Transportation via car from Osaka to Tokyo

Hi, my family and I (6 pax) are looking to travel to Japan and are planning to rent a car picking up at Osaka and driving along while staying in cities in the middle of Osaka and Tokyo, and will be returning the car at Tokyo after about 5 days.

Any thoughts on this? We are travelling mid-Jan and it will be Winter time then.
Cities covered:
- Osaka
- Kyoto
- Kobe
- Shizuoka


Any tips or answers to the following questions will be appreciated.

1. Are winter tires needed?
2. Are rental in Japan charged hourly or daily?
3. Any rental that is reliable and recommended?

Thank you in advance :)

The primary advice here is: ditch the car, take the train.

You only mention Osaka and Tokyo. Both are places where a car is more of an obstacle than a convenience.

Cars in Japan are good for exploring rural areas. But the typical places you’ll cost around Osaka (Kyoto, Nara, Himeiji, Kobe) are easily accessible by train. Faster, less hassle.
Same goes for Tokyo.
The only reason to rent a car between Osaka and Tokyo would be if you you do a tour like Osaka - Ise - ferry to Irago - Magome (or somewhere else in the mountains far away from Nagoya / Shizuoka) … actually I am trying to come up with a reasonable itinerary for a car between Osaka and Tokyo and find that difficult.
Plus consider you’ll be paying extra for dropping off the car in a different place than where you rented it.

Just as example
Shin Osaka to Shizuoka: train 1:50 h
Car: 4:10 h
Shizuoka - Tokyo: train 1:20
Car: 2:40h

Assuming no traffic in Tokyo / Osaka.

A car for a daytrip AROUND Shizuoka might be useful if you plan to go to the tea plantations or to Omaezaki cape

Thanks a lot for the input above, Likeabike.

However, if they really wanted to drive as an experience, as we would like to experience staying in cities along the route of Osaka and Tokyo, what do you suggest?

Any places that are less known but very recommended between Osaka, Shizuoka and Tokyo?

Thanks!

Cities between Osaka and Tokyo on the coast are all easily accessible by train.

Best suggestions on the route would be (* denotes special highlight):
- Omi Hachiman
- Hikone *
- Nagahama
- Inuyama
- Magome/ Tsumago * (her POTENTIALLY a car can be useful but public transport is possible)
- Kawaguchiko (better from Tokyo as day trip)
- Hakone * (much better w/o a car)
- Izu peninsula (here a car can be useful. Rent for a day Eg in Shuzenji or Numazu)
- Kamakura *
- Enoshima

I am sure there are others but I think you said you only have 5 days.

If you really want to drive, take a train to your destination and do a 12 hour rental.
Unlike some other countries, short rentals (4h, 6h, 8h, 12h) are not particularly expensive, even with some of the big name companies. Smaller companies, you can get a car for less than 1000 yen per day.
Last rental I did was around 6,000 yen for the day (plus some add-ons) in a remote location.