Originally Posted by RichardInSF
I don't know where you get that idea from, every Hikari Shinkansen I've been on between Tokyo and Osaka has Green cars, and the JR pass is good on Hikaris.
Well, I thought I got it from an earlier post in this forum.
If I was mistaken, I need to offer an apology to the OP. I've never bothered with the green car, so have no personal experience. The standard Pass has always filled my needs admirably.
I agree with the rest of your post. The trip from Odawara to Tokyo (or Yokohama) is no big deal and could be easily purchased for cash. There are so many good day trips from Kyoto that a Rail Pass would be valuable, assuming the OP has any time for excursions. Also, as another poster pointed out, the 14-day Pass would cover trains all over Tokyo while spending time there. It all depends on what the OP is going to be doing while in the points he has planned to visit.
JR