If someone were to tell you that the largest private collection of New York street and pop artist Keith Haring's work is stashed in some of Japan's lushest mountainous countryside, and if you went to visit it, you could stay in a Keith Haring-inspired boutique hotel, you would probably think they were joking.

But it's true — and there's an interesting conceptual and architectural tale behind it all.

The Nakamura Keith Haring Collection museum opened in Kobuchizawa, Yamanashi Prefecture, in 2007 and its contemporary design by architect Atsushi Kitagawara stands out in its rural surroundings, making it a landmark for the area. Founded by local landowner and businessman Kazuo Nakamura, the museum is now a highlight of Art Village Kobuchizawa, a resort area that opened in December 2004. It houses nearly 200 items, all collected by Nakamura, whose love for Haring's works began in 1987 when he saw "People's Ladder" for the first time during a trip to the United States.