Originally Posted by
jib71
Before redeeming the pass exchange voucher for a pass, you might want to verify that you can get reservations on the trains you want.
If you find that there are seats on a Nozomi train but not on any of the Hikaris (or if you find that Green seats are available but not ordinary ones), then you might decide to buy individual tickets rather than using a pass. (You can get the exchange voucher refunded later).
Something else I would like to point out is that the private railways tend to have more coverage of the Kansai area than JR. If you plan to travel a bit inside of Kyoto, it might be better to buy a 3-day Surutto Kansai pass, as it works with the Kyoto subway and buses.
You can also use it to travel from KIX to Kyoto, although you will need to transfer trains a couple of times which makes it a more complex itinerary compared to JR. However, traveling this way may allow you to end up at a closer station to your destination as opposed to using exclusively JR.
For the rest of your travel, you can buy a one-way ticket from Kyoto to Tokyo, and then buy and use a JR East pass for the rest of your trip, either the flexible 4-day or 10-day depending on your needs.
Also, I have just found out that
you can reserve online for JR East's shinkansen lines with a JR rail pass or JR East pass. You can start reserving one month before your expected departure date.