Japan Rail Pass. Worth it?

Other than the airplane ticket the most expensive purchase for my trip will be my Japan Rail (JR) Pass.  I have been advised by some great Japanese friends of ours that the pass is worth it and of good value.  However, before spending ¥57700 on a three week pass I needed to put my mind at ease.  So once I had planned out my itinerary I wanted to determine how much each leg of my trip would cost.  To do that I found a great website (Hyperdia).  It allows you to enter any two towns in Japan to determine the schedule and fares of the trains between those two points.  Just amazing.

So...based on my itinerary and the dates I was planning on travelling I determined that I was going to save money with the JR Pass.  The dates are important here as Japan Rail fares are slightly higher during certain months of the year.  After inputting the town pairing of all the legs I am planning I figured that individual tickets would cost me ¥64800.  The savings will not amount to much but they amount to savings nevertheless.  In addition the JR Pass gives me the convenience of not having to buy a ticket at every town I will be in.  Finally, the JR Pass also gives me passage on the JR Yamanote Line in Tokyo.  This line does a loop around Tokyo and will allow me to get close enough to all the spots I plan on visiting in Tokyo.  The cost of buying tickets on this line everyday was not included in my calculations.  Note that the Yamanote Line is not the Tokyo subway and note that the JR Pass does not give you passage on the subway.   No big deal!  I love walking and therefore I don't mind walking thirty minutes to get somewhere.  The Yamanote Line will get me that close.  Perfect!

So the answer to the question is that yes, the JR Pass is worth it for my specific itinerary.  I want to reiterate this point...my specific itinerary.  Unless you are planning a couple of long legs the pass may not pay for itself.  So I really recommend using Hyperdia before buying the JR Pass.

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