to the op - You're welcome. I'm sure you will have no trouble navigating the train system. Before our first trip to Japan, I called the local JNTO office in Los Angeles, and had the kind ladies help me determine if a JR pass was worth the money. They showed me how to make a comparison, and when the comparison proved that I should purchase individual tickets, one of them actually said to me. "JR Passes are only worth it if you make around alot."

tt7 - Many of us have been posting on the various Asia boards for years, and we try to be kind to one another. We all have made mistakes, including myself, but the right thing to do is act classy and apologize. Your behavior is detracting from the OP's questions. Where I was educated, we were taught early not to take part of a sentence out of context. That's the purpose of a paragraph, actually, to build on a thought. I hope that helps to explain to you how English Composition 1A works.

Felicia - whatever you decide about a JR Pass, be sure to get an IC card -- a prepaid card you can use to pay for local trains (JR and non-JR), subway, buses, and at convenience stores, supermarkets, some cafes, restaurants, vending machines, and left luggage lockers. It makes life much, much easier - no having to stop to get a ticket or figure out how much the fare is every time you want to jump on the subway or a bus. It also saves you from getting pockets full of change. If you arrive at Narita, you can either get a Suica or a Pasmo card. Suica is issued by JR East and Pasmo by the non-JR train companies and subways in Tokyo. They're effectively interchangeable so it doesn't really matter which one you get. If you have an iPhone 8 or later, you can add a Suica to Apple Wallet and top it up with any card you have in Apple Pay. If you get a physical card, purchase it at a ticket office or designated ticket machine and top it up at ticket machines or convenience stores - purchase and top up is cash only. You can use it in most major cities in Japan.

The four train journeys you're proposing (Tokyo-Takayama, Takayama-Kyoto, Kyoto-Kobe, Kobe-Tokyo) will cost about ¥45,000 so, as you've already concluded, a nationwide JR Pass is probably not going to be cost-effective if you do those trips over a three week period. [7 day Pass is ¥29,650, 14 days ¥47,250, 21 days ¥60,450.] You don't say how long you're planning to stay in each location and whether you're planning to do any day trips (particularly from Tokyo and Kyoto) but, if you do, they can often make the Pass worthwhile. Given how efficient the Japanese train system is, you can do day trips to relatively distant places. For example, if it's of interest, you can do a day trip to Hiroshima. Take the 7.20 am Shinkansen from Kyoto and you'll be in Hiroshima by 9.05. That trip is ¥11,500 each way, so adding that one-day trip to your itinerary immediately makes a 21 day Pass worthwhile. That same Shinkansen will also get you to Himeji in 44 minutes, a journey that otherwise would cost (on that train) ¥5,570 each way. You can also use the Pass between Narita Airport and Tokyo on the Narita Express (NEX), which is otherwise ¥3,270 each way. Add in a few selected day trips and suddenly the JR Pass arithmetic changes.

In addition to the nationwide JR pass, there are also a variety of regional JR passes. Some of these may be of interest to you, depending on your timing and any day trips you decide to take. Look at the Hokuriku Arch Pass - a 7 day Pass for ¥24,440 that could be used to get you from Narita to Tokyo to Inotani (which is most of the way to Takayama) via Toyama, then on to Kanazawa and Kyoto (and also Kobe ...) .... though that portion may not fit within the 7 days. The Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass - 5 days for ¥14,260 would get you from Nagoya up to Takayama and then on to Toyama, Kanazawa and Kyoto. Although Nagoya is primarily a commercial city, if you go to Takayama via Nagoya it may be worth a stop; the Tokugawa Art Museum (and its adjacent gardens) are worth a visit. Look also at the JR Kansai Hiroshima Area Pass. You don't want to 'force fit' your itinerary to fit any particular pass but if visiting some of these other places, if only for a day, is of interest then some of these passes can be cost-effective.

I suggest that when you arrive at Narita, you get your luggage, then go down to the level where there is a JR station. The line may look really long, but it will move fast. These agents all speak English, and if you have the trip and the dates written down, they will a) tell you if there is a pass that can save you money and B) help you purchased or reserve your seats. (You do not need green car to have reserved seats.) You can get a JR Pass or a regional pass there. I am too lazy to figure out which pass will work for me while I'm home, but I do like it if a pass comes close to equal with individual tickets, mainly because they offer a lot of flexibility if you get an urge to take a sudden day trip, for example, and regional passes often include local trains and buses- you can just jump on and jump off without needing to figure out the system.

During Golden week, you can usually get tickets, if not on your first choice train, you'll get on another. However, golden week+ japan being a "hot destination" + Olympics = more people on trains. I'd definitely get reservations/tickets when first arriving in Japan, not counting on same day purchases. Most times, if you want to change an already paid ticket for another, there is no charge, or only a tiny change fee.
The lines to get on the train are painted on the platform. Make sure you are looking at the lines for your specific train. Do not join the line until your train shows up on the overhead electronic signs. Since the trains run so efficiently, you man end up getting on the wrong train if you are in line too soon! If you are unsure, ask a station employee or a mother with a baby stroller. They both tend to be knowledgeable and kind!

On warning to my above advice: If the lines in JR Narita are super long, and if you are using a pass, they will only book one or two trips for you . You can finish the reserving in Tokyo or your next destination.

TT7 - wow, you're amazing! Thank you for this in-depth reply. I AM going during Golden Week. I suppose it's the only thing I'm concerned about - getting a seat on a train. I will deal with it, I guess. I'll be in Japan, after all! Sometimes the best times are when things work differently than you intended.
Only one question from what you said. I'm going from Kobe to Tokyo. Which side of the train should I sit in for views of Mt. Fuji?
Thank you again. MOST helpful!

CaliforniaLady - what a brilliant idea! I never even thought about calling the local office in the US! I'm doing that tomorrow. Thank you again.

tt7- once again, thank you. One question about the Suica card. If I have money left on it at the end of the trip, can I get the cash back and if so, how do I do that?
Thanks.

Lcuy- thank you. Great tips. And you answered a few of my questions. I will have time when I arrive in Narita, because my train doesn't leave til the next day and I am sleeping at the capsule hotel in the airport. Just for that first night, then when back in Tokyo, I'm there 4 nights. I'm most relieved that I can get all the tickets on the first day. I'm clarifying that you said that. Right? I'm also glad I don't have to have green class/business to get a seat assignment. Thank you again.

osnabuluru - Regarding my suggestion about calling the JNTO office, please only call the one in Los Angeles. I tried calling the one in New York, a couple of times, and they are not as helpful. For my last trip, the Los Angeles ladies gave me countless suggestions, and critiqued my itinerary via email. Between them and the Japan Guide site that kja always recommends, I put together a wonderful itinerary.

Yes … no …. maybe.

If you have an iPhone 8 or later and load a virtual Suica card in Apple Wallet, the practical answer is probably no. AFAIK, getting a refund requires that the Suica be registered and that you have a Japanese bank account - so for most of us, that latter requirement makes it a non-starter. However, it’s not an issue if you plan to go back to Japan anytime soon - just save the balance for next time.

The regular Suica requires a ¥500 deposit and you can get that back plus any unspent balance minus a ¥220 handling fee. However, you can only get a refund from the entity that issued it. Thus if you get a Suica from JR East in the Tokyo area, you can only get a refund from JR East. You can’t, for example, get a refund in Kyoto because that’s JR West not JR East. Same for an ICOCA card acquired from JR West in Kyoto - no refund from JR East in Tokyo. Another quirk in this is if you get a Suica at Haneda Airport, it’s actually issued by Tokyo Monorail and not JR East, who don’t provide service to Haneda, so you have to get any refund from Tokyo Monorail. There are, I believe (never actually seen them personally) Suica refund machines at Narita Airport - I don’t know whether they exist at Haneda. If you’re flying in and out of Narita, you can get any refund there (either at a machine, if you can find one or at the JR ticket office).

As from September 2019, there is also a tourist “Welcome Suica” that is valid for 28 days (a regular Suica card is valid for 10 years after it was last used). The Welcome Suica requires no deposit (good) but does not allow for any refund of any unspent balance (bad).

In all these situations, keep an eye on the balance and don’t load too much on the card, particularly towards the end of your trip. The maximum you can load on a Suica card is ¥20,000. Each time you use the card at a train station or subway gate, the gate display will show you the fare charged and the balance on the card. If you use it at a convenience store or cafe etc, the receipt will show you the balance on the card. You can also get a print out of the balance and recent transactions at a ticket machine. If you have the virtual card in Apple Wallet, you can check the balance at any time by looking at the card in Apple Wallet. If all else fails, just go to a convenience store (7-Eleven etc.) and spend it!

I guess I need to familiarize myself with the map.

I'm calling them in a minute. Thanks for the additional tip.

Thanks. I'll look forward to the excuse of spending. <G>

Felicia:

I have just returned from Japan, and can only speak to the Narita to Takayama portion of your trip. We have been to Japan a few time (have traveled mostly to Europe, like you), but this was the first time that we traveled by train in Japan on our own, so we were nervous. I can tell you that the Japanese are incredibly helpful--one young man even walked us to where we needed to go. You will take the Narita Express to get from the airport to Tokyo. The trickiest part of the trip was once we got off the Narita Express. There is quite a convoluted walk to change stations get to the "bullet train" (Hikari Shinkansen) from Tokyo (on the Hyperdia website the station may be listed as Shinagawa, where we got off, or some other station in Tokyo) to Nagoya. Just give yourself enough time to do this, since like us, this will be your first time. We only had 33 minutes and made it by less than a minute with the help of three separate people (including a station employee who pointed the way and told us to "hurry up"!). Once in Nagoya, you will take a local train to Takayama.

We were in Japan for the 1st time in Sept/October. I was nervous about the trains, mostly making connections. I wish for a couple of trains I booked that I had allowed more than the time I had, which was maybe 6-9 minutes or less. Some stations are easy to navigate and others not so easy. Sometimes we had to go up or downstairs and across the terminal to get to the connecting train. As noted the staff and other passengers are very helpful. But that means you have to stop, show them your ticket and wait for a response. All that takes time. One train staff person actually sent us to the wrong track, which luckily I managed to catch before we ran over to the wrong train track. Once you feel comfortable and not as uncertain, it still takes time. We didn't miss any connections, but we sure ran like he!!

I'm not sure I understand. The Tokaido line Shinkansens (to Nagoya, Kyoto and beyond) originate at Tokyo Station, then stop at Shinagawa Station and then Shin-Yokohama Station. I'm unclear on why you would "change stations"? If you're coming from Narita, then you could take the Narita Express to Tokyo Station and get the Shinkansen there or you could take the Narita Express to Shinagawa Station and transfer to the Shinkansen there. As a practical matter, it's the same train -- the Narita Express goes to Tokyo Station and then splits, with one part going to Shinagawa and the other part going to Shibuya and Shinjuku. It's probably easier to go to Shinagawa, simply because the Narita Express arrives down in the bowels of Tokyo Station and it's a bit convoluted to get from there to the Shinkansen platforms. It may feel like you're changing stations but it's all one station. That said, the Shinkansen platforms usually have their own ticket gates so you probably "exit" the regular train gates and "enter" the Shinkansen gates. Of the two stations (Tokyo and Shinagawa), Shinagawa is almost certainly the easier to navigate (particular for the novice) so it makes sense to take the NEX to Shinagawa (via Tokyo) and get the Shinkansen there.

If you're coming from Haneda, you have two choices. Either take the monorail to Hamamatsucho and change to the JR Yamanote line -- either three stops north to Tokyo Station or two stops south to Shinagawa Station or (easier and quicker) take the Keikyu line to Shinagawa.

...
So, I have lots of questions about this.
First, is it possible to get the tickets (not the pass) before I leave the US? If so, would you direct me to a website that can handle this?

>> I won't help with this.

Second, if it isn't, can I get all 4 tickets at the train ticket office in the station? (Or better, at Narita airport)?

>> Yes and yes. That is what JR Ticket Offices and Travel Service Centers do, including at JR Narita Airport station. They sell tickets for future dates, not just on the day of travel. They sell tickets for travel between any two stations in Japan, not just for travel from the station where the tickets are sold. You might be better off going to the Travel Service Center, if one is available.

Third, when I do get the tickets, can I request a seat assignment?

>> Yes. And, if the reserved seats are sold out then you can have them look for avalable seats on a later (or earlier) train. From Utsunomiya to Tokyo the train leaving in 20 minuts had only center seats, so I asked the JR lady to check the next train. I only had to wait an extra 14 minutes to get an aisle seat on that train.

I am afraid with it being a very popular time of year, I will be stuck standing for a couple of hours.
>> I know. Don't be afraid: this is Japan. Be flexible. Be patient. Be k.ind. But you don't have to be afraid

And finally (fourth) once I have the ticket(s), I can probably figure out the platform and the gate, etc. But I read something about having to stand in line. Having traveled only on Amtrak and European trains, this is something I'm inexperienced at and I would like to clarify. I know there's a painted section on the floor where the train will ultimately arrive. On the ticket, I'll see a train # and a compartment #?

>> Your reserved seat ticket will indicate the Car and Seat to which you are assigned. There aren't any compartments. If it turns out that you are standing in front of the wrong car, that is ok. Just board the train and make your way to the correct car.

Then I find the painted section for the compartment # and stand in line? Do I need to do that if I have a seat assignment, too?

>>Yes (for the car, not compartment) and yes. Signs on the car indicate if the car is resercved or unreserved.

Thank you so much in advance!
>>yw

Burta- thank you so much! This is SO helpful. I may book 2 one-ways, to allow time to make that connection. I guess once you've done it, you know where to go and it's easier. Thanks again.

Yestravel - at least it's not like Indian trains or some flights where you have to worry that the first one will be late! Thank you for this information. I'll be sure to allow a lot of time.