Enoura Observatory

Why it is on the list

The artist Hiroshi Sugimoto conceived Enoura Observatory, and his Odawara Art Foundation owns it. It sits on a citrus hillside in Enoura, against the outer rim of the Hakone mountains, looking over Sagami Bay to the Boso Peninsula and Oshima. It holds a gallery, a noh stage, the rebuilt Tensho-an tea room, the Meigetsu Gate from the Muromachi period (c. 1338-1573) and a strolling garden, built by Odawara craftsmen using old techniques.¹ It opened in October 2017 after more than twenty years of planning and covers 60,000 m².² Each session admits a capped number of visitors.³

It is the wrong day for anyone who needs level ground. Most of the site is outdoors, on slopes and unpaved paths, and parts of it cannot be reached by wheelchair. Children under twelve are not admitted.³ For a round of golf by the sea with Mount Fuji across the bay, take the Fuji Course at Kawana Hotel instead.

How to get it

Book a reserved ticket online and choose the session: morning, 10:00 to 13:00, or afternoon, 13:30 to 16:30. Check in at least 45 minutes before your session ends. Reserved tickets cost 3,300 yen and are paid by credit card. Once issued, a ticket cannot be refunded or changed.³ Book at least two days ahead. Walk-up tickets, at 3,850 yen, are sold only when a session is not full. To find out, call +81 465 42 9170 between 9:00 and noon on the day.⁴³ The site is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, over the New Year and in severe weather.³

From Tokyo Station, take the Kodama Shinkansen to Odawara (about 35 minutes), then the JR Tokaido Line to Nebukawa (7 minutes). A free shuttle meets set trains, but its seats are limited, so book one with the ticket. The road on foot is narrow and takes about 40 minutes. A taxi from Manazuru Station takes about 10 minutes. By car, reserve one of the few parking spaces when you book.³

Discretion

Numbers are capped at each session, groups get no discount, and coach buses are not allowed.³ Phones may not be used inside any building. Photographs are for private use only: no tripods, and no flash in the gallery.³ Stone Age Cafe by the main gate serves only visitors. There is no restaurant and no shop.⁴