Is it cheaper to buy JR Pass or not to buy

Hi there!

Here are some thoughts on your trip:

Tokyo to Osaka with a JR Pass

Whether a JR Pass is cost effective will very much depend on your full itinerary. In general you make good savings with a 7 day JR Pass if you do 1 return trip from Tokyo to Osaka, so I imagine you will make savings with a rail pass, however I would need to see your full itinerary to confirm this.

You can look up precise train timetables and costs at the Hyperdia travel planning website and learn how to use Hyperdia for JR Pass holders through our video blog.

Early arrival at Haneda for travel to Kyoto

There are 2 issues with travelling from Haneda airport to Kyoto at 12am:

1. The bullet trains do not operate during the night. The earliest train you should get to Kyoto will depart Shinagawa bullet train terminal in Tokyo at 6:34am.
2. The JR Pass exchange office is open from 11:00 - 18:30 at Haneda, so you will be unable to activate your rail pass when you land.

I recommend you stay somewhere near Haneda or Shinagawa station overnight and then travel down to Kyoto the following morning. The JR Pass exchange office at Shinagawa opens at 9am.

Hope this helps!