My sisters are climbing Mt. Fuji through the night, not my thing. I will be staying at the hotel Mt. Fuji is there anything in that area, easy to get to that I can do on my own while waiting for them.? ?2. Is Hakone far from MT. Fuji,will they be able to wander around that area after the climb. How do we get from Mt. Fuji to Hakone and lastly how far from either the hotel @Mt. Fuji to Gara Kadan or from Hakone to Gara Kada. I realize that we have to be at the Ryokan by 5 to get the full experience, just do not know how to get there from Fuji or if we can hopefully spend some time in Hakone before as long as my sisters are not too exhausted from climb, I think that I would like to do Lake Ashi and cable car. I do not know what time frame is involved.

It would take about 90 minutes or more with transfers to make it from Fuji five lakes to Hakone. See this site. On the "show access information" button press the to and from Fuji Five Lakes and it will show you how to travel between the two towns

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5206.html

Aloha!

From Shinfuji Station Gora is about 2 hours...but Mt. Fuji hotel is what looks like a bus ride away from there...I'm guessing it will take about 3 hours...but if I were you I would e-mail both the Mt. Fuji Hotel and Gora Kadan and ask them how best to travel between the two and how long it might take.

Looking at the link HT gave you, it looks like 90 minutes from Fuji Five Lakes to Gotemba with perfect bus connection. Gotemba to Gora is another trip, with only 4 direct buses per day between the two.

Just got back from Hakone. Loved it.
http://www.hakone-oam.or.jp/eng/
Beautiful outdoor museum. Go very early and on a weekday to enjoy it alone for a while.
http://www.yunessun.com/english/
Then go relax at this indoor/outdoor spa water park.

When I use the Mt. Fuji Hotel's address as a starting point and Gora Station as a finish point in the Japanese language navigation site Navitime, I get a by road result of 1 hour 18 minutes and ¥650 toll. Taxi cost ¥12,050 (though I'm not sure how accurate their calculations ara, so that could be guideline rather than a set price). Taxi might be a nice timesaving option.

thanks so much for your help. I am just not sure what the Fuji five lakes means, If I am staying at Mt. Fuji Hotel, while my sisters climb the mountain are we not close to each other?? How far apart do you think we are and what should I do for the afternoon? When we go to Gora Kadan is that when we do Hakone and Lake Ashi or is it in another area. Do we go before or after. When you suggest we take a taxi, is that even your useful suggestion if we have the JR pass> I

Gora Kadan is in Gora, which is in Hakone. Once you check in there, you will not leave until check out for a one night stay, so you will have to do your sightseeing before or after.

Whether or not you are near where you sister will be depends entirely on where she plans to start from and her planned route.

As the Fuji Hakone areas are served by private rail, bus and gondola, etc, the JR Pass is not valid within those regions. I suggested the taxi because it seemed you might be looking for easy and convenient. While the transportation system there is easy, it is sometimes inconvenient if the timing doesn't fall together well or if you have luggage and are making multiple transfers..which will be your case. Most visitors to the area buy a Free Pass from Odakyu...links below will give you all that information.

For Hakone:
http://www.odakyu.jp/english/sightsee/hakone/index.html

http://www.hakonenavi.jp/english/index.html

For Fuji area;
http://www.mt-fuji.gr.jp/index_en.php

http://www.odakyu.jp/english/sightse...kes/index.html

Gora Kadan
http://www.gorakadan.com/

Mt. Fuji Hotel
http://www.mtfuji-hotel.com/english/index.html

Climbing Mt. Fuji
http://www17.plala.or.jp/climb_fujiyama/index.html

In addition to these links, a guidebook might be very useful for you. I already mentioned the Rough Guide for Tokyo that I like for describing the areas of the city...it also has a section on the two areas you will visit around Fuji and Hakone as well with some simplified maps.

thank you so much for all your help, do we just hire a local taxi at the hotel or is there a less expensiveway to get a driver? Can you answer my question about our last night in Tokyo we are arriving after th Sumo match and we have already spend 4 days in Tokyo in the Ginza district so for a quick last night out before our 5pm plane the next day back to Toronto what area would you try/

A taxi price is the taxi price. The can sometimes be chartered for things, but unless you are sure of the meter price, then chartering could cost you more. The price from Navitime is an estimate I believe..definitely ask the projected price before setting out. Either way, your hotel should be able to assist you with arranging it.

I already answered your Tokyo hotel question the best I could on that thread.