Rail travel in/around Tokyo and JR Pass

Hey guys,

I'm heading to Tokyo in february for about 3 weeks to visit my girlfriend. Now, I'll be staying with her in Mitaka and probably commuting from there into Tokyo almost every day of the first week, looking at touristy things close to the city center or catching up with friends. In the second week, I'll be taking day trips to the surrounding areas, like Hakone, Kamakura, Kawagoe, etc. For the third week we'll probably both be heading to Nikko or a similar area for a few days.

I'm considering getting a JR pass because I have to take the Shinkansen from Nagoya to Tokyo at the start of my journey and the reverse at the end, as I fly in and out at Chubu international. This is going to be really expensive, so I was curious as to whether getting a 3 week JR pass would be worth the money considering all the other activities I'm doing. I was also curious as to how much I can expect to spend from the daily commute around Tokyo itself.

Any thoughts?

No, a Japan Rail does not pay off, because you do not plan any major trips within Japan! A shinkansen round trip between Tokyo and Nagoya costs about 20,000 yen. This compares to almost 60,000 yen for a 3-week pass. All your minor trips in and around Tokyo will just cost a few hundred yen each. Even the round trip to Nikko can be done from less than 3000 yen.

A 21 day JR Rail Pass is Yen 57 700. Chubu Airport - Nagoya is not covered by JR. Nagoya - Tokyo is Yen 11 00 by shinkansen. Mitaka - Tokyo is Yen 380. It is not recommended to go to Nikko by JR unless you have a JR Rail Pass (but your girlfriend as Japanese resident will not be allowed to use JR Rail Pass ), so Tobu railways is cheaper with Yen 1320. Tokyo - Kamakura is Yen 900. This means a three week JR Pass is more expensive.

Thanks everyone! Very helpful