If you are planning on traveling to Japan anytime soon, I highly recommend getting a JR Pass and a Pocket WiFi because these are basically a lifesaver and made traveling so much easier for us.

What is a JR Pass?
A JR Pass is for foreigners who are traveling to Japan with the status “Temporary Visitor” and it allows the travelers unlimited use of the JR Group Railways-Shinkansen “bullet trains” (some restrictions apply). The JR Pass must be purchased before traveling to Japan. You will receive a voucher, which you will take with you to Japan to exchange for the JR Pass.

How much does a JR Pass cost?
This is from their website:

The difference between the Green and Ordinary is the different train cars you can travel on. Green is like VIP/ First Class, whereas Ordinary is regular cars. I found the JR Pass to be quite cost efficient. For example:
– Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima: Fare is ¥9,710
– Shin-Osaka to Kyoto: Fare is ¥1,420
– Shin-Osaka to Nara: Fare is ¥690
– Shin-Osaka to Tokyo: ¥13,620
Also, the JR Pass was quite helpful in Osaka, as the JR Lines in Osaka are: Osaka Kanjo Line (Osaka Loop Line), Kansai Line, Yumesaki Line, JR Tozai Line, and Kobe/Kyoto Line

Pocket WiFi?
A pocket WiFi is a portable device that provides mobile devices with continuous internet connection. I found this very helpful as it gave us access to the internet 24/7. Our connection was at 4G speed, but I found it to be as fast as my standard LTE. We were able to have access to Google Maps, Google Translate, Yelp, InstaGram, Facebook, etc. everywhere we went. I highly recommend getting a pocket WiFi!