Hakone Museum of Art
箱根美術館
Hakone's oldest art museum, located on a hilltop just steps from Koen-Kami Station in Gora. It displays a collection centered on Japanese ceramics, ranging from Jomon-period earthenware to jars from the Kamakura- and Muromachi-era Six Ancient Kilns and works from the Edo period. The attached garden, "Shinsenkyo," is a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty, and its moss garden, with about 130 species of moss and over 200 maple trees, is considered among the finest in the Kanto region — especially in November, when the moss's green competes with the maples' red. Visitors can also experience tea at the "Shinwatei" tea house, spending a moment steeped in tranquility and aesthetic beauty.
Shinsenkyo, a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty moss garden
Created in 1953 by Okada Mokichi, Shinsenkyo is a strolling garden designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty in 2021. Its moss garden, carpeted with about 130 species of moss, and gently curving stone paths are beautiful, especially striking during the fresh-greenery and autumn-foliage seasons.
A collection of Japanese ceramics
The museum holds a rich collection tracing the history of Japanese ceramics, from Jomon earthenware to masterpieces of the Momoyama and Edo periods. Particularly worth seeing are the substantial jars and urns of the Kamakura- and Muromachi-era Six Ancient Kilns (Seto, Tokoname, Shigaraki, Tamba, Bizen, and Echizen).
Seasonal Highlights
🌸 Spring (Mar-May)
Visitors can enjoy the vivid contrast between fresh greenery and the moss.
🍁 Autumn (Sep-Nov)
The moss garden and maple foliage compete for attention, with early-to-mid November typically the best time to visit.
❄️ Winter (Dec-Feb)
Opening hours are shortened from December through March.
Visit Tips
- Suggested duration
- About 60-90 minutes including the museum and garden
- Crowd levels
- The area around the moss garden gets especially crowded on weekends during the autumn-leaf season
- Best time to visit
- Morning right after opening during the foliage season, or a weekday during the fresh-greenery season
| Address | 1300 Gora, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa |
|---|---|
| Hours | April-November 9:30-16:30 (last admission 16:00), December-March 9:30-16:00 (last admission 15:30). Closed Thursdays (open if a holiday), closed year-end/New Year's and during exhibition changes. Note: closed for renovation from May 7 to October 29, 2026 |
| Admission | Adults ¥1,430, high school/university students ¥1,020, junior high school and under free |
| Official Website | Visit official website |
Access
- 1 min walk from Koen-Kami Station, Hakone Tozan Cable Car (About 3 minutes by cable car (bound for Sounzan) from Gora Station on the Hakone Tozan Railway, get off at "Koen-Kami")