The Hakone Open Air Museum, located on the slopes of Mount Hakone in Fuji Hakone Izu National Park, is built in a beautiful natural setting of over 70,000 sq. meters. It is perfect for a day trip from the city or an extended weekend excursion, and its expansive grounds showcase more than 100 monumental sculptures, including one of the world's largest collections of works by British sculptor Henry Moore (1898-1986).
The museum's latest exhibition, "Meets Art: Tamatebako in the Forest," consists of ensembles of work by eight artists and is designed to intrigue viewers of all ages. It is organized as a tamatebako (treasure chest) of art installations with themes ranging from the mystical to the whimsical.
Entering the main indoor gallery space, you'll likely hear visitors murmur, "Are those real butterflies?" as they encounter Eiji Watanabe's "Garden of the Appelation 2014," a skillful arrangement of more than 2,000 colorful paper butterflies resting on a large mirrored pillar. The work was created by cutting out images of the butterflies from picture books by the British botanist and photographer Roger Phillips.