Utsukushi-ga-hara Open-Air Museum, Open-air art museum in Ueda, Japan
Utsukushi-ga-hara Open-Air Museum is a sculpture garden and museum on the Utsukushi-ga-hara plateau in Ueda, Nagano Prefecture, at about 2,000 metres. Its main building is a long, low white block with a central square tower under a red pyramidal roof, rows of small rectangular and arched windows, and a circular red emblem on the left end of the front wall; the entrance level sits recessed behind white columns. A second white building has a pitched roof of orange tiles, an arched opening into a dark interior, and a bronze-coloured statue on a dark plinth beside the arch.
The museum opened in June 1981 on a highland plateau to display contemporary sculptures in nature. Indoor spaces and new works were added over the years, gradually expanding the grounds.
The site combines outdoor sculptures with indoor galleries showing works from Japan and other countries. Visitors walk through meadows and wooded sections where artworks stand among trees or on open ground.
The museum sits at about 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) elevation and opens from late April to early November. Expect cooler weather and bring warmer clothing when exploring the outdoor areas.
The museum closes from late November to mid-April, when the Venus Line and the Utsukushi-ga-hara Kōen Nishinai road are shut by snow, so no sculptures can be visited in winter. The site is also registered as a roadside station (michi-no-eki), and a Fuji TV time-signal commercial once announced the hour with the museum's Bell of Amore.
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