Tokyo > Mt Fuji > Osaka > Tokyo recommendations?

Hi there!

There are 2 main areas for enjoying Mt Fuji:

1. Hakone Onsen
2. Kawaguchiko / Fuji 5 lakes

Both are semi accessible by JR, and while Hakone isn't quite as close as Kawaguchiko to Mt Fuji, both will have really good views. Hakone is on the way to Osaka, wheras Kawaguchiko will require a little doubling back on yourself for Osaka I think.

Assuming you visit Hakone, you can ride the bullet train to Odawara, from here you can use the non-JR Odakyu lines up to Hakone itself. I recommend the Odakyu Hakone Free Pass for this, which can be purchased at Odawara.

As for the rest of your trip, here is a breakdown:

1. Tokyo > Odawara: ¥3,840 (35mins, 83km) Bullet train
2. Odawara > Osaka: ¥12,070 (190mins, 472km) Bullet train included
3. Osaka > Tokyo: ¥13,950 (194mins, 556km) Bullet train included

JR ticket cost: ¥29,860 for 3 legs

Note that the JR ticket cost for this trip is more than the cost of a 7 day Japan Rail Pass which would save you around ¥1,560 and would also give you the freedom to do any further JR travel for free.

You can look up precise train timetables and costs at the Hyperdia travel planning website and learn how to use Hyperdia for JR Pass holders through our video blog.

Hope this helps!

Both Hakone and the Fuji 5 Lakes Area can give good views of Mt Fuji when the weather is cooperating, but unfortunately it frequently does not.
In such a case, Hakone provides a lot of other things you can see and do.

You could spend a lot of time in Tokyo and still not see everything. But a few of the best places to see are the Tsukiji Fish Market, plus the site that every last tourist goes to see, the Sensoji Temple. If you are in Tokyo on a Sunday afternoon, be sure to go visit Harajuku to see the youth with their wild fashions. Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Park are next to it and well worth seeing also. And be sure not to miss the Shibuya Hachiko intersection especially on a weekend when it looks like half the city is crossing the street at once.

Osaka really city comes alive and has some great places to see, such as Dotonbori, plus the night views from the Umeda Sky Bldg, and Abeno Harukas Bldg are wonderful.