Around 15 days trip in Japan. Group of Friends

Hi there!

Extremely envious of your trip! :D

Here are some answers for you:

You can specify when your 7 days will be counted from when you arrive in Japan (you can choose to start your JR Pass validity period anytime within 3 months of the date of purchase). Looking at your itinerary, I recommend the following tickets:

1. 7 day JR Pass. Activate it on arrival at Narita. This will give you cover on the Narita Express into Tokyo, and will enable you to cover all your long distance travel within the validity period.
2. 2-Day/1-Day Open Metro Tickets. These will cover Metro travel on the 15th and 16th for ¥490/day on the 2 day card. Please note that this ticket is only available for purchase at Narita Airport so make sure you stock up when you land!
3. Keisei Skyliner or Narita Express 1 way to Narita on the 19th (~¥2500 each).

Note that the JR Pass can be used on the extensive JR network within Tokyo which has stations in many of the main tourist areas. Here's a map of all JR lines in Tokyo for reference. The JR Pass does not cover the metro however, so you'll need to pay separately (or use one of the unlimited cards I mention above) for that.

For reference, here is your cost breakdown based on your itinerary. Note that I didn't include any JR usage on the 11th, but you could save a further ¥1000 per person here if you use the JR pass within the city.

1. Narita airport terminal 1 > Tokyo: ¥3,140 (62mins, 79km)
2. Tokyo > Nagoya: ¥10,780 (126mins, 366km)
3. Nagoya > Kyoto: ¥5,640 (37mins, 147km)
4. Kyoto > Yokohama: ¥12,390 (162mins, 492km)
5. Yokohama > Tokyo: ¥450 (27mins, 28km)

JR ticket cost: ¥32,400 for 5 legs

• 7 day Japan Rail Pass (¥28,300) saving: ¥4,100

Hope this helps!

Incredibly Fast and Incredibly Accurate.

MANY Tks.....