See the recommended art galleries and museums in Kanagawa Prefecture on Instagram!
A photo that catches your eye, a nostalgic one, a landscape that makes you want to take a photo yourself...the feeling of actually seeing that captivating photograph is especially strong. You might be thinking about a trip or a quick outing, but can't decide on a destination. While it's certainly great to decide what you want to do before searching for a destination, it's also exciting to choose the scenery you want to see and then head to your destination. Instagram is a great tool for situations like these. Here, we'll introduce art museums and museums with impressive official Instagram accounts, along with photos they've actually posted. Why not first enjoy the beautiful art captured in the frame through the screen, and then use all five senses once you arrive at the destination?
Yokohama Doll Museum
Our first stop is the Yokohama Doll Museum, located about a 3-minute walk from Motomachi-Chukagai Station on the Minatomirai Line. It's within walking distance of famous areas of Yokohama, including Motomachi, Chinatown, and Yamashita Park. This museum specializes in dolls, and its Instagram page allows you to see the dolls from around the world on display inside.
This museum, which has been in operation since the late Showa period, has a collection of over 10,000 dolls from over 100 countries and different eras gathered together in one place, making it a facility that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
From dolls brought to life by Living National Treasures to new members who represent modern "Cool Japan," a unique cast of characters from the traditional to the avant-garde, cute to the surreal will be waiting to greet you!
You can also check their Instagram for information on special exhibitions and projects. Currently, you can get a glimpse of the special exhibition "The Magic of Light: An Enchanted Dollhouse," which began in April.
From elaborate creations that look like they've been cut straight out of the scenery of good old Japan to fantastical dollhouses that look like they've jumped out of a storybook, you won't be able to stop scrolling through the photos! Be sure to visit the site and be amazed by the size of the actual items.
[Yokohama Doll Museum]
Address: 18 Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, 231-0023
TEL: 045-671-9361
Official website: https://www.doll-museum.jp/
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yokohamadollmuseum/
Yokosuka Museum of Art
Take a 10-minute bus ride from Maborikaigan Station on the Keikyu Main Line to Kannonzaki. We'd like to introduce you to the Yokosuka Museum of Art, where you can enjoy the fusion of nature and art. Opened in 2007, the museum is located amidst Yokosuka's natural beauty.
From the outside, the stunning contrast between the white of the building, the blue of the sky and sea, and the lush greenery is a delight to the eye.
This is a view that can only be seen in this perfect location, surrounded by Prefectural Kannonzaki Park and Tokyo Bay.
The main building's special exhibition room hosts a wide variety of special exhibitions, including modern and contemporary Japanese art. Circular windows throughout the building let in light, allowing visitors to enjoy the blessings of nature and the fusion of art and nature even while indoors. (This photo is from the current special exhibition, "Stories Drawn with Threads.")
In the annex, Taniuchi Rokuro Museum, you can see the works of Taniuchi Rokuro, who had an atelier in Kamoi, Yokosuka. The collection of his masterpiece, "Weekly Shincho cover illustrations," posted here is a must-see.
Don't miss the spectacular view from the rooftop plaza! With the scenery reflected in the glass, it's worth taking photos from any angle. After enjoying the art created by human hands, be sure to enjoy the art created by the power of nature.
[Yokosuka Museum of Art]
Address: 4-1 Kamoi, Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, 239-0813
TEL: 046-845-1211
Official website: https://www.yokosuka-moa.jp/index.html
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yokosuka_moa/
Hakone is famous for its hot springs and relay races, but it also has an artistic side with many art galleries and museums. From here, we will introduce three art museums in Hakone.
The Hakone Open-Air Museum
First, there is the Hakone Open-Air Museum, Japan's first open-air museum, which was built to take advantage of the natural beauty of Hakone. Here you can see sculptures by Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore, and others.
The lush garden, which stretches across 70,000 square meters, has a permanent exhibition of approximately 120 sculptures, including interactive art pieces that children will love.
One of the most popular is the "Symphony of Happiness" sculpture by Gabriel Loire. You wouldn't know it from the outside, but the inside of the 18m-tall tower is surrounded by stained glass, and once you step inside, a flood of colors washes over you, creating a truly magical experience.
Some of the exhibits are hands-on. This "Star Garden" is a maze where you can experience, learn, and enjoy art.
The Picasso exhibition, which opened in 1984, 15 years after the museum's opening, features Picasso's works, including not only sculptures but also paintings and gold and silver objects.
On this Instagram page, we regularly introduce works taken by our customers, so you can enjoy a variety of photos taken from different perspectives. The day when your own photo will be added to this collection may not be far off! If you take a photo, be sure to post it with the hashtag #Everyone'sSculptures or @thehakoneopenairmuseum.
[The Hakone Open-Air Museum]
Address: 1121 Ninohira, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture, 250-0407
TEL: 0460-82-1161
Official website: https://www.hakone-oam.or.jp/
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehakoneopenairmuseum/
"Hakone Glass Forest Museum"
Following on from the "Hakone Open-Air Museum," we'll be introducing the "Glass Forest." The "Hakone Glass Forest Museum," located in Sengokuhara, Hakone, is Japan's first museum specializing in Venetian glass. In the facility's hands-on workshop, you can create your own unique piece of glass using two types of glass: sandblasting and fusing.
In the garden, which is modeled after the mansion of a European aristocrat, you can enjoy the atmosphere of a water city and a panoramic view of Owakudani at the same time. The "Corridor of Light" visible in the back right is a crystal glass arch measuring 9 meters high and approximately 10 meters long. Approximately 160,000 crystal glass beads sparkle in the sunlight.
This garden is home to seasonal plants, and in autumn you can enjoy silver grass made from crystal glass! Red dragonflies are also attracted to the sparkle of the crystal.
The indoor museums include the gorgeously decorated Venetian Glass Museum and the Contemporary Glass Museum, which displays modern glass sculptures from the 20th century. Special exhibitions are also held from time to time.
This facility can be enjoyed throughout the year, but we recommend visiting it during Christmas! During the Christmas period, large and small Christmas trees made of crystal glass shine with sparkling light. These trees, named "Romeo and Juliet," are lit up in the evening, creating a very romantic atmosphere.
The Hakone Glass Forest Museum will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2021. Why not visit to commemorate this anniversary?
[Hakone Glass Forest Museum]
Address: 940-48 Sengokuhara, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture, 250-0631
TEL: 0460-86-3111
Official website: https://www.hakone-garasunomori.jp/
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hakonegarasunomori/
Okada Museum of Art
Our final recommendation is the Okada Museum of Art in Kowakudani, which opened in 2013. It is a facility where you can enjoy the beautiful nature of Kowakudani and Eastern art.
On this Instagram page, you can not only find information about the facility, but also enjoy the changing seasonal scenery of the surrounding nature.
The Okada Museum of Art's iconic mural, "Wind and Time," depicting the wind god and thunder god painted by Fukui Kotaro, is 12 meters long and 30 meters wide, and is made up of 640 gold panels joined together. It's even more impressive when viewed in person. You can also enjoy the view while soaking in the footbath cafe, which uses 100% natural hot spring water.
The museum displays around 450 pieces, focusing on works from Asia, including Japan, Korea, and China. This facility allows visitors to enjoy a wide range of works, from early modern and contemporary Japanese paintings to Oriental ceramics, clay figurines, and Buddhist statues. (This photo is from the "DOKI Pottery! Clay Figurines and Bronzeware" exhibition held in 2020.)
The garden was designed with the concept of "A garden space where you can feel the blessings of nature - the vitality of spring water and trees," and the lush greenery and waterscape create a quiet and comfortable space.
At the museum shop, you can purchase original Okada Museum of Art chocolates that are so beautiful you'll almost feel bad eating them. The Okada Museum Chocolate "Waves and Fuji" is a bonbon chocolate that comes in eight different flavors.
[Okada Museum of Art]
Address: 493-1 Kowakudani, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture, 250-0406
TEL: 0460-87-3931
Official website: https://www.okada-museum.com/
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/okada_museum/
*This time, we have republished photos posted on the official Instagram account (with permission from each facility).
Please refrain from taking photos in areas of the facility where photography is not permitted.
