akdrv

There are many good hotels around Hakata station. It's super convenient, especially with all the travel links at Hakata Station if you plan to travel around Kyushu. Hotel Nikko Fukuoka is good. Miyako Hotel Hakata is new and located right across from the station. Both of these are upscale hotels, but you can find hotels in every price range around Hakata station.

From Asakusa you will need to go to Tokyo Station to get on Shinkansen. Asakusa to Tokyo Station - subway or taxi. From Tokyo Station to Nagoya take Shinkansen train. Separate ticket. From Nagoya to Takayama take Hida Limited Express train. Separate ticket. You can buy both Shinkansen and Hida tickets at any JR ticket office in Japan up to one month in advance.

Direct walking time from Odakyu to Narita Express platform is about 10 minutes. If you are not very familiar with Shinjuku Station layout and gates, i'd say 30 minutes is safe.

A few stores may be open, but the majority will be closed.

The newer London Cab style taxis can will definitely fit 3 suitcases and 3 passengers. With an older taxi, if 3 passengers can fit in the back you can put 2 suitcases in the trunk and one on the front seat. When you get to the taxi queue pick the newer taxi.

In terms of usage they are the same. IC cards in Japan can be used interchangeably. A card purchase in one region can be used in all other regions. The main difference is that Suica is issued by JR East and Pasmo is issued by Tokyo Metro. There are also some differences where you can return the card for refund. Both are available as virtual cards in Apple Wallet on iPhone. There are also tourist versions of both cards (valid only for 28 days, no refunds) called Welcome Suica and Pasmo Passport.

Yokohama is a great place to stay with a family. There are many family-friendly activities in Yokohama and surrounding areas. Here is a list of the main sightseeing locations in Yokohama: https://www.yokohamastation.com/sightseeing-in-yokohama/ Central Tokyo is only about 30 minutes away by train, other daytrip destinations can be easily reached from Yokohama.

I stayed at the Hilton Tokyo Narita and ANA Crowne Plaza Narita, both had a shuttle bus to the airport departing around 6:00am - 6:30am. Just in case, if you need to get there earlier or the shuttle bus is full, you can always get a taxi. The distance is not that great so it will not be expensive.

If you need to get there before the first trains/buses start running, you can definitely take a taxi. Uber and Grab are available in Kyoto.

Japan Rail Pass can be used on all JR lines in Tokyo, including Yamanote Line, Narita Express (N’EX), and Tokyo Monarail to Haneda Airport. Show your pass to JR staff at ticket gates, do not go through an automatic gate. Here is a full map of all JR lines in Tokyo area. Japan Rail Pass cannot be used on other (non-JR, Odakyu, Keio, Toei) train lines or subways in Tokyo area. See this article for details: http://www.japanstation.com/japan-rail-pass-discounted-travel-on-japan-railways/