Museums · Hakone · Japan
4 best museums in Hakone
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Start with Hakone Open-Air Museum, Pola Museum of Art and Okada Museum of Art. Together the 4 picks below take roughly 7–9 hours across 3 areas; all charge for entry.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 4
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 7–9 hours
- Areas
- Gōra, Sengokuhara and Kowakudani
Museums in Hakone
Museum · Gōra
1.Hakone Open-Air Museum
Opened in 1969, Japan's first open-air art museum spreads more than a hundred modern sculptures, by artists including Henry Moore and Rodin, across landscaped hillsides.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- Kids
- Outdoors
Gallery · Sengokuhara
2.Pola Museum of Art
Set in beech forest in Sengokuhara, this glass-and-concrete museum houses a large private collection including Impressionists such as Monet and Renoir, Japanese Western-style paintings and ceramics.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Nature
Gallery · Kowakudani
3.Okada Museum of Art
This museum displays Japanese, Chinese and Korean art, from ceramics to folding screens, across several floors.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Art
- Rainy day
- Couples
Museum · Sengokuhara
4.Lalique Museum Hakone
This museum shows the glass and jewellery of René Lalique, including car mascots and perfume bottles.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Couples
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Gōra | Hakone Open-Air Museum | 2–3 hours |
| Sengokuhara | Pola Museum of Art and Lalique Museum Hakone | 2 hours + 1.5 hours |
| Kowakudani | Okada Museum of Art | 1.5–2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 4, 3 mid-priced, 1 expensive. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Hakone Open-Air Museum; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 2 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Gōra and Sengokuhara): Hakone Open-Air Museum → Pola Museum of Art, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Sengokuhara and Kowakudani): Lalique Museum Hakone → Okada Museum of Art, at least 3 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of 8°C (46°F), about 7 rainy days, quiet crowds. Coldest and quietest weeks, with occasional snow; perfect for steaming outdoor baths.
- January: highs of 7°C (45°F), about 6 rainy days, moderate crowds. Cold, dry and often clear, with some of the best Mount Fuji views of the year; New Year holidays are busy.
- December: highs of 9°C (48°F), about 6 rainy days, moderate crowds. Cold and clear, with good Fuji views and cosy ryokan stays; prices rise for the New Year.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Miyanoshita — Historic hot-spring village around the 1878 Fujiya Hotel
- Kowakudani — Resort hotels and the Okada Museum on a plateau between Miyanoshita and Lake Ashi
- Gōra — The hub at the top of the Tozan line, with the cable car, Gōra Park and many ryokan
- Sengokuhara — A highland plateau of museums, golf courses and silver-grass fields
More of Hakone
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Hakone?
Hakone Open-Air Museum. Opened in 1969, Japan's first open-air art museum spreads more than a hundred modern sculptures, by artists including Henry Moore and Rodin, across landscaped hillsides.