Hakone Tozan Cable Car Sōunzan Station — Local services in Hakone

Long long line, waited 40 minutes in outside then inside line for a 10 minute ride on gondola. Not worth it, if there is a line outside just take the bus to the next station where the volcano egg is.

The lines for this cable car throughout every station were crazy, this is on a weekend in late March.

Avoid weekends here. Go weekday and very early right when it opens. Noon is too late. If you are staying local in Hakone check that your hotel shuttle starts early enough to get you to gondola station for 845AM when it opens. Possible with a day trip from Tokyo.

Did not see Mount Fuji even though was a 10/10 visibility online so that was disappointing. If you do a day trip, check visibility before going.

You don’t need to buy a ticket, you can tap your Suica card to board. We did not know that and bought a day pass in Odawara which was not worth it as the gondola lines were so crazy everywhere we ended up taking the buses which were not covered by the pass and a taxi in the evening as the gondola also stops running early. Consider just tapping your Suica card for the...

The Hakone Tozan Cable Car up to Sōunzan Station was a really enjoyable experience! The ride itself is fun — you get to climb through lush forested mountain terrain, which feels peaceful and scenic. Once you reach Sōunzan, the views are lovely: you can see valleys, hills, and in clear weather Mount Fuji in the distance.

The station facilities are pretty nice, clean and well maintained, and there are a few shops and vantage points to take photos. The staff were friendly and helpful, which added to the overall good impression.

If I had to pick one downside: it’s a bit crowded at peak times, and the views depend heavily on the weather. But overall, definitely worth doing if you’re exploring Hakone or want a...

This is part of the journey on the Hakone circular route. It is a relatively short journey serviced by a single cable car going up and down. If you cannot get on because it is full or you missed it, you have to wait for the cable car to come back before you can board. For this reason the wait can be quite long as other people have commented and when the cable car arrives, everybody squeeze in there like sardines. The journey itself is pleasant and the view is nice if you’re at the front. During peak season, I expect the wait to be quite long. It may be worth exploring other modes of transport for this short journey to avoid spending valuable time waiting. It was a very nice experience and I...