tickets aren't expensive.

Adding up your Travel
Osaka-Hiroshima-Kyoto-Tokyo-Nikko-Osaka
Unreserved comes to 54150 yen, compared with 45100 yen for a 14 day JR Pass.

Thanks Philip, your a mind reader. I have been debating over this for days!
Donna thanks for your response. I am doing full day trips to Fuji lakes area/Kamakura near Tokyo while in Tokyo for 7 nights. I thought of Takayama but the time it takes to travel from Nikko is almost a whole day travelling and quite a long trip back down Gifu/Kyoto. Do you know much about the Izu Peninsula or maybe a middle route of Chubu Region?

you can go to kurashiki, nice canals like Brussels.

you can go to nagoya and do day trips to takayama or kanazawa or isheshi/toba (mikimoto island)

lots to do and see and experience.