I saw those tours. The problem is you only get a one-day expo ticket (whether you are going for one day or two), and apparently there is no flexibility as to which train you take - you have to come and go within certain hours, which means that your day at Expo is truncated. My plan is to go to Expo on day 1 from Tokyo (entering with the discounted evening ticket), day 2 all day Expo, day 3 explore Nagoya in early morning and then train to NRT for 4:00 P.M. flight to US. No way the timings on the tours would work, which is unfortunate as it would be nice to get the discount.
Originally Posted by RichardInSF
Actually, Nagoya to NRT, if purchased as one continuous trip, is slightly chepaer. I would be tempted NOT to buy the JR pass for this trip as buying point-point allows you to take Nozomi shinkansen and the pass does not.
If you are really into saving, you can buy your JR shinkansen tickets at discount coupon shops and save about 10%, but this is sort of "intermediate difficulty."
If all you want to do is visit Expo, a JTB "shinkansen" tour that includes the expo ticket may be cheaper, take a look at
http://www.jtb.co.jp/japannow/SUNRISE/sunrise31.html