Japan's first museum dedicated to Venetian glass, with a garden of crystal sculptures that sparkle in the sun in the Hakone forest; admission around 1.800 ¥.
The Hakone Venetian Glass Museum, known as Garasu no Mori (the forest of glass), is the first museum in Japan dedicated to the art of Venetian glass and one of the most photogenic spots in the area. Styled as a small corner of Renaissance Italy, it combines Venetian-style architecture with a beautiful garden that features tunnels and crystal sculptures sparkling in the sun and, in winter, against a backdrop of snow. Inside, historic pieces of Venetian glass of great value are exhibited, and the complex has a café-restaurant with live music and glassware shops. Admission is around 1.800 ¥. It opens from 10:00 to 17:30, with last entry at 17:00. It is in Sengokuhara and is reached on the Hakone Tozan bus in about 20 minutes, a stop covered by the Hakone Free Pass. It is a quiet and very beautiful visit, ideal to combine with the Open-Air Museum and the Pola Museum on a day of art in Hakone, and especially recommended for those travelling as a couple or looking for charming spots.
