Hey there! Need some advice here. Its my first time to Japan and its suppose to be a free and easy backpack with my wife. Not sure whether such arrangement is ok.

7/12 - Arrive Kansai airport at 1030pm. Check in to a hotel in Osaka
8/12 - To travel to Kanazawa in the morning/ spend half day in Shirakawago if time allowed (JR Pass central)
9/12 - Day trip to Shirakawago (JR Pass central)
10/12 - Travel from Shirakawago to Kyoto in the morning (JR Pass central)
11/12 - Kyoto
12/12 - Kyoto
13/12 - Kyoto to Himeji Castle then for the first half of the day, then visit a friend in Kobe 2nd half and staying in Kobe (JR Kansai 2 days pass)
14/12 - Kobe to Nara then heading to Osaka (JR Kansai 2 days pass)
15/12 - Osaka (universal studio)
16/12 - Osaka
17/12 - Osaka
18/12 - Morning flight back home

Need some guide on few areas:-

1) Is my use of JR pass effective? or its cheaper to buy the tix seperately?
2) Is there any chance i still manage to catch a train to Osaka on the day of arrival and get to check in into a hotel in town? Someone had told me to overnight in the airport and get all my wifi and JR pass set up before leaving to Kanazawa instead of hitting into the town the same day itself. personally i prefer to sleep in a hotel.
3) Is the himeji/kobe/nara trip very awkward? or instead i should just spend more time in Kyoto and Osaka. Kobe is just to meet a long lost friend =)

Hope to have guidance from all sifus here =) Thanks in adcance

Hey thanks for the clarification
the JR pass central is referring to this http://www.japan-rail-pass.com/pass-region...ku-tourist-pass

Takayama Hokuriku pass where i plan to depart from osaka to kanazawa--> shirakawago --> kanazawa --> kyoto...
not sure if it works...