In any case, rugged up to the best of our ability we were back out around 5:10, heading for the bus terminal, where a 5:30 service would take us up to the top. Actually, as it turned out, we were lucky to be on the spot early since our position in the queue that formed after the Motomachi Gourmet bus left landed us seats rather than standing room.
Mount Hakodate is a lumpy, 334 metre high, wooded mountain at the southern end of the peninsula on which central Hakodate is located with the local nickname of Gagyūzan (Mount Cow's Back), since the mountain allegedly resembles a resting cow. Once you’re at the summit there are a couple of observation platforms, souvenir shops, a cafe and a restaurant.
Advice at the hotel had suggested the bus (¥360 return) rather than the rope way (¥640/1160 one-way/return) which might have been quicker, but was definitely more expensive. It would also (and I admit I'm guessing here) have provided a continuous vista along a single line of sight where the bus, twisting and turning on its way up the ascent, offered a couple of rather spectacular views on both sides of the vehicle. This is also a significant factor since the facilities at the top are frequently shrouded in cloud.
Hint: If you take the bus, try to wangle seats on the same side for both legs of the journey. There are good views from both sides of the vehicle, and if you swap you'll end up basically seeing the same thing both ways.
