Hakone Open-Air Museum hosts Kusama programme until 1 November

At the Hakone Open-Air Museum (Hakone Chokoku-no-Mori Bijutsukan), a Yayoi Kusama-related programme remains available until 1 November 2026. The programme combines a temporary Pumpkin installation with an interview video connected to the museum's new Kusama sculpture.

Kusama programme runs at Hakone Open-Air Museum until 1 November

The museum's official exhibition listing gives the programme period as 19 April to 1 November 2026. It describes a limited-time installation and an interview video linked to Kusama's work, making the final days in late October and early November the current visitor window.

The installation is associated with Pumpkin, a 2017 mixed-media work, while the video records an interview with Kusama from 2013. The programme is presented at the museum in Hakone rather than as a separate city event. The official programme listing places both elements within the 19 April to 1 November period.

A separate account of the presentation identifies the installation area as Maruta Hiroba Kitoki and the Hakone Open-Air Museum Cafe. It also states that the interview video carries Japanese and English subtitles, giving English-speaking visitors a direct link to the artist's own recorded comments. Details of the Kusama presentation connect the temporary programme with the 2026 addition to the collection.

How Kusama's programme fits the sculpture garden

The museum opened on 1 August 1969. Its official history records the opening as part of a programme of international and European modern sculpture exhibitions, establishing the site as an outdoor setting for contemporary art.

The sculpture garden covers approximately 70,000 square metres and presents about 120 works by modern and contemporary sculptors. This scale matters to the Kusama programme: the temporary installation is encountered within a wider garden collection, while the permanent stone sculpture provides the main artistic context for the related video.

The grounds also include the Picasso Pavilion, the Art Hall, the Symphonic Sculpture and the Woods of Net. The museum's administration is handled by the Chokoku-no-Mori Art Foundation, and its address is 1121 Ninotaira in Hakone-machi, Kanagawa Prefecture.

Hakone Open-Air Museum access remains separate from the programme

The temporary Kusama programme does not replace the museum's wider outdoor collection. Visitors arriving before 1 November 2026 can therefore find the installation and video alongside the permanent sculpture displays, subject to any changes announced by the operator.

The museum's published visitor information identifies Chokoku-no-Mori Station on the Hakone Tozan Railway as a local transport reference. The site is in Hakone, within the mountain landscape of Kanagawa Prefecture, and the operator lists the museum as open throughout the year.

Visiting Hakone Open-Air Museum: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Kusama-related installation and interview video are scheduled for 19 April to 1 November 2026 at the Hakone Open-Air Museum in Hakone.
• The programme is an additional presentation connected with Pumpkin and the museum's Kusama sculpture; it does not indicate a closure of the main sculpture garden.
• The museum is at 1121 Ninotaira, Hakone-machi, Kanagawa Prefecture. Chokoku-no-Mori Station on the Hakone Tozan Railway is the named rail reference for the site.
• The grounds extend across approximately 70,000 square metres and combine outdoor paths with indoor galleries, including the Picasso Pavilion and Art Hall.
• 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 Open-Air Museum

When does the Kusama programme take place at Hakone Open-Air Museum?

The installation and interview video programme runs from 19 April to 1 November 2026.

What is the Hakone Open-Air Museum?

It is an outdoor sculpture museum in Hakone that opened in 1969 and displays approximately 120 works across a site of about 70,000 square metres.

Where is Hakone Open-Air Museum and how do you get there?

The museum is at 1121 Ninotaira in Hakone-machi, Kanagawa Prefecture. Chokoku-no-Mori Station on the Hakone Tozan Railway is the named rail reference for the museum.