Pola Museum of Art
ポーラ美術館
A Western art museum embedded in Hakone's beech forest, with Monet, Picasso, and Renoir displayed in a building designed to disappear into the trees
About Pola Museum of Art
The Pola Museum of Art is a purpose-built contemporary museum in the Sengokuhara plateau area of Hakone, opened in 2002. The collection was assembled over decades by the Suzuki family, owners of the Pola cosmetics company, and contains approximately 9,500 works with particular strength in French Impressionism and Post-Impressionism: Monet (59 works), Renoir, Cezanne, Degas, and Picasso among others. The building was designed by Nikken Sekkei and is largely buried in the hillside to minimize visual impact on the surrounding beech forest. The interior is organized around a central light-filled atrium with gallery wings extending into the hillside. An outdoor sculpture walk connects the museum parking area through the forest to the main entrance. The Pola Museum is widely considered one of the best Western art collections open to the public in Japan, and its combination with the forest setting and the Hakone natural environment makes it distinct from urban art museums in Tokyo or Osaka.
Essential Tips
The Pola Museum is the best reason to visit the Sengokuhara plateau if you have a genuine interest in European art. It is out of the way from the main Hakone Loop and requires a separate bus journey
Check the return bus schedule before arriving; service to Hakone-Yumoto and Odawara is not continuous and gaps of 30-40 minutes are common
Autumn foliage (late October) transforms the forest surrounding the museum. This is the most popular and most atmospheric time to visit
The 59 Monet works are the strongest single-artist collection in Japan. Not all are displayed simultaneously, but a major portion is always on view
The museum café has good food and forest views. Booking ahead for weekend lunch via the museum website avoids a wait
The Hakone Free Pass covers the bus transport but NOT the museum admission (¥2,200), so budget accordingly
The museum is designed for quiet individual engagement with the works. It is not a good choice for young children or visitors primarily interested in the Hakone natural scenery
Don't Miss
Monet Collection (59 Works)
The Pola Museum holds 59 works by Claude Monet, including Water Lilies canvases, views of Etretat, haystack paintings, and several major Rouen Cathedral studies. This is the largest concentration of Monet in Japan and rivals the holdings of many European museums. The paintings are hung in natural-light conditions in the permanent collection galleries and rotated seasonally to protect the pigments. Not all 59 are on display at once, but a substantial portion is always exhibited.
Forest Sculpture Walk
A path through the beech forest surrounding the museum connects the parking/bus area to the main entrance and has a series of outdoor sculptures integrated into the woodland. The forest itself is the dominant element: in autumn the beech canopy turns yellow-gold and the light through the trees onto the sculptures is what gives the walk its character. The path takes about 10-15 minutes each way.
The Building in the Forest
The Pola Museum's architecture is its own design statement: the main building is largely buried in the hillside to minimize its visual presence, with only the atrium and entrance visible from the access road. The interior atrium is a high-ceilinged space filled with natural light from overhead glass, and the gallery corridors extend into the hillside on both sides. Walking from the forest into this space and then into the gallery is a transition that most visitors describe as immediately calming; the forest continues to be visible from key points inside the building.
What to Do Here
Museum Visit and Lunch
Arrive by the first morning bus. Walk the forest sculpture path from the bus stop (10-15 minutes). Enter the museum and spend 45 minutes in the permanent collection (start with Monet). Continue to the special exhibition gallery (45 minutes). Break for lunch at the museum café with forest views. Return via the sculpture path to the bus stop.
Tips:
- The permanent collection is on the lower floors; special exhibitions on the upper floors. The lower floor is less crowded and contains the main Impressionist works
- The museum café has a limited but good menu with views of the forest; booking ahead for lunch on weekends is possible via the museum website
- Bus schedule: check the return bus times before arriving to avoid long waits. Service to Hakone-Yumoto and Odawara is not continuous
- The Hakone Free Pass does NOT typically cover the museum admission (only the transport). Check the current pass terms
Plan Your Visit
Opening Hours
general
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (last entry 4:30 PM)
closed Days
Open year-round; closed occasionally for installation changes. Check the website before visiting.
Best Time to Visit
Autumn (late October to mid-November) for the beech forest foliage surrounding the building. Spring (late April to May) for new leaves. Weekdays for lower crowds.
Avoid:
Autumn foliage peak weekends. Special exhibitions featuring well-known artists attract larger crowds.
Nearby
Owakudani Volcanic Valley
Active volcanic valley, 10 minutes by bus toward Owakudani ropeway station.
3 km
Hakone Open-Air Museum
Outdoor sculpture park with Rodin, Moore, Picasso Pavilion. 20 minutes by bus.
8 km
Lake Ashi and Hakone Shrine
The lake and lakeside torii gate. 30 minutes by bus south.
10 km
History
founding
The Pola Museum of Art was established in 2002 by the Pola Art Foundation, created by the Suzuki family to house the art collection assembled by Tsuneshi Suzuki, the second president of Pola Inc. (a Japanese cosmetics company). Suzuki began collecting Western art in the post-war period and built a collection with particular strength in French Impressionism. The museum site was chosen in the Hakone National Park area for its natural setting, and the building was designed by Nikken Sekkei to minimize its visual impact on the forest.
significance
The Pola Museum holds one of the most significant Western art collections in private hands in Japan. With 59 Monet works, the museum is a serious destination for those interested in European painting, not merely a regional curiosity. Its location in Hakone, removed from the major urban art centers, means it is rarely as crowded as the equivalent Tokyo museums and the works can be seen in conditions closer to those of a major European museum.
name Origin
The museum takes its name from Pola Inc., the Japanese cosmetics company whose foundation funds the institution. The Pola Foundation for the Promotion of Traditional Japanese Culture manages the museum.
Getting There
Hakone Tozan Bus from Odawara
Station: Odawara Station (JR Tokaido Line / Odakyu)
Exit: Bus stop #4
Walk: 5 minutes from Sengokuhara Pola Museum-mae bus stop to museum entrance
Take the bus bound for Togendai or Hakone-en via Sengokuhara. Get off at Sengokuhara Pola Museum-mae. Journey approximately 60 minutes from Odawara. Check the return bus times at the museum entrance.
Hakone Tozan Bus from Hakone-Yumoto
Station: Hakone-Yumoto Station (Odakyu Hakone Line)
Exit:
Walk: 5 minutes from Sengokuhara Pola Museum-mae bus stop
Bus from Hakone-Yumoto toward Togendai via the Sengokuhara route. Approximately 45 minutes. This route combines well with a morning at Hakone-Yumoto Onsen and an afternoon at the museum.
Location
1285 Kozukayama, Sengokuhara, Hakone, Kanagawa 250-0631
Nearest: Odawara Station (JR / Odakyu) then Hakone Tozan Bus (60 minutes by bus from Odawara, 45 minutes from Hakone-Yumoto, to Sengokuhara Pola Museum-mae)
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