The Hakone Open-Air Museum (Hakone-machi, Kanagawa) unveiled its first-ever Yayoi Kusama work on April 19, 2026, with the addition of I Am a Pumpkin (2013, granite) to its permanent outdoor collection. The sculpture has been installed in a corner of the outdoor display area adjacent to the museum's café, in a space specially renovated to complement the work — complete with vibrant mosaic tile flooring newly laid around the piece.
From left: Eiji Tamaki (Managing Director, Hakone Open-Air Museum Foundation), Akira Tatehata (Director, Yayoi Kusama Museum / Board Member, Hakone Open-Air Museum Foundation), Koichi Suzuno (Torafu Architects), Hiroaki Sakamoto (Head of Tokyo Operations Division, Hakone Open-Air Museum Foundation)
The sculpture was originally displayed at the Marunouchi Street Gallery in Tokyo in 2013, and remained there through 2025. Now relocated to Hakone, The Hakone Open-Air Museum is currently the only venue in Japan where visitors can view one of Kusama's stone sculptures. This also marks the museum's first acquisition of any Kusama work.
The pumpkin is one of the central motifs in Kusama's practice. The title I Am a Pumpkin reflects Kusama's identification with the subject — she has previously described herself as a pumpkin — while simultaneously conveying a powerful message against war, for peace, and for the belief that love can save the world. The work is also among Kusama's rare stone sculptures, representing the first time she worked with stone (granite) as a medium.
Along with the installation of I Am a Pumpkin, new benches have been added nearby, where visitors can sit beneath the dappled light and gently passing breeze to take in the work at their own pace. The varied terrain creates a natural sense of rhythm and visual interest without obstructing sightlines from other areas of the museum.
Voices from the Opening
At the launch, representatives from the Foundation and collaborators shared their reflections on the work and the new space.
Eiji Tamaki, Managing Director of the Hakone Open-Air Museum Foundation, welcomed the acquisition: "This work was first shown in Marunouchi in 2013 — a sculpture that radiated warmth and gentle presence. I look forward to seeing what expressions this pumpkin will show as it moves from the streets of Marunouchi to the greenery of Hakone."
Akira Tatehata, Director of the Yayoi Kusama Museum and a board member of the Hakone Open-Air Museum Foundation, offered insights into the artist and work: "This piece is unusual for Kusama — it is made of stone, granite. The pumpkin is a central motif throughout her work. In the title I Am a Pumpkin, there is a sense that Kusama equates herself with the pumpkin — she has spoken of this before — and at the same time, the work carries a powerful message of anti-war sentiment, peace, and the belief that love can save the world. The area has the feeling of a 'Kusama Garden' within the open-air museum — a very interesting spot — and I hope visitors will enjoy it."
Hiroaki Sakamoto, Head of the Tokyo Operations Division of the Foundation, explained the installation concept: "This work was first displayed at the Marunouchi Street Gallery in 2013. It was Kusama's first stone sculpture — rare and precious. In placing it at The Hakone Open-Air Museum, we wanted to draw on the richness of the natural surroundings, laying tiles not just around the plinth but across the floor, and adding plantings around the piece, creating a space with a very different atmosphere from its urban setting. In a 2013 interview, Kusama said that by using stone — a semi-permanent material — she was expressing the idea that 'love is eternal, love is forever.' I personally feel that the holes in this black pumpkin absorb the world around them, transcending eras and time, and will continue to radiate infinite space and love from Hakone."
Koichi Suzuno of Torafu Architects, who designed the landscape for the new area, described the concept: "I previously designed the spaces for 'Maruta Hiroba Kitoki' (2020) and 'Mori no Ashiyu' (2024), and this time was responsible for the landscape and bench space for Kusama's work. The design concept was a secluded, enclosed garden where visitors can be alone with the sculpture. I aimed for a composition where the colors of plants and trees shift with the seasons, and where different vistas unfold in every direction. New benches in an area with views of cherry trees offer a quiet place to pause in the filtered light. The surrounding ground is covered with moss that, at first glance, resembles turf — creating a sense of proximity to nature. The design integrates seamlessly into the wider landscape so that the entire space feels unified, inviting visitors to quietly commune with the natural world."
Artwork Details
- Artist: Yayoi Kusama
- Title: I Am a Pumpkin
- Year: 2013
- Medium: Granite
Display Area Details
- Opening date: April 19, 2026
- Plinth and mosaic tile design: Yayoi Kusama
- Landscape design: Torafu Architects
- Planting design: Sa Tree
Related Events
An installation work titled Pumpkin (2017, mixed media) by Yayoi Kusama is on view in the Maruta Hiroba Kitoki area and The Hakone Open-Air Museum Café from April 19 to November 1, 2026. A video interview with Kusama recorded in 2013, when the stone sculpture was completed (with Japanese and English subtitles; footage courtesy of Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.), is also being screened at Maruta Hiroba Kitoki.
About Yayoi Kusama
Yayoi Kusama is an avant-garde artist, novelist, and poet. Born in Matsumoto, Nagano in 1929, she began creating works with polka dot and net motifs from childhood. In 1957, she moved to the United States, working from New York, where she established an international reputation through net paintings, soft sculptures, and innovative installations using mirrors and electric lights. She also engaged extensively in body painting, happenings, fashion shows, and filmmaking across Europe and the United States.
After returning to Japan in 1973, Kusama has been based in Tokyo, combining visual art with writing — poetry and fiction. She has participated in outdoor sculpture projects, corporate collaborations, and documentary film production, and continues to create prolifically to this day. Retrospective exhibitions have been held at major museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and Tate Modern, London. As of 2026, a large-scale solo exhibition, Yayoi Kusama, is touring three countries in Europe. The Yayoi Kusama Museum opened in Shinjuku, Tokyo in 2017.
Her work consistently explores themes of nature, love, life and death, and infinity.
Currently on View at The Hakone Open-Air Museum
Unique Collection
January 31, 2026 onwards / Main Gallery / 27 works from the collection (25 artists)
Masterpiece Collection
December 6, 2024 onwards / Art Hall / 25 works from the collection (18 artists)
Museum Information
The Hakone Open-Air Museum (THE HAKONE OPEN-AIR MUSEUM)
Address: 1121 Ninohe, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture
Open daily: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (last admission 4:30 PM)
Admission: Adults ¥2,000 / University and high school students ¥1,600 / Junior high and elementary school students ¥800 / Preschool children: free
Web ticket discounts, group discounts, and disability discounts are available. Students are required to present a valid student ID.
Access
By train: A 2-minute walk from Chokoku-no-Mori Station on the Hakone Tozan Railway.
By car: Approximately 25 minutes from Hakone-guchi IC via the Tomei Expressway Atsugi IC – Odawara-Atsugi Road – Nishi-Shonan Bypass, or approximately 30 minutes from Gotemba IC on the Tomei Expressway.
Official website: https://www.hakone-oam.or.jp/
