Museums & Galleries in Hakone
If there is one thing in Hakone that screams the Japanese bubble-era, it is the eclectic and extremely valuable amount of art on show. Artwork from the world’s most famous artists including Picasso and Van Gogh can be found in a small mountain villages all over Hakone.
The Sekisho Check Point Museum
This museum is a faithful reconstruction of what was once possibly Japan’s most important checkpoint. Learn about the history of the samurai and ways of the Edo Period (1603-1868) and climb up to the view tower for a panorama of the lake with Fuji in the backdrop.
The Hakone Open-Air Museum
This large and eclectic gallery contains numerous stunning outdoor installations as well as a section dedicated to the life and work of Picasso no less. This is worth at least an hour or two. There is also a buffet for lunch and a foot spa.
Okada Museum of Art
Hakone’s largest art exhibition space focuses mainly on classical artwork from Japan and Asia. A foot can be enjoyed here too.
Narukawa Art Museum
Definitely the gallery with the best view in Hakone. On a clear day Fuji is on display over the cusp of Lake Ashi. It mainly contains Japanese artwork collected by the owner Minoru Narukawa.
Pola Museum of Art
This gallery is an architectural masterpiece filled with masterpieces. There is also a nature trail with scattered with sculpture to enjoy for a 30-40 minute stroll.
Hakone Venetian Glass Museum
Nowhere in Hakone can bubble-era Japan be spotted as easily as in the Venetian Glass Museum. An Italian glass museum’s presence in a mountain town of Japan is not easy to explain. And that was the bubble. Lovely, sparkly forests.