Sculpture Forest Museum hosts Kusama programme until 1 November
Published on 10/11/2026 at 05:44 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSKey points in brief
- Sculpture Forest Museum is presenting a Yayoi Kusama Pumpkin installation and interview video programme until 1 November 2026.
- The museum opened in Hakone in 1969, and its Picasso Pavilion was completed in 1984.
- The current programme links Kusama material with a museum whose history includes exhibitions and works shown outdoors.
Sculpture Forest Museum (Hakone Chokoku-no-mori Bijutsukan) is continuing its Yayoi Kusama Pumpkin installation and interview video programme in Hakone, Japan, until 1 November 2026. The current programme gives the open-air art venue a dated autumn focus while Kusama material remains on the museum calendar.
Yayoi Kusama Pumpkin programme runs until 1 November
The museum lists the temporary Pumpkin-related programme from 19 April to 1 November 2026. It combines an installation connected with Kusama's Pumpkin with an interview video, giving the programme both a physical display and a moving-image element.
The end date is the immediate news point for visitors in October. The museum's October programme listing places the Kusama material among the exhibitions and activities running at the venue, and records that the related programme continues until 1 November 2026.
The programme is not a city-wide Hakone event with a loose connection to the museum. Its listing names the museum directly, so the closing date applies to a visit to this specific art site. That makes the final weeks of October the relevant period for travellers planning to see the installation and video together.
The museum's history places the Kusama programme in context
Sculpture Forest Museum opened on 1 August 1969, after the plan to establish it had been announced in 1968. The museum's history records an opening exhibition of modern sculpture, followed by presentations of European and Japanese sculpture.
Several later additions remain useful reference points. The Picasso Pavilion and New Gallery were completed in 1984, while the museum's history records the opening of a hot spring foot bath in 2004. A 2009 entry records the completion of Woods of Net, and the 2019 history notes the renewal of the Picasso Pavilion for the museum's fiftieth anniversary.
Against that history, the 2026 Kusama programme connects a contemporary artist's work with a site built around changing sculpture displays. The museum's record includes earlier Kusama programming in 1988, when it presented Yayoi Kusama - Soul Burning Flashes, giving the current Pumpkin programme a documented place within the institution's exhibition history.
Why the 2026 programme matters for an autumn visit
The timing matters because the programme has a fixed final day rather than an open-ended seasonal description. On 1 November 2026, the listed period ends, so the Pumpkin installation and interview video should not be treated as part of the museum's permanent collection.
The date also separates the current programme from the museum's permanent identity as an open-air sculpture venue. Travellers can therefore distinguish between the long-established outdoor setting and the time-limited Kusama material when planning a visit to Hakone in October 2026.
Visiting Sculpture Forest Museum: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Yayoi Kusama Pumpkin installation and interview video programme is listed from 19 April to 1 November 2026 at the museum in Hakone.
- The programme's listed closing date is 1 November 2026. The museum's October listing presents it as a current programme item, with no closure of the museum stated there.
- The venue is in Hakone, Japan. The dated programme concerns the museum itself, not a separate event elsewhere in the Hakone region.
- The site combines outdoor sculpture displays with museum galleries and named facilities including the Picasso Pavilion and Woods of Net, as recorded in the museum's history.
- Japan's official language is Japanese and its national currency is the yen.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Sculpture Forest Museum
When does the Yayoi Kusama Pumpkin programme take place at Sculpture Forest Museum?
The listed programme runs from 19 April to 1 November 2026. It includes a Pumpkin installation and an interview video.
What is Sculpture Forest Museum?
It is an open-air sculpture museum in Hakone, Japan, which opened on 1 August 1969. Its recorded facilities include the Picasso Pavilion, New Gallery and Woods of Net.
Where is Sculpture Forest Museum and how do you get there?
The museum is in Hakone, Japan. The current dated programme listing identifies the venue as the museum itself, rather than another Hakone attraction.
