Art in the Mountains - The Toge Small Art Museum in Naganuma Park

Naganuma Park (長沼公園), located about 45 minutes west of Tokyo, makes for a nice day trip from the metropolis. It's an easy 10-minute walk from Naganuma Station, which is on the Keio Line.

 You can do a circuit around the park's walking trails in a couple of hours.

The trail maps are all in Japanese, but carry a compass (or a smartphone, I suppose) and follow the "you are here" (現在地) pointers on the maps, and it's easy enough to get around.

The park offers nice views, bridges across little streams, and impressive open spaces that can't be found in the city.

More after the jump:

There's also an art gallery towards the top of the hill - the Toge Small Art Museum (峠の小さな美術館). (It's open daily and closed Tuesday and Wednesday.)

 The gallery is in a former restaurant. The traditional building and setting make for a nice venue.

 This exhibition lasted about three and a half weeks.

A remnant of the gallery's restaurant past.

Entrance to the gallery is free. They make some money by selling postcards.

Surrounding the gallery are a number of buildings that are no longer in use. The structures are a kind of museum in themselves, as they offer a look into Japan's past.

Some more images from the park and nearby areas:

 

 

 

Click here for a map of the park. The nearby Naganuma Station is visible, and you can plug in your location to get directions from whichever station you're coming from.