Hakone Chokoku no Mori Bijutsukan and the art of sculpture in the Hakone mountains
Published on 09/08/2026 at 21:51 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Hakone Chokoku no Mori Bijutsukan in Hakone is an open-air sculpture museum set across a broad hillside in the mountains of Kanagawa Prefecture. Opened in 1969 as Japan’s first outdoor art museum, it combines modern sculpture with wide lawns, terraces and views of the surrounding valleys.
Sculpture under open skies in Hakone
The core of Hakone Chokoku no Mori Bijutsukan is its outdoor sculpture park, laid out across about 70,000 m² (17 acres) of landscaped grounds on a mountain slope.opened in 1969 Pathways curve through grass, planting and low trees, with sculptures placed so that they stand against the changing backdrop of Hakone’s ridges.
More than 100 works by Japanese and international sculptors stand in this landscape, ranging from abstract forms to figurative pieces on plinths and directly on the ground.over 120 modern sculptures Names such as Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore and Niki de Saint Phalle appear among the artists represented, and their works are placed so that visitors move from one grouping to another across the open lawns.modern sculptors such as Rodin and Henry Moore
Picasso Pavilion and indoor galleries
Alongside the outdoor park, Hakone Chokoku no Mori Bijutsukan includes several indoor gallery buildings, each with its own architectural character. The most widely noted is the Picasso Pavilion, which concentrates works by Pablo Picasso in a compact, purpose-built structure within the grounds.Picasso Pavilion with 300+ works Inside, visitors encounter paintings, prints and ceramics drawn from a substantial collection, offering a focused view of Picasso’s work in contrast to the mixed authorship outdoors.
Other indoor spaces host changing and permanent exhibitions of modern art. One of the most distinctive constructions on site is Happiness in Symphonic Sculpture, a tower-like structure lined with stained glass panels that surround a staircase.Happiness in Symphonic Sculpture From within this building, the coloured glass encloses views of the museum grounds and Hakone’s terrain, contrasting with the open lawns and freestanding sculptures outside.
Hakone landscape and museum setting
Hakone Chokoku no Mori Bijutsukan stands in Ninotaira, Hakone-machi, within the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park in Kanagawa Prefecture, south-west of Tokyo.Hakone is located in Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park The museum’s paths and terraces are laid out to follow the natural slope of the hillside, with a tunnel at the entrance leading visitors from the access road directly into the main garden area.tunnel at the entrance to the museum grounds
From many points in the grounds, the surrounding mountains frame the sculptures and lawns. The museum lies within a valley where the Hakone Tozan Railway climbs towards Gora, and the wooded slopes around the site give changing colours across the year, setting bronze, stone and steel against weather and light.spreads across 70,000 square metres of mountain hillside
Visiting Hakone Chokoku no Mori Bijutsukan: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Hakone Chokoku no Mori Bijutsukan stands in Ninotaira in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, a short walk from Chokoku-no-Mori Station on the Hakone Tozan Railway, which links Hakone-Yumoto with Gora.
- The museum grounds extend across a hillside, with outdoor paths over lawns and gentle slopes and several staircases inside structures such as Happiness in Symphonic Sculpture.
- The surrounding mountains mean that weather can change through the day, and the outdoor sculptures stand fully exposed to sun, rain and seasonal conditions.
- The official language is Japanese and the currency is the Japanese yen.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Hakone Chokoku no Mori Bijutsukan
Where is Hakone Chokoku no Mori Bijutsukan located?
Hakone Chokoku no Mori Bijutsukan is in Ninotaira in Hakone, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, within the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park in Japan.
What can visitors expect on a visit?
Visitors walk through an open-air sculpture park across lawns and terraces, see works by Japanese and international artists and explore indoor galleries including the Picasso Pavilion.
What makes Hakone Chokoku no Mori Bijutsukan distinctive?
The museum combines modern sculpture and indoor galleries with a large hillside site in the Hakone mountains, bringing art, terrain and changing natural light into a single setting.
