Rather than start a new thread, I thought I would ask my question here.

Two of us are traveling for leisure, starting in Fukuoka and making our way up to Tokyo. We will be in Japan for about a week and plan on doing 3-4 day trips besides making our way up to Nagoya and on to Tokyo. I think purchasing a JR pass is worth it in this case?

We will not travel during peak commuter hours, but I'm curious if it's worth paying for JR seven day (Japan-wide) First Class pass or stay with regular class. The price difference is about $100USD; are the trains in Japan typically that full in regular class? Are the additional amenities in First Class worth the price of admission?

Thanks in advance.