Hakone: Japan’s first open-air museum where art and nature live together

Today we can live and experience art and its forms in different ways and places. Exhibitions, museums, theatres are not the only settings where you can enjoy the beauty of the masterpieces. It would be exciting to walk in a park and admire works of art in the open air surrounded by the beauty of nature, in any season of the year, would not it? In Japan, but not only, it is possible. Today we are going to visit the Hakone Open Air Museum, close to Mount Fuji. Hakone is a very popular area for nature lovers who enjoy relaxing among the tranquillity of parks, museums and nature trails. 

The Hakone Museum is the first open-air art museum in Japan that was founded in 1969. The surface of 700 thousand square meters of green area houses cafes, restaurants, shops and of course, 120 works by both Japanese and foreign sculptors and five internal exhibitions, including the famous Picasso exhibition with over 300 of the artist’s masterpieces. Henry Moore, Medardo Rosso, Constantin Brâncuși, Barbara Hepworth, Émile Antoine Bourdelle, Taro Okamoto, Barry Flanagan are some of the modern and contemporary artists who have left their signature in this artistic park. Among the most beautiful and fascinating works there is certainly the “symphonic sculpture” by Gabriel Loire, the beautiful work of art is a tower enclosed by colourful stained glass where people can have a panoramic view of the park and the surrounding environment. 

The open-air museum collaborates with the “Fujisankei Communications Group” by offering artistic exhibitions and hosting international art competitions. 

In the park you can breathe a perfect harmony between art and nature fused together in a continuous dialogue. Thus visitors have the great opportunity to stroll around the museum and admire the engaging works of art as close as possible. The explosion of the thousand colours during spring, the lights and the summer heat, the warm shades of autumn, or the silence and the low temperatures of winter season will let all the guests live different experiences and emotions. 

“In 2012, the museum became a public interest incorporated foundation. Our mission remains unchanged—consistently astonishing as many people as possible with the delight that comes from experiencing art. We are thankful to all who understand and support our vision”. 

If you are traveling to this area of ​​Japan, a stop at the Hakone open-air art park is a must, living the experience of the union between art and nature will surprise you.