[morningflash]

Hello! (I apologize for how long this is but I really hope someone can help)

So basically I would like some advice on weather or not it would be worth it for me to purchase a rail pass for my trip to Japan this January.

I will be arriving at Narita on the 3rd and staying in Tokyo for 3 days until the 5th. I will then be traveling to Nagoya and saying there for a few days, i'm not completely sure how long I'll be staying there, but I will have to be back in tokyo by the 10th for my flight home.

I was planning on taking the shinkansen to and from tokyo, and when I heard about the rail pass I thought It would be a good buy, for $364 I could get two rides on the shinkansen (right?) and I could use it on local trains and busses (with some exceptions I think?) but I'm reading about it and I'm a little confused, so I'd like to reassure myself about somethings, and to be corrected if I'm wrong.

I saw a caution on japanrailpass.net about times when it is hardest to reserve seats, and of course my travels dates fall within it :\ It also says that it is possible to reserve a seat with the rail pass, but I'm wondering if anyone knows how fast the seats will sell? Will it be enough time for me to reserve a seat for the 5th on the 2nd when I get there? Also would I be able to use the pass for N'EX train from narita to tokyo? Or would that be considered an express? I'm really confused about most of it, and I would really appreciate someone explaining it to me better, because there are just so many different lines and trains.. I'm very confused .. lol