Pola Museum of Art

The Pola Museum of Art was created in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture in 2002. Since it opened, the museum has championed the concept of a symbiosis between Hakone’s natural beauty and art. Designed with special consideration for the local environment and scenery, the museum facility is limited to an aboveground height of eight meters. The majority of the building is situated underground, allowing the structure to blend in with its surroundings. The galleries are fitted with lighting that was developed independently to display each work in the most beautiful manner. The museum’s collection, totaling approximately 10,000 items, was assembled over some 40 years by the late Tsuneshi Suzuki, the second-generation head of the Pola corporation. The diverse range of works includes Western paintings, yoga (Western-style paintings by Japanese artists), Nihonga (Japanese-style paintings), prints, East Asian pottery, glassworks, and cosmetic utensils from every age and region. From the outstanding artworks to the abundance of nature and the light-filled architectural space, the museum positively breathes “symbiosis.”