Driving from Haneda direct to Mt Fuji Feb 25

Hi. I would like to know if itfs dangerous to drive up toscenic spots Gotemba Area, Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Yamanaka, Hakone Area in early Feb..Ifm first time driving in snowy roads and very concern about the safety, slippery etc

I will pick up car in Haneda airport (do I need to book the winter tyres upfront with Car rental co)? Then I will drive up straight to Mt Fuji staying around hotel in Gotemvba..

Pls advice how should I plan my first time driving trip to Mt Fuji? Taking public transport too inconvenient and time restriction and private car rental w driver is super super expensive in Japan. I think only choice is self drive.. pls advice how should I plan (4 days in Fuji)

My take on it: don't drive if you encounter winter conditions. Too dangerous for yourself and the people around you. Depending on the timing, not all places get snow, especially Gotemba.

good morning

it will be prudent to reserve snow tyres in advance prior to rental car pickup because
1. there are only limited stocks of snow tyres especially if it is from toyota rental ƒgƒˆƒ^ƒŒƒ“ƒ^ƒJ[
2. only specific car models can be equipped with snow tyres and they are highly popular
3. it take times for changing into snow tyres so unless you are super lucky or
the rental store is not busy at the time of collection

on the other hand
there are plenty of public transport options from Tokyo to Gotemba Area,
Lake Kawaguchi and Hakone including JR and highway buses

Haneda is one of the most easily access airports in japan, aside of fukuoka airport :)

in addition
Lake Kawaguchi area and Hakone are so well covered by local transportation network,
heavily geared towards foreign tourists so i am confident that you will be fine

have a wonderful trip~

ps
what is in Gotemba besides the outlet which is like a blackhole that every visitor spents at least 6 hours there if not 8 hours :D so there wont be much chance of driving around there

It is reckless to drive on snow and ice if you have no winter driving experience. Winter tires will give you better traction, especially on snowy roads (they are not very much help on ice, which you might encounter), so if you insist on renting a car and driving on snow or ice, then by all means you should get them. Just donft expect them to be a magic bullet. You have to modify your driving speed, following distances, approach to turns, and above all your approach to braking if you are driving on slippery surfaces. Most people who live in cold climates have years of experience managing these conditions, and still there are plenty of accidents in the winter, some of them fatal.