Is this the best route?

I am going to Japan and will explore Matsumoto, Kanazawa, and Nagoya. I plan to go on different day trips each day. Is this the best route to take, or is there a better route that I can take? What JR Pass/es or Regional Pass/es should I take too?

Day 2 : Matsumoto
Day 3: Matsumoto to Nakasendo Trail and return
Day 4: Matsumoto to Nagano Station and return
Day 5: Matsumoto to Kanazawa
Day 6: Kanazawa to Takayama & Hida-Furukawa
Day 7: Kanazawa to Toyama
Day 8: Kanazawa
Day 9: Kanazawa to Nagoya
Day 10: Nagoya to Nagashima (via bus, no pass)

??? Did you look at a map?
Why not Matsumoto (and Nakasendo from there)to Nagano to Kanazawa to Toyama to Takayama to Nagoya. You have a lot of needless and pointless backtracking. Maybe you are trying to avoid changing hotels, but you are adding so much extra travel and cost on travel, you are wasting your time.

I see you updated your itinerary from https://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+182324

You are switching between sections managed by JR Central and JR East, which is why you are not finding any ideal pass for your trip. Or viewed differently, you are not travelling enough within each area to make use of a pass.

It might have been a good idea (money wise) to stay in Matsumoto and day trip, if a common pass existed. But since it is not the case, the itinerary suggested by @JapanCustomTours is the more sensible option. Another option: Nagano-> Toyama -> Kanazawa -> Takayama (by direct bus)

@JapanCustomTours,
To quote you, "???" I asked for advice, not a sarcastic response with multiple question marks and a rude tone. I did "look at a map," but obviously, there is a reason I asked if this is the best route; which is because I am unsure. You shouldn't have replied if you were so bothered by my question. No one is forcing you to send a response.

@Mellye,
Thank you for your response and explanation!

I don’t think the plan is bad in terms of logistics, as Nagano is less than an hour from Matsumoto. If this were a segment of one of my trips on which I had a nationwide JR pass, I wouldn’t think twice about using Matsumoto as a home base, if I had a hotel I liked there. I would not characterize your plan the way JapanCustomTours has. But I understand that some people feel differently about this, and minimizing time spent on trains is a priority for some. Many people don’t think twice about spending an hour having breakfast in a restaurant, or paying several several thousand yen a night more for a hotel to avoid time spent on trains. In fact, I would say those choices are more common and normal. I think it’s a matter of travel style and personal preference. (But while I was writing this I see that you reacted to the tone of JCT’s post, and to be honest, I don’t blame you.)

For me, a bigger issue would be cost. There isn’t a rail pass other than the nationwide JR pass that will cover the trains for this plan. So the costs for tickets will really start to add up.

Thanks, Kim. Your responses have always been helpful.
Given the places I want to visit, is there a recommended route you would go for? My concern is that I only want to have 3 "home bases," which are Matsumoto, Kanazawa, and Nagoya. I actually arrive in Nagoya and plan to take a train going to Matsumoto the same day I arrive (early afternoon). This is also why I need to end up back in Nagoya at the end of my trip since my flight out of Japan will be from Nagoya.
Do you also think just taking the JR Takayama-Hokuriku Pass for 5 days would be the most cost-efficient, then just pay for individual tickets for my trips in Matsumoto?

Day 2 : Matsumoto
Day 3: Matsumoto to Nakasendo Trail and return
Day 4: Matsumoto to Nagano Station and return
Day 5: Matsumoto to Kanazawa
Day 6: Kanazawa to Takayama & Hida-Furukawa
Day 7: Kanazawa to Toyama
Day 8: Kanazawa
Day 9: Kanazawa to Nagoya
Day 10: Nagoya to Nagashima (via bus, no pass)

While it would be logical to do Nakasendo (assume you mean Magome area) on the way from Nagoya to Matsumoto, if you want to go from Nagoya to Matsumoto in the afternoon of D1, this will not be possible. So D3 in that plan makes sense.
I would suggest to go on D5 from Matsumoto by bus to Takayama and then finish the day in Kanazawa
D7 just wondering what you will do in Toyama. If it is for Kurobe gorge, sure. If for the city itself, it is not overly interesting (in my eyes), so you might want to add that day somewhere else.

I haven’t “done the math,” but I think the basic issue is what Mellye pointed out, that you are crossing back (and forth) between two JR companies. I am a big proponent of rail passes, but when they cost a lot more than tickets, or have too many restrictions, I don’t want anything to do with them.

I haven’t studied LikeBike’s proposal, but she has an admirable knowledge of train (and bike!) travel in Japan, and always has great ideas for maximizing fun and minimizing drudgery on a trip.

Not that this is going to help you any, but I typically pick my destinations based on the coverage area of various rail passes, rather than trying to find a pass that will support an already fixed itinerary. For me, it is sort of an iterative process, and getting good deals on nice hotels is an additional consideration. The thing is, there are so many wonderful places you can go in Japan, that if you just look at where you can go with any given pass, you can always come up with a fun and cost-effective plan. But if you have your heart set on specific towns and tourism venues, you sometimes just have to suck up and pay for point-to-point tickets.