Bits and Pieces of #Japan: Hakone Museums

At the Hakone Open Air Museum

(Before I begin my post- a word on The Tree of Life Collaborative writing project to which I was invited. Lovely story by 26 authors, written based on a song each. Here’s my episode. Comment for a choice to receive your copy of a CD.)

This time in Japan was more about reflection, not like earlier, when everything seemed strange and distant. It all felt new, but this time it was like meeting an acquaintance.

Familiarity hasn’t brought contempt, but it has certainly brought a degree of comfort.

I walked through a bunch of museums in Hakone, taking one spectacularly verdant bus ride after the other (so much greenery and everywhere the long-drawn-out, harsh cacophony of crickets, which sound like adamant tuneless birds), but the only ones I could take pictures at were the Hakone Open Air Art Museum and the Glass Museum.

Hakone Open Air Museum, Golden Sphere

The Open Air Museum: Elephant Sculptures

The Open Air Museum impressed me more. I couldn’t get enough of the huge outdoor sculptures, especially the metal spheres.

A beautifully tended garden with all kinds of sculptures, from historical to scifi. What’s not to like?

The Hakone Glass Museum

The Hakone Glass Museum

The glass Museum was too pretty by half out of doors, and fragile, shiny things from Venice filled the indoors. Glass crystals everywhere, as you will see if you click on the picture above for a bigger version.

The highlight of the Glass Museum was a performance by the unusual Russian musicians playing on customized glass instruments, who call themselves the Crystal Trio.

My a-ha moment came when the usually staid and proper Japanese broke out into full-throated song in accompaniment.

Natural beauty in Japan is outstanding, very zen even when casual and wild in the surroundings of a hilly brook.

The more of Japan I see, the more I want to just contemplate it without any inane attempts at description.

What about you?  Have you ever been to Japan? If yes, what was Japan like, for you?

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The stream behind the Hakone Glass Museum