12 days in Japan

I intend to spend about 12 days in Japan, going to Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. I have a rough itinerary and my friends said that it is too rush for me so I'd probably do some tweaking to it but I'd like to hear what you guys say before making my final decision.

17 Feb - Arr NRT 1350 - figure way out to accomodation and remainder of the day to explore surroundings in Tokyo
18 Feb - Tokyo - shopping! Can I use my JR pass on the Yamanote line which goes to major shopping areas?
19 Feb - Mt. Fuji and Hakone day tour
20 Feb - Tokyo DisneySea or Puroland
21 Feb - Tokyo afternoon (Meiji?), late afternoon Shinkansen to Osaka ETA 7pm
22 Feb - Morning Shinkansen to Hiroshima (I might take Hiroshima out)
23 Feb - Himeji day tour (?) - full day
24 Feb - Universal Studios
25 Feb - Osaka - the aquarium and shrines
26 Feb - Morning Shinkansen to Kyoto + afternoon in Nara (??)
27 Feb - Kyoto day tour + Maiko dinner
28 Feb - Kyoto (random walking in Gion)
29 Feb - Kyoto again (or afternoon in Nara if it doesn't happen on 26th) ??? (or I can take this day out and replace a day in Tokyo so I can go to Puroland)
1 Mar - Morning Shinkansen back to Tokyo and then to NRT for 1745 hrs flight

I have a friend living in Osaka so I am putting up with her. Is it wise to base myself in Osaka and make daily trips to Kyoto instead? I don't mind missing out on Hiroshima, Himeji, Nara and Universal Studios if there are too much to see in Osaka and Kyoto. Unfortunately, I am someone who likes to see as much as I can within a short time frame.

I will be carrying a huge luggage, will that be a problem traveling between Shinkansen stations and the subways? Also, I am fluent in English and Chinese Mandarin. I heard that writing some Chinese characters can help me get by if I don't meet anyone who can speak English. Is that true? My questions may sound silly but I'd really appreciate if there are any valuable inputs to my rough itinerary. I am very excited about the trip since this is my first time to Japan and equally scared as well!

Can I use my JR pass on the Yamanote line which goes to major shopping areas?

Yes, the Yamanote Line is operated by JR.

21 Feb - Tokyo afternoon (Meiji?), late afternoon Shinkansen to Osaka ETA 7pm
22 Feb - Morning Shinkansen to Hiroshima (I might take Hiroshima out)

I recommend to go all the way to Hiroshima on the evening of the 21st. Then you have the full following day to see Hiroshima.

23 Feb - Himeji day tour (?) - full day

A full day is more than enough for Himeji.

25 Feb - Osaka - the aquarium and shrines

Osaka is not really famous for shrines. Especially considerign the fact that you will be visiting Kyoto afterwards, I would concentrate on different attractions in Osaka, unless you are a shrine fanatic.

The itinerary does not sound too rushed to me, especially if you are a person who likes to see as much as possible in a short time frame.

I will be carrying a huge luggage, will that be a problem traveling between Shinkansen stations and the subways?

Wherever you go, it is not comfortable to carry around huge luggage. I strongly recommend to pack as lightly as possible.

Sumiyoshi Shrine could be listed a World Heritage if it would be in Kyoto or Nara. its disadvantage is the location, a bit distant from central Osaka :(

I understand that you will stay with your friend in Osaka. So send your luggage by takkubin ( see under travel ) to your friend on Feb 20th and later to Narita on Feb 28th or as Uji san mentioned pack lightly.
You can do Hiroshima as a day trip from Osaka, same for Himeji and Kyoto. Because of your given Osaka base the 14 day JR Rail Pass makes sense. But you will need non-JR transport within Hiroshima ( street-car ) Osaka ( subway ) and Kyoto ( subway and bus )

Dear all, thank you for your comments!

Just in case my friend is unable to host me for the whole week and I have to move myself to Kyoto for about 4 days, will the 14 days JR Pass be a more value-for-money option? I intend to book some day tours from this website which already includes transportation so I think I only need single tickets to travel from Narita-Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto-Narita and if I did ended up going to Hiroshima, an additional ticket. I'm going to work that out shortly.

Thanks for giving me a peace of mind that my schedule is not too tight. I was told that only if I am willing to wake up early and take the first train at 6am, then my schedule is possible!