Hakone's Open Air Museum

I've decided that this facial expression will replace smiling. Better get used to it, folks.

I found myself returning to Hakone last weekend, for a much shorter trip than last year's. And although I do consider last year's trip to have been complete (you can read about it here and here,) there were a couple of things that managed to seep through the cracks.
 One of the reasons Hakone is so alluring is its genuine family friendliness, and the Open Air Museum featured in pretty much every touristic leaflet about Hakone is a major contributor. There's a little something here for everyone, be it for art lovers, energetic children or the senile old man next door, and I was glad to be able to take a peek at it this time around.

What the Open Air Museum is is essentially a giant mash-up collection of unusual pieces of art and other interesting stuff.
Many of the items on site provide some level of interactivity, with a few allowing children to even climb in and jump around on. As tempting as it was to straight up do exactly that as well (and believe me, it was tempting) there were clear signs saying that anyone above grade-school age could not enter, written in legible English as well.
 So I had to settle for watching the children play with glossy eyes full of want. It took a few minutes to realize that I looked like a debonaire child predator, minus the mustache, so I had to back away slowly and avoid eye contact with parents.
 But hey, that aside, some pieces actually do allow for adults to interact with them too!


The museum grounds are filled with narrow underground tunnels that exist for the mere sake of being interesting as opposed to being useful, and that's fun. There was even a maze that I took pleasure in getting lost in, and that was cool too.
What took the cake for me though was the stained-glass tower, its entirety made of colorful stained-glass that can be admired all the way to the top thanks to the narrow spiraling staircase leading to its roof. And once there, from the top of the tower, one can take a good look at the (pretty wide) museum grounds and the mountains that surround and make up Hakone. And that's nice.
 One can enter the Open Air Museum for 1600¥, which isn't exactly cheap, but not quite expensive either. A lot of discounts are readily available for those who look.