Hakone Open-Air Museum

Welcome to the Hakone Open-Air Museum, established in 1969 as Japan’s very first outdoor art institution. We are standing within an expansive seventy-thousand-square-meter park that serves as a profound dialogue between human…

We stand now before the Symphonic Sculpture, perhaps the most iconic structure in the entire museum. This eighteen-meter-tall tower, created by artist Gabriel Loire, is a masterclass in the use of stained glass as an…

Our journey continues to the Picasso Exhibition Hall, a dedicated indoor space that houses one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of works by Pablo Picasso in the world. With over three hundred pieces in the…

One of the museum's most striking architectural features is the 'Woods of Net' pavilion. This massive, all-wood structure is built without a single metal nail or bolt, utilizing traditional Japanese joinery techniques on a grand…

Hidden within a lower section of the park is the Star Garden, or Hoshi no Niwa. When viewed from above, this area reveals itself as a perfectly symmetrical, star-shaped maze created from manicured hedges. …

After several hours of walking through the expansive grounds, the museum offers a uniquely Japanese form of respite: the Forest Footbath. This long, open-air bath is fed by natural hot spring water sourced directly from the…

Our final stop is the Museum Cafe and the adjacent bridge walkway. The cafe is a model of modern design, featuring high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling glass walls that frame the outdoor sculptures like living paintings. …

As we conclude our tour of the Hakone Open-Air Museum, I hope you carry with you a new understanding of how art can be liberated from the walls of a gallery. We have climbed a tower of light, explored the ceramic world of…