Self drive in Kawaguchiko?

Anyone has experience driving around Kawaguchiko and whether ETC card and winter tires are needed in first week of Jan? Are roads easy to drive? I've driven in hokkaido previously but in autumn.

Looking to visit the following places:

Oshino Hakkai
Kawaguchiko music forest museum
Kachi Kachi ropeway?
Hotokura Funari or Koushu Houtou Kosaku (these 2 are highly reviewed on google, might want to try)
Apartment is about 1km away from kawaguchiko station
Any must visits in kawaguchiko apart from the shrine?

Traveling in a group of 5 and while the buses are 1,500yen/pax, just thought renting a car might give us flexibility of time, not too sure about the frequency of bus.
Am still considering between both options.

Suggestions are welcome.

I hear you might get snow in Kawaguchiko area in January – March, so that you would want to be prepared with winter tires (I don�ft know where your intend to start your drive). (I�fm not familiar with ETC card.)

When we (Tokyo residents) visited Kawaguchiko area some years ago in Nov., we noticed that a lot of local visitors, meaning a lot of Japanese families coming from Tokyo or other areas, tended to come in their own cars to Kawaguchiko, and non-Japanese visitors were relying on the bus service. We just took the trains from Tokyo and rode the buses there, we don�ft own a car, and I am not an experienced driver.

It was an overnight trip, starting in the morning from Tokyo, and we managed to cover Kachi Kachi ropeway (nice view, cute ropeway cars), walked around a bit, then a good look at the autumn color corridor, the north shore of the lake, before checking into a hotel on the north shore. Next day we took the bus to two of the caves – I believe it was the bat cave�c and I forgot the other one, and part of Oshino Hakkai, before returning closer to the station, we went to one gem museum, then took the train back home.
So it�fs doable even just with public transport - you need to find the right bus routes and keep an eye on the bus schedule, that is true. You wouldn�ft really want to be standing at the bus stop waiting for the next one for a long time in cold weather.

Some visitors seem to go to the Chureito Pagoda (one station away or so from Kawaguchiko station?) for the beautiful views.