And according to this page, there will be substitute bus. in this page, the substitute bus operates directly from Gora to Togendai. Information in these two PDF files became too old; there you see the operation of Hakone Ropeway between Ubako and Togendai shown as suspended, which actually restarted on 30 October 2015.
Currently Hakone Ropeway is not operated on Sounzan -- Owakudani -- Ubako.
A new notice regarding the ropeway and bus services is in this PDF file.
http://www.hakonenavi.jp/topics/pdf/4730.pdf Links to this PDF file are now put on the following two webpages.
http://www.hakonenavi.jp/english/http://www.hakoneropeway.co.jp/foreign/en/index.cgiI plan to go to Hakone on 2 weeks from now (probably 11-12 Nov) On 12 November 2015, you cannot use Hakone Ropeway, because it will be out of service on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month.
My question is : is that means that I could take bus from Sounzan to Togendai and continue by ropeway from Togendai to Ubako? When you start from Sounzan, Ubako is on your way to Togendai.
Currently buses are making a detour around Owakudani due to the volcanic activity.
You can continue by bus after Ubako to reach Togendai.
A Hakone Freepass can be used also on this bus route.
Except on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month, you can make a transfer in Ubako from bus to ropeway to reach Togendai and then travel back by ropeway to Ubako.
looking in AccuWeather, that day will be raining, AccuWeather.com does not seem to have Hakone Town on its list of the sites.
Your traveling date will be more than seven days away.
Generally a forecast the weather on such a distant day in a specific city, town or village is not yet highly reliable.
And given all that (ropeway not fully working, rainy day), should I change my plan to go to Kawaguchiko instead? Well, I assume, roughly speaking, the weathers in Hakone Town (of Kanagawa) and in Fujikawaguchiko Town (of Yamanashi) tend to be similar.
So, when it is heavily rainy in Hakone area, it is not highly likely to be perfectly sunny in Kawaguchiko area on the same day, I suppose.
- Japan Meteorological Agency: Daily forecasts: Kanagawa:
http://www.jma.go.jp/en/yoho/320.html: Hakone observatory point is in Seibu forecast area of Kanagawa Prefecture.
- Japan Meteorological Agency: Daily forecasts: Yamanashi:
http://www.jma.go.jp/en/yoho/321.html: Kawaguchiko observatory point is in Tobu-Fujigoko forecast area of Yamanashi Prefecture.
