Hakone Glass no Mori Venetian Glass Museum

The Hakone Glass no Mori Venetian Glass Museum is one of the most popular museums and tourist spots in Hakone. The exhibits are split into two themes: the Venetian Glass Museum, which is shaped like a medieval European castle, has around 100 pieces of Venetian glass that flourished in European aristocracy from the 15th through 19th centuries; and the Modern Glass Museum, in which there are a variety of contemporary glass works that were made after the 19th century on display. The allures of the museum, however, are not just the works of art inside the buildings. Outside is a beautiful strolling garden created in the image of Venice, and in it are a number of art pieces and decorations made of glass, bathing the surroundings in sparkling color. The most famous of these is a piece made of 160,000 shining glass crystals called Hikari no Kairo, literally "corridor of light." Additionally, at the museum’s café terrace next to the garden, visitors can enjoy a meal or coffee while listening to authentic canzoni performances.