Okada Museum of Art — Attraction in Hakone

箱根を代表する美術館の一つ。敷地は大きく分けて美術館と庭園の2つに構成されている。 美術館は、主に日本・中国・韓国の東アジアの美術品が展示されている。時代は紀元前のものから近現代のものまで幅広く、しかも展示数が極めて多い。展示品はいずれも一級品、もしくは歴史的に極めて価値のあるものばかりで、特に陶器や青磁を始めとする器類の展示は目を見張るものがある。説明も読まず簡単に展示品を鑑賞するだけでも、全ての展示品を鑑賞しきるのに2時間以上を要する。全ての展示品をじっくり鑑賞するには、その日1日を全て鑑賞に充てる必要があるかもしれない。タッチパネル式デバイスが随所に設けられ、日本語だけでなく英語・中国語・韓国語で展示品の説明を見ることが出来るが、そのデバイスは主要展示品のみが対象となっている。その他の展示品の説明は基本的に日本語のみであることに注意したい。 庭園はまるで森林の中を散策するような構成になっている。純和風の庭園というわけではないが、木々の葉擦れや水の音を聞きながらのんびり過ごすのに最適だ。傾斜を巧みに活用された庭園であり、随所に休憩用のベンチが用意されている。一方で水場が多いことから特に夏は蚊が発生しやすい。庭園を散策する際は長袖の服を着るなどの虫よけ対策が必要だ。 小涌谷駅から徒歩で行ける距離ではあるが、上り坂（一部では急）であるため、車もしくはバスで行く方がいいかもしれない。美術館内はエレベーター・エスカレーター完備で、車椅子等の障碍を持つ方でも自由に利用できるが、美術館前の道路から美術館の入り口に至るまでの道が急な坂道となっており、車椅子の方は補助が必要になると思う。庭園は前述の通り傾斜があり小径は凸凹しているため、障碍を持つ方の利用はお勧めできない。なお、美術館内は撮影禁止で、撮影できるデバイスは一切持ち込むことが出来ない。チケット売り場では空港の保安検査並みの手荷物検査が行われており、撮影できるデバイスは全てコインロッカーに収納しなければならない。

This is one of the representative art museums in Hakone. The site is divided into two main sections: the art museum and the garden. The art museum exhibits mainly East Asian art works from Japan, China, and Korea. The exhibits range from B.C. to modern and contemporary art, and are extremely numerous. The exhibits are all first-class or historically valuable, and the pottery, celadon and other vessels are particularly impressive. Even without reading the explanations, it would take more than two hours to go through the entire exhibition. If you want to see all the exhibits in detail, you may need to devote an entire day to it. There are touch-screen devices throughout the art museum that provide explanations of the exhibits in English, Chinese, and Korean as well as Japanese, but these devices are only for the main exhibits. The explanations for the other exhibits are basically in Japanese only. The garden is structured as if you were strolling through a forest. It's not a purely Japanese-style garden, but it is a perfect place to relax while listening to the rustling of leaves and the sound of water. The garden makes good use of the slope, and there are benches everywhere for resting. On the other hand, mosquitoes are likely to occur, especially in summer, due to the many water features. When strolling in the garden, it is necessary to wear long-sleeved clothes to protect yourself from insects. Although it is within walking distance from Kowakudani Station, it is an uphill walk (steep in some parts), so it may be better to go by car or bus. The museum is equipped with elevators and escalators, and can be freely used by wheelchairs and other disabled visitors, but the path from the road in front of the museum to the entrance of the museum is a steep slope, and wheelchair users may need assistance. As mentioned earlier, the garden is sloped and the paths are uneven, so it is not recommended for visitors with disabilities. Photography is not allowed in the museum, and no devices that can take pictures are allowed to be brought into the museum. At the ticket counter, you will be subjected to a baggage check similar to an airport security check, and all devices that can take pictures must be stored in a...

I am not stingy about art museums but 2800 yen is way too much to pay to see similar works that you can find in many other museums in Japan. Yes, there are one-of-a-kind pieces and an amazing collection of imperial Chinese porcelain, so if you just have to see something that is only here, by all means. On top of the price are the sterile atmosphere and unfriendly staff. You have to put all electronics in a locker and go through a metal detector. Too bad if you want to translate something from a description in the galleries. There are a few very helpful touch panels in multiple languages for selected displays but not all. Also it is oppressively dark and almost disorienting with the black walls. Finally, the garden was closed due to wind (though it seemed fine) on the day I visited, but no discount offered even though that was one of the reasons I wanted to go. Great art, though, so...

A very nice and diverse collection. I especially liked the Chinese ceramics on the first floor and the Fukui Kotaro temporary exhibit. Most signage is translated in English.

Be aware they don't allow photos and even make you check your phone into a locker. The locker is free, but requires a 100 yen coin to operate. They allow re-entry, so you can exit to check your phone as needed. You can take paper notes with a pencil.

At ￥2,800 for an adult, it's more expensive than most other Japanese museums I've visited - but it's also much larger than typical. This was my favorite museum out of the seven I visited in Japan.

After visiting, I emailed them a question about one of the pieces I saw, and they gave me a very prompt and helpful answer, which I was very...