Hakone Open-Air Museum — Outdoor Sculpture Garden

The Hakone Open-Air Museum (箱根彫刻の森美術館, Chokoku-no-Mori Bijutsukan) is Japan's first open-air museum, established in 1969 across 70,000 square meters of mountain hillside. The collection features 120+ sculptures by Japanese and international artists displayed amid landscaped gardens with Hakone's mountains as backdrop. The works range from monumental Henry Moore bronzes to whimsical interactive installations where children can climb and play.

Beyond sculpture, the museum houses the Picasso Pavilion with 300+ works (paintings, ceramics, prints) making it one of the world's largest Picasso collections. The museum also features foot-bath hot springs where visitors can soak feet while viewing art, indoor galleries for weather-independent viewing, and seasonal plantings (cherry blossoms, rhododendrons, autumn maples) that complement the permanent sculpture collection. The combination of world-class art, mountain scenery, and interactive elements makes this Hakone's most family-friendly cultural attraction.