Where Hakone’s Forest Meets Art at the Pola Museum of Art
The Pola Museum of Art opened in Hakone’s Sengokuhara area in 2002 and embraces the concept of “the coexistence of Hakone’s natural beauty and art.”
The experience extends beyond the galleries: by walking through the light-filled architecture and along the forest trail, you can encounter the relationships among artworks, space, and nature as one continuous whole.
A Collection Centered on Tsuneshi Suzuki’s Acquisitions
The holdings are built around the collection assembled by Tsuneshi Suzuki, a 2nd-generation member of the Pola founding family, and encompass paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts from different periods and regions.
A defining feature is how an accumulation that began with one collector’s interests has been reorganized by the museum into exhibitions that cross periods and regions.
Instead of following only the titles of works, consider how each piece is categorized and how it relates to other works; this makes the curatorial intent easier to understand.
Explore Impressionism, Nihonga, and Cosmetic Utensils
Representative artists include Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Picasso, Tsuguharu Foujita, and Yasushi Sugiyama.
The collection of modern Western painting comprises approximately 400 works.
In addition to Western painting, Japanese Western-style painting, nihonga, glass art, East Asian ceramics, and cosmetic utensils are important pillars of the collection.
Comparing paintings and decorative arts from the same period reveals how color, line, materials, and everyday culture influenced one another.
Organizing the main fields and ways of viewing them makes it easier to move across the galleries.
| Field | Main Focus | Elements to Compare |
|---|---|---|
| Western Painting | Light and Color | Brushwork and Composition |
| Nihonga | Line and Negative Space | Materials and Space |
| Decorative Arts | Technique and Use | Form and Ornament |
| Cosmetic Utensils | Body and Society | Containers and Aesthetic Values |
Understand Impressionism and Modern Painting Through Light
Impressionist works and related art invite attention to how artists sought to capture changing natural light, urban life, and the human figure through new approaches to color and brushwork.
Rather than merely checking the names of famous artists, trace where light appears within each picture and how the colors overlap.
See the Layers of Color in Monet and Renoir
In Impressionist paintings, artists may express light and air with short brushstrokes and adjacent colors instead of outlining a subject in a single color.
First view the overall brightness from a distance, then move closer to examine how the paint was applied. Step back again to experience how particles of color transform into a scene.
Gallery lighting may be subdued to protect the works, so wait for your eyes to adjust and avoid bringing your face too close to the picture.
Compare Form and Emotion in Cézanne and Van Gogh
In Post-Impressionist works, attention shifts beyond a fleeting moment of light to the construction of form, forceful brushwork, and each artist’s distinctive use of color.
Look for recurring lines, tilted planes, and rhythms of color in still lifes and landscapes to discover a pictorial order different from realism.
Artists of the same era did not all work in the same way, so avoid grouping them simply as “what came after Impressionism” and put the differences between individual works into words.
Check Whether a Work Is on Display
Not every work in a museum’s collection is always on display; what can be seen changes because of conservation, loans, and the organization of special exhibitions.
If you are visiting for a particular artist or work, check the display information on the collection page and the exhibitions currently underway before your visit.
Even if the work you hoped to see is not on view, shifting your attention to works from a similar period or using related techniques lets you appreciate the collection’s breadth.
Broaden Your View to Nihonga, Decorative Arts, and Cosmetic Utensils
Viewing nihonga and decorative arts after modern Western paintings makes it possible to compare how different materials express space and the body.
If your visit tends to focus on paintings, spending time with objects close to everyday life—such as containers, mirrors, and perfume bottles—can open a new path into the collection.
Read Line and Negative Space in Modern Nihonga
The nihonga collection comprises approximately 160 works, primarily from the postwar period, assembled to trace the development of modern nihonga.
Comparing works that use outlines with those that incorporate aerial perspective and restrain line reveals the tension between tradition and new forms of expression.
Imagine the properties of materials such as silk, paper, and mineral pigments, and attend to the sense of time created by the thickness of color, bleeding, and negative space.
Compare the Materials of Glass Art and East Asian Ceramics
Glass relies on transmission and reflection, while ceramics use glaze and vessel surfaces; the way light is received and ornament appears changes with each material.
Look in sequence at the rim, body, and base of a vessel, and consider where a form made for use overlaps with a design made for appreciation.
Moving between vessels depicted in paintings and actual works of decorative art connects two-dimensional and three-dimensional expression.
Consider an Era’s Aesthetic Values Through Cosmetic Utensils
The cosmetic-utensil collection comprises 6,700 objects spanning antiquity to the present and extending across Japan, Europe, Africa, and Oceania.
Perfume bottles, cosmetic sets, compacts, and similar objects are sources that convey not only artistic beauty but also bodily adornment, distribution, and social roles.
Along with form and pattern, imagining who used an object and in what setting narrows the distance between art and everyday life.
Changing the order in which you view works as follows allows comparisons across fields.
| Order | What to View | Connecting Question |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Painting | How is light depicted? |
| 2 | Glass | How does it transmit light? |
| 3 | Ceramics | How is the surface decorated? |
| 4 | Cosmetic Utensils | How does it relate to the body? |
The Pola Museum of Art’s Architecture Welcomes Light and Greenery
The architecture of the Pola Museum of Art is designed to bring light and the presence of the forest into the museum while protecting the natural landscape of the national park.
As you move between exhibitions, look toward the windows, atrium, and walls; the building itself then becomes an object of appreciation.
An Atrium Extending from Basement Level 2 to Floor 2
The atrium lobby runs through the center of the museum from basement level 2 to floor 2 and is designed to receive natural light.
Each time your height changes on the stairs or escalators, the greenery beyond the glass and the movement of people inside appear at different levels.
Treat the route as more than a passageway and observe the relationships between upper and lower floors, how far the light reaches, and the contrast with the enclosed galleries.
Observe Changes over Time at the 20-Meter-High Light Wall
A 20-meter-high light wall stands along the south side, and the way light enters changes with the movement of the sun.
Viewing it from the same position when you arrive and before you leave lets you notice changes in the wall’s brightness, the length of shadows, and the greenery reflected in the windows.
Also note the design that separates exhibition spaces, where works must be protected, from common areas that make use of natural light.
Understand How the Building Sits Low in the Forest
From outside, the building sits low among the trees; as you proceed inside, a broad underground space unfolds.
Rather than asserting its presence through a large exterior, the design expresses an approach that secures the necessary exhibition area while preserving the forest ridgeline.
On the approach to the entrance, compare the height of the building and trees, and when leaving, look back at the scenery reflected in the glass.
Encounter Sculpture and Trees on the Forest Trail
The outdoor forest trail is a place to reconsider the works seen inside within a natural environment.
Beech trees, himeshara trees, birdsong, and sculptures share the same space, and viewing conditions change with the weather and seasons.
Take Your Time on the Approximately 1-Kilometer Trail
The trail is approximately 1 kilometer long, and a leisurely walk takes about 40 minutes.
Viewing, photography, and breaks add time, so begin your walk with the museum’s closing time and the remaining daylight in mind.
If time is limited, do not force yourself to complete the entire route; use the walking map to choose an area from which it is easy to return.
See the Differences Between Beech and Himeshara Trees
The forest introduces mature beech trees and himeshara trees with smooth, reddish-brown bark.
Comparing not only the leaves but also trunk color, roots, and the spread of branches reveals how each tree species occupies the forest.
Observe from the maintained path without touching or collecting bark or plants.
View Sculptures Together with the Space Around Them
Forest sculptures are composed not only of their pedestals and forms, but also of the background trees, the contours of the ground, and the light filtering through.
Do not assume that a work has a single front; watch how its outline changes as you move along the path.
When others are viewing a work, avoid occupying the space in front of it for too long and help preserve the quiet sounds of the forest.
Outdoor points of observation change with the weather.
| Conditions | What to Notice | Caution |
|---|---|---|
| Sunny | Dappled Light and Shadows | Observe the contrast between light and dark |
| Cloudy | Outline of Sculptures | Watch your footing |
| After Rain | Colors of Bark and Moss | Avoid slipping |
| Windy | Sound and Movement of Leaves | Beware of falling branches |
Plan a 1-Day Visit Around Opening Hours and Transportation
Because the Pola Museum of Art is in a mountainous area, plan not only for gallery time but also for transportation and the conditions for walking outdoors.
Exhibitions, display rotations, and weather may bring changes, so confirm information for the day of your visit before departure.
Regular Opening Hours and Closures for Display Changes
Regular opening hours are from 9:00 to 17:00, with last admission at 16:30.
The museum is generally open year-round, but it may close temporarily or close some galleries for display changes and other reasons.
If you plan to combine special exhibitions, the collection galleries, the architecture, and the trail, arriving early is better than coming just before last admission.
Check Buses from Gora Station and Other Points
Public transportation options include buses to the museum from the direction of Gora Station and elsewhere.
A free shuttle bus is available from Gora Station, and the ride takes approximately 8 minutes.
Schedules and boarding locations, including those of the free shuttle, may change, so review both on the day of your visit.
Allow for road conditions or full buses that may prevent you from boarding as planned, and do not make your return plan depend on only one departure.
Allocate Time Between Indoor and Outdoor Areas
On rainy days, focus on the galleries and architecture, adding a short outdoor walk when the footing is safe; adjust the order to suit the weather.
Even in clear weather, temperatures and path conditions in the forest differ from those in town, so choose comfortable walking shoes and clothing that allows you to regulate your temperature.
Follow museum signs and staff instructions regarding photography, food and drink, and baggage, and prioritize behavior that does not harm the artworks or natural environment.
Summary of a Visit to the Pola Museum of Art
At the Pola Museum of Art, you can view a collection spanning Impressionism, nihonga, decorative arts, and cosmetic utensils within architecture designed to coexist with Hakone’s natural setting.
Sense changes over time in the atrium and light wall, then turn your attention to sculptures, beech trees, and himeshara trees along the forest trail; the indoor and outdoor areas connect as one exhibition space.
Confirm the works on display, opening status, transportation, and weather, and visit with enough time both for the areas you want to see and for walking in the forest.
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