Nature Trail: A Walk through Nature and Art

The Pola Museum of Art was designed to blend into a national park in Hakone. And the Nature Trail was created to make the most of this rich environment. A variety of encounters await visitors along the approximately one-kilometer-long trail. There are stunning beeches and tall stewartia trees. Wild birds sing in every season of the year. And sculptures stand quietly in the forest. Whenever you walk here, you are never far from nature or art. That’s what makes this museum different from the ones in the city.

01Visitors of All Ages Can Enjoy the Nature Trail with a Walking Map

If you walk at a relaxed place, you can cover the entire trail in about 40 minutes. Everyone from 9 to 99 will enjoy encountering a wealth of nature and art along the way.

02The Sculptures Have Many Forms – The Forest Is Another Gallery

A variety of sculptures dwell side by side with the beautiful natural environment. The expansive viewing area is enveloped in a dignified atmosphere.

Bando Masaru, Snow Child Ⅰ, 1999

Bando Masaru, Anima, 2018

Bando Masaru, Notte, 1993

Bando Masaru, Kataware-doki(Dawn), 2012

Bando Masaru, Abstraction, 2014

niu, Blessed Dogs, 2016

Bando Masaru, Abstraction, 2014

Aoki Noe, moya / Sengokuhara(cloud valley / Sengokuhara), 2013

Yagi Mariyo, The Encounter of Mother Earth Goddess, 2020

Sequoyah Aono, Dexter Head, 2019

Sato Chu, Untitled #68, 2013

Sato Chu, Untitled #70, 2013

Sato Chu, Untitled #69, 2013

Bando Masaru, La Famiglia, 1997

Ai Weiwei, Iron Root, 2015

niu, Sensuoussness, 2013

Bando Masaru, Adamo e Eva, 1994

SHIMURAbros, Light Odyssey, 2017

Bando Masaru, Life on Life, 2016

Roni Horn, Air Burial (Hakone), 2017-2018

KEIKO+MANABU, Hummin' Bloom, 2020

Bando Masaru, A dog, 1999

Bando Masaru, Anima, 2020

Bando Masaru, Snow Childlen, 1999

Bando Masaru, Snow Child Ⅱ, 1999

03A Home to Beautiful Flowers and Birds

The Hakone forest is home to a variety of unusual plants and lovely wild birds who fill the trees with song. The arrival of each season brings new pleasures.

Visitor Information

Hours: 9:00-16:30
The trail is closed on museum holidays.
Museum hours: 9:00-17:00 (last entry: 16:30)
The trail may be closed without prior notice due to inclement weather.
The following activities are prohibited on the trail:
  • Eating, drinking, and littering
  • Smoking and the use of open flames
  • Gathering plants or insects
  • Straying from the trail
  • Using camera tripods (as they may block the passage of other visitors)
Precautions
  • Please stay away from poisonous creatures such as mamushi snakes and bees. In the event that you are bitten or stung, please notify the staff immediately.
  • Please refrain from taking commemorative photographs for weddings, coming-of-age ceremonies, etc.
Visitors with Pets
  • Please keep your pet on a short leash at all times.
  • Please clean up after your pet.
  • Please do not groom your pet.
  • The museum accepts no responsibility for any inconvenience that your pet might cause to other visitors.