osaka to mt fuji

Hi,
I have a conference in Osaka until 2 Sept. I wonder how I can get to Mt Fuji from Osaka by a shinkansen.
1. Do I need to engage a travel agent to get me to the 5th station or to the cable car station?
2. Do I need to get to Hakone first before I can reach Mt Fuji?
3. Which is better and cheaper to stay either at Hakone or the 5 lakes site?
4. How far from the shinkansen station to Mt Fuji?
Thank you for all answers.

It depends where exactly you want to go. It's a huge mountain.

The access details from Osaka to the Fuji Five Lake region is explained here:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6905.html?aFROM=2157_6900

Do I need to engage a travel agent to get me to the 5th station or to the cable car station?

No, you don't need a travel agent. YOu can buy the tickets yourself. Note that there are four different 5th Stations.

Do I need to get to Hakone first before I can reach Mt Fuji?

No.

Which is better and cheaper to stay either at Hakone or the 5 lakes site?

There is no price difference. Both places have a wide range of accommodations from budget to luxury.

How far from the shinkansen station to Mt Fuji?

The shinkansen station is located at the mountains huge base.

Can you specify what you mean by "Mt. Fuji"? As for viewing the mountain, popular options include Hakone and Kawaguchiko. And you can also see the mountain from the shinkansen around Shin-Fuji station. Or do you want to climb Mt Fuji?

If you want to climb it you probably want to get to one of the 5th stations see here: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6901.html
IMO there is no point going to any of the 5th stations if you don't want to climb the mountain.

If coming from Osaka, the Fujinomiya 5th station is the easiest to access.