Good job, thanks for reporting back. You got a lot out of that pass and the way you did it you didn't have to be concerned with luggage.

moxie, I would guess that the main problem with figuring out a Kyoto- Hiroshima schedule on Hikari trains would be because it requires a change of trains at Shin Osaka and you weren't aware of this. So, checking the online schedule all you saw were Nozomi. Was that the source of the trouble?

Thanks, mrwunrfl. Yes, I forgot that not having to haul luggage around was also another reason for doing the trip this way.

(I did see the lockers in Hiroshima, by the way! I was also surprised to see them on Miyajima, too, and some of them looked like they could hold quite a big suitcase.)

exactly the problem mrwunrfl. And getting the night trains to show up is quite an artform!

Slinkys' other pass makes me want to investigate further BUT I am sticking with the 7 day JR.

Glad you had a good time Slinky and thanks for the tips on lockers (I'm going to ship my bags though).

moxie, you've got the right pass. The Sanyo Area Pass is not for you. You wouldn't be able to use it between Takayama and Nagoya, nor between Nagoya and Shin Osaka, nor between Kokura and Beppu. And it is NOT useful at all for JR East (e.g. Tokyo to Nagoya).

and thanks for answering my question

I plan to Japan to visit my friend and decide to land at Osaka Airport. My friend lives at Shimane Prefecture specifically at Shobara Machi. I want to surprise him so i told him not to welcome me instead to come to his place all by myself.
I would like to know whether i could take a train from the Osaka Airport to Shobara Machi or the nearest place to Shobara Machi.

earnieanne - You need to start a new thread on your inquiry from Kansai Airport to Shobara. The two places are 150+ miles apart, and yes, you can take trainS to get there, like most places in Japan, but it requires 3-4 transfers and 5+ hours total.

Go to www.hyperdia.com and search for Kansai Airport to Shobara. Uncheck the box "Airplane", and you'll get your train options there.

Shobara in Shimane is closed to the Izumo airport (IZO). Unfortuantely, I don't think there's non-stop flight from Kansai (KIX) to IZO. You'll need to transfer to Osaka Itami (ITM) to make that flight to IZO.