Originally Posted by
jasonz9238
From what we are gathering we need to get the JR pass, which we have to buy before we are in Japan, but it might not be worth it as we are only taking a longer trip one way?
You are correct. Fuggedabout the JR Rail pass. It will be cheaper to purchase a one-way ticket from Tokyo to Osaka.
This means that the express trains you're likely to buy tickets for are the train from NRT to Tokyo, the Shinkansen train from Tokyo to Osaka, and the train from Osaka to KIX.
For everything else, you can either buy fares each time you ride - which is a bit of a drag - or purchase "stored value cards" (one per person) that are specific to a city or region. (Some people call these "debit cards". I find that confusing because my bank issues me with a "debit card" that's linked to a checking account but ... whatever).
In Tokyo, the card you will probably use is called SUICA. If you take the N'EX train into town, you can get SUICA cards and N'EX tickets for a bundled price, which is pretty attractive. As you're going around Tokyo, you can use your SUICA cards for almost any public transportation without needing to calculate the fare. There's no discount for using the card - but it saves a lot of hassle compared with buying individual fares. When you leave Tokyo, you may as well use up all the credit on the card (spend any remaining credit on food and drink in a convenience store) and take the card to a ticket window for a refund on the deposit, because ...
In the Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe region, the SUICA is of limited use at the moment, I think. (It currently only works on JR trains in the region). You're probably better off with an ICOCA card that works on all the JR lines, subways, private railways and buses in the region.
There are several "day passes" in Tokyo that will save you money if you make a large number of journeys in one day. Mostly that's not what happens.
One "day pass" that usually does work out to be a time saver and money saver is the Kyoto bus pass. For 500 yen, it gives you access to the bus network in Kyoto, which is an ideal way to get around the famous sites.
You can find detailed instructions on all the passes by searching this forum for the keywords like SUICA, N'EX + SUICA etc. I would also recommend that you read the sticky thread at the top of the forum. It's getting rather out of date but it's got some tips on getting in and out of the cities etc.