Hakone Open-Air Museum
箱根彫刻の森美術館
An outdoor sculpture park where kids can run free, adults admire Picasso, and everyone soaks their feet
About Hakone Open-Air Museum
Most art museums require indoor voices and careful walking. This one requires comfortable shoes and ideally some sunshine. The Hakone Open-Air Museum spreads 120+ sculptures across a 70,000 square-metre hillside, with the Hakone mountains as a backdrop. Henry Moore, Giacometti, Miró, Niki de Saint Phalle: major works from major artists, set among grass, trees, and sky. It works because the scale of the outdoors matches the scale of the art. You're not squinting at something behind glass. You're walking around, under, and through the pieces.
For families, this is one of the best stops in Hakone. Kids can run between sculptures, climb inside the stained-glass tower (a spiralling walk up through coloured glass panels, beautiful), and play in the interactive sculpture area designed specifically for children. Meanwhile, the Picasso Pavilion houses over 300 works spanning paintings, ceramics, sculpture, and tapestries. It's one of the largest Picasso collections in Asia and would be a highlight on its own. The foot bath near the centre of the park is a perfect rest stop: free with admission, fed by natural Hakone hot spring water.
Allow 2–3 hours. The park is on a hillside, so there's some gentle uphill walking, manageable for most fitness levels but tiring for very young children. There's a shuttle within the park for those who need it. The museum is a 2-minute walk from Chokoku-no-Mori Station on the Hakone Tozan Railway, making it easy to slot into a Hakone day trip. Combine it with the Hakone Tozan switchback train experience, Lake Ashi, and an evening onsen for a perfect family day.
Essential Tips
Wear comfortable walking shoes. The park is on a hillside and you'll cover a lot of ground on grass and gravel paths.
Check the weather before you go. The outdoor sculptures are the main attraction: rain doesn't ruin the visit, but sunshine with clear mountain views is significantly better.
The foot bath is free with admission. Bring a small towel, or buy one at the gift shop (~¥300). Disposable towels are sometimes available.
The children's interactive area is designed for climbing and playing. Let kids be kids: that's the point.
The Picasso Pavilion is indoor and climate-controlled, a good retreat if it rains or gets too hot.
Audio guides (¥500, English available) add useful context to the outdoor sculptures. Worth it if you want to understand the art, not just admire it.
The museum café has decent food and mountain views. Alternatively, Gora (one stop away) has more restaurant options.
Hakone Free Pass covers the Tozan Railway, which stops directly at the museum station. The pass pays for itself quickly if you're doing a Hakone day trip.
The museum rarely feels crowded thanks to its size: even busy weekends are manageable.
Spring and autumn are the best seasons. Summer is hot (bring water and sunscreen). Winter is cold but the light is beautiful.
Don't Miss
Symphonic Sculpture (Stained-Glass Tower)
A spiralling tower of stained glass that you walk up from inside. The light shifts as you climb, casting colours on the walls and floor. It's the most photographed spot in the museum and genuinely beautiful, not just a gimmick. Kids love the climb; adults love the light.
Picasso Pavilion
Over 300 works by Pablo Picasso: paintings, ceramics, sculpture, and tapestries spanning his career. One of the largest Picasso collections in Asia. The building itself is modern and well-lit. If you only visit one indoor section, make it this one.
Foot Bath
A free natural hot spring foot bath in the centre of the park. Take off your shoes, roll up your trousers, and soak your feet while looking out at sculptures and mountains. Towels available for purchase, or bring your own. Perfect halfway through your visit.
Children's Interactive Sculpture Area
A section designed for kids to climb on, crawl through, and play inside sculpture-like structures. It's essentially a playground that happens to be art. Kids don't need to 'appreciate' it in the traditional sense: they just play, which is the point.
What to Do Here
Standard Family Visit
Enter and follow the main path downhill through the outdoor sculptures. Stop at the Symphonic Sculpture tower (let kids climb it), continue to the children's area, then the foot bath for a rest. Visit the Picasso Pavilion (indoor, good for rain or heat breaks). Loop back toward the entrance, catching any sculptures you missed. The café near the centre has decent food and mountain views.
Tips:
- The path goes mostly downhill from the entrance: save the uphill walk back for last when you have less energy
- Bring a small towel for the foot bath (or buy one at the gift shop for ~¥300)
- Strollers work on the main paths but some side paths are gravel or stepped
- The gift shop has quality art prints and unique Hakone souvenirs
Art-Focused Visit
Spend serious time with the outdoor sculptures: Henry Moore, Giacometti, Miró, Isamu Noguchi, and Taro Okamoto among others. The audio guide (¥500) provides context for major works. Dedicate at least 30 minutes to the Picasso Pavilion. The temporary exhibition gallery shows rotating collections. End with the foot bath and a coffee at the café.
Tips:
- Audio guide available in English (¥500): worth it for context on the major sculptures
- The Gabriel Loire stained-glass gallery (separate from the tower) is small but beautiful
- Morning light is best for photography: sculptures cast dramatic shadows
- The museum shop sells exhibition catalogues and art books not available elsewhere
Plan Your Visit
Opening Hours
museum
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (last entry 4:30 PM)
closed Days
Open daily year-round
Best Time to Visit
Morning on clear days: the mountain backdrop is stunning. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons for walking.
Avoid:
Golden Week and autumn weekends. The park is large enough that it rarely feels overcrowded.
Nearby
Hakone Tozan Railway
Japan's oldest mountain railway with dramatic switchbacks through the Hakone mountains. The ride from Hakone-Yumoto to the museum is scenic and fun for kids.
At the station
Hakone Glass no Mori Museum
Venetian glass museum with a crystalline garden. A more delicate, indoor-focused complement to the Open-Air Museum.
10 min by bus
Gora Park
French-inspired garden at the end of the Tozan Railway line. Rose garden, tropical greenhouse, and craft workshops.
1 stop on Hakone Tozan Railway
Owakudani
Volcanic valley with sulphur vents and the famous black eggs (said to add 7 years to your life). Combine with the Hakone Ropeway for a dramatic ride over the mountain.
30 min by ropeway from Gora
Gallery
Sculpture meets mountain: the setting is half the experience
Climbing the Symphonic Sculpture: stained glass from every angle
The foot bath: hot spring water and mountain views between sculptures
History
founding
Opened in 1969, the Hakone Open-Air Museum was Japan's first open-air art museum. It was founded by the Fujisankei Communications Group with the vision of bringing together nature and art in one of Hakone's most scenic settings.
significance
The museum pioneered the concept of outdoor sculpture display in Japan and influenced the creation of similar institutions across the country. Its Picasso collection, accumulated since the 1980s, is one of the most significant outside Europe. The museum hosts over 600,000 visitors annually.
reconstruction
The grounds have been continuously expanded and updated since opening. The Picasso Pavilion was added in 1984. The Symphonic Sculpture (stained-glass tower) and various indoor galleries were added in subsequent decades. The children's interactive area was designed to encourage young visitors to engage with art through play.
name Origin
The Japanese name '彫刻の森' (Chōkoku no Mori) means 'Forest of Sculpture', fitting for a museum that sits among trees and hillside greenery.
Getting There
Hakone Tozan Railway
Station: Chokoku-no-Mori Station
Exit: Follow signs
Walk: 2 minutes
The most scenic approach. The Tozan Railway switchbacks are a Hakone highlight in themselves. About 35 minutes from Hakone-Yumoto Station.
Hakone Tozan Bus
Station: Ninotaira bus stop
Exit: Short walk
Walk: 5 minutes
Buses run from Hakone-Yumoto and other Hakone towns. Less scenic than the train but sometimes more frequent.
From Tokyo (full journey)
Station: Chokoku-no-Mori Station via Odawara
Exit: Follow signs
Walk: 2 minutes from station
Take the Shinkansen to Odawara (35 min), transfer to Hakone Tozan Railway to Chokoku-no-Mori (~50 min with switches). Or use the cheaper Odakyu Romance Car from Shinjuku (~85 min to Hakone-Yumoto, ¥2,330).
Location
1121 Ninotaira, Hakone, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa 250-0493
Nearest: Chokoku-no-Mori Station (Hakone Tozan Railway) (2 minutes)
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