The Hakone region around Mt. Fuji combines natural hot spring scenery with one of Japan’s most accessible concentrations of art museums. The Open Air Museum, Pola Museum of Art, and several other institutions form an art circuit that pairs naturally with onsen stays and mountain views. For Tokyo residents, Hakone is a day trip or weekend destination that works across all seasons.
Getting to Hakone
The Odakyu Romancecar limited express from Shinjuku reaches Hakone-Yumoto in about 85 minutes — comfortable reserved seating with large windows. The Hakone Free Pass (available from Odakyu) covers the Romancecar fare and unlimited use of the Hakone Tozan Railway (mountain railway), Hakone Tozan Bus, Hakone Ropeway, Hakone Cruise, and more — excellent value for a 2-day visit covering multiple museums. By car via the Tomei Expressway, Hakone is about 80 minutes from central Tokyo off-peak; traffic on holiday weekends is severe. The Hakone railway network is extensive and sufficient without a car for most art circuit itineraries.
Hakone Open Air Museum
The Hakone Open Air Museum, opened in 1969, was Japan’s first open-air sculpture park. Around 120 large-scale sculptures are displayed across 70,000 square meters of mountain garden, with the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park as backdrop. The collection includes Henry Moore, Auguste Rodin, Joan Miró, and Alexander Calder alongside Japanese sculptors. The Picasso Pavilion holds over 300 Picasso works — the largest Picasso collection in Japan. A covered corridor with stained glass by Gabriel Loire provides a transition between outdoor and indoor spaces. The foot bath (ashiyu) within the museum allows visitors to soak while looking at sculptures — an unusual and pleasant combination. The museum is accessible via the Hakone Tozan Railway (Chokoku-no-Mori Station).
Pola Museum of Art
The Pola Museum of Art, set in beech forest above Hakone-machi, holds one of the finest private art collections in Japan — approximately 10,000 works including significant holdings of French Impressionist and post-Impressionist painting (Monet, Renoir, Picasso, Matisse) alongside Japanese Western-style oil paintings, decorative arts, and contemporary works. The building, designed by Nikken Sekkei, uses natural light extensively, and the forest setting creates a contemplative atmosphere distinct from urban museums. A forest trail connects the parking area through woodland to the museum entrance. The museum restaurant has good views and is worth booking for lunch. Allow 2–3 hours for a thorough visit.
MOA Museum of Art (Atami)
The MOA Museum of Art in Atami (at the foot of the Izu Peninsula, about 40 minutes from Hakone-Yumoto by train) holds a permanent collection of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean art alongside European works. The highlight for many visitors is the Golden Tea Room — a full-scale reproduction of the gilded portable tea room used by warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1586, relocated and rebuilt within the museum. The Korin-no-Ma (Korin Room) contains lacquerwork attributed to Ogata Korin. The building is built into the hillside above Atami with sea views from the upper terraces. The museum complex includes Japanese gardens and a Noh theater.
Okada Museum of Art (Hakone Yumoto)
The Okada Museum of Art near Hakone-Yumoto is one of Japan’s largest private museums, purpose-built to display the collection of entrepreneur Kazuo Okada. The five-floor building holds Japanese, Chinese, and Korean art and decorative objects spanning 3,000 years. The collection is particularly strong in ceramics, lacquerware, and painted screens. The museum has a foot bath in the entrance courtyard open to ticket holders. The garden café has views of the valley. Allow 2–3 hours; the collection is vast and the building large.
The Hakone Art Circuit Route
A logical two-day art circuit: Day 1 — arrive in the morning, visit Hakone Open Air Museum (Chokoku-no-Mori Station), then continue by Hakone Tozan Railway to Hakone-Yumoto, visit Okada Museum, check in to an onsen ryokan. Day 2 — Hakone Tozan Bus to Pola Museum of Art, then continue to Hakone-machi for the Hakone Museum of Art (a smaller Japanese ceramics museum with famous moss garden), afternoon ropeway over Owakudani volcanic valley, and Lake Ashi cruise. The Hakone Free Pass covers all transport between venues and significantly simplifies logistics. Atami’s MOA Museum works as an extension or a separate day trip from Tokyo via Shinkansen to Atami (40 minutes from Shin-Yokohama).
Practical Notes for Residents
Hakone can be dense with visitors during Golden Week, August, and autumn foliage weekends. The Tozan Railway runs at reduced frequency during off-peak hours; checking timetables prevents long waits at mountain stations. Fog and cloud cover the ropeway and mountain views frequently — clear days at Owakudani are not guaranteed. The Hakone Free Pass is sold at Shinjuku Station Odakyu counters; purchasing the day before departure avoids queuing on the morning of the visit. Most Hakone museums are closed on specific weekdays (often Thursdays) — confirm before planning your circuit.