Must-visit "Le Petit Prince Museum" in Hakone – It feels like you've truly arrived on Planet B612

Reported and photographed by You t
ru / Hakone
 
For Taiwanese travelers visiting Hakone, Japan, the Le Petit Prince Museum is one of the must-do experiences in the area. Built to celebrate the 100th birthday of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the author of "The Little Prince," this commemorative museum not only showcases the author’s life but also brings the characters and scenes from the book to life, giving visitors the feeling of “stepping into the planet where The Little Prince lives.”


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“When you look up at the sky at night, it seems as if all the stars are laughing; because I live on one of them, and I am laughing on one of them.” Rather than being just a children’s fairy tale, "The Little Prince" is more like a gift for all adults to return to a world of innocence. The Little Prince, traveling among the planets, now appears at Hakone’s Le Petit Prince Museum, engaging in a dialogue with every “grown-up.”

Starting from the entrance, visitors first walk through a hydrangea path designed by landscape designer Yoshitani Keiko, then enter the Rose Garden featuring The Little Prince and his planet, as well as the Christmas Rose Garden with The Little Prince and the Fox. Further along the path, you’ll encounter the French-style lane “Chemin du Roi” (King’s Road), which marks the beginning of the real journey into The Little Prince’s planet. Visitors can choose to enter the screening hall to learn about Saint-Exupéry’s life, or visit the chapel where he spent his childhood to offer a prayer.


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On one side of the screening hall is the exhibition space dedicated to the life of author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Though the display area looks small from the outside, it actually winds through and takes about 30 minutes to fully explore. Inside, it replicates Saint-Exupéry’s study during his lifetime, as well as the observation instruments he used as a pilot. Standing there, imagining Saint-Exupéry flying his plane into the vast starry sky, truly gives you the sense of entering The Little Prince’s world.


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In the chapel modeled after Saint-Exupéry’s childhood church, you can see stained glass windows that depict illustrations from "The Little Prince," incredibly intricate. Further along the path is Aviator’s Road, which also features a 1930s-style café, and finally, there’s the “Le Petit Prince Garden” and sculptures of The Little Prince and his planet. The complete storyline and characters from the book come vividly to life, not just reimagining the classic, but making you feel as though you’ve traveled the various planets with The Little Prince — a truly perfect experience.

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Le Petit Prince Museum
Address: 909 Sengokuhara, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa, Japan
Tel: 0460-86-3700
Business Hours: 9:00–18:00
Admission: 1,600 JPY for adults