Enquiry on driving to Mt Hakodate

Hello everyone,

I have some questions and hope someone can help.

I will be doing self-drive trip to Hakodate with my family. I read that self-driving is not allowed between 5pm to 9pm directly to Mt Hakodate. We don't plan to take cable car. So my questions are:

a. Can I drive my car directly up to Mt Hakodate before 5pm and again, after 9pm, i.e. two separate trips? Is the drive up the windy road dangerous?
b. Is there free parking lot up there?
c. Do I need to pay admission fee to the viewing platform?

Thank you in advance!

I'm not sure whether they would allow you to continue parking up there during the "closed" hours but i did notice that there were cars up in the parking lot when i went up there at about 8pm. Looked like there was a jam going up and going back down though. Might be better off parking your car at the parking lot below and traveling up by ropeway and by taxi / ropeway down.

I see. In this case, we will not drive but take a bus.

Apart from taking cable car, I read somewhere there is a bus departing from Hakodate bus terminal (station) directly up to the summit of Hakodate and it will not stop at the ropeway station bus stop. Am I right? Will this summit bus be caught in the car jam both up and down direction too?

Appreciate some sharing pls. Thanks!