Osaka-Mt Fuji-Hakone-Tokyo [self-drive?]

Hi,
We're planning to fly in to Osaka, tour Osaka/Kyoto, then taking a train out to Nagoya to pick up a rental car for Mt Fuji/Hakone area. Will likely drop off the car at Odawara before taking a train in to Tokyo.

We have young children and prefer to drive for the convenience. We would actually prefer to drive the entire journey but I suppose it is not advisable to drive in the major cities (Osaka/Kyoto)?
Not sure if it is easy to pick up/drop off the car?
Any comments on this arrangement pls?

Thank you!!!

How small are you children? My last trip was with a 6yo, 3yo and 11mo.

Personally I find travelling around Japan by train with my children easier by train, than driving myself. Especially the locations you have described as they have very good public transport options.

Unlike the pretend Nihonjin above I have driven in Japan, with and without children and I would say that even though it can be convenient I would never bother to do so along that route. The public transport is so much easier and faster. Use luggage forwarding if that's an issue and put kids in Baby Bjorn type things rather than strollers. I carried our older son on my back and my wife carried our baby son on her front. Easy.

Hi my kids are 4 and 7 yrs old. We are just worried that it will be tiring to drag them along with all the luggage. Not to mention the complex transport system. We have only been to Japan once. Hokkaido and we drove the entire trip.

Hi my kids are 4 and 7 yrs old. We are just worried that it will be tiring to drag them along with all the luggage. Not to mention the complex transport system. We have only been to Japan once. Hokkaido and we drove the entire trip.