Reviews of Japanese American National Museum (Museum)

Emilie Kane

Being half Japanese, I found this museum very interesting. I enjoyed my time there, the museum is rather small in size but there is a good amount of photos, artifacts, and reading that will keep you occupied for at least an hour. It was nicely learned about this history because it wasn’t taught at school.

Aubrette Querry

Loved it! It's small be rich with history. Great place to learn about some of the history of our country. Really interesting museum.It was great. Everyone was very nice.

Jared Ziv

Went on a school field trip. It was very interesting and they had many fascinating memorabilia from WW2. Admission was inexpensive. Though the museum may seem small, there's quite a large amount of information that's readily available.

C. Ramirez

Stumbled upon this place when they're having a festival. Great family fun!

Sankalp Kaushik

Fascinating place to be. You become immersed in the Japanese American culture during the early 20th century, and it is educational as well as being extremely rewarding and fun. They have real artifacts from that era, such as newspapers and armchairs and handcuffs and things like that. Definitely a good way to spend a Saturday.

Maria Cruz Caldera Hernandez

Wonderful cube display at the entrance we enjoyed it for quite awhile

Charmaine Yukawa

Amazing exhibits and programs to preserve our Japanese history and culture.

Oscar Marsh

Been coming here for years with my husband ! Absolutely wonderful cultural exhibits to explore further into his culture !

Rain Tsong

As an Asian American-identifying person, I found the exhibits very relevant to me. I would like to return!

RP DeAn

Incredible experience and I plan to visit again. Their history exhibit about California, WWII, and Hawaii was emotional and movie. The current Japanese toy collection currently through July 2019 was really fun and interactive and better than I expected. Third Thursday of every month is free. Every Thursday after 5pm (extended hours on Thursdays till 8pm) is FREE! I highly recommend visiting there. It's also right across the street from the Gold Line's Little Tokyo station.

Peter Davila

Love the exhibits here

Christopher Carrillo

Check out the installation on concentration camps. Heart breaking. NEVER AGAIN.

Steven lam

Great place to see history and current art exhibits. They also have certain free days.

Brade Rosbotham

Had a great time here its small but theres so much to learn. Really interesting nice and very friendly.

Mark Haile

One of LA's best museums with an impressive schedule of events for families, scholars and all. Foremost museum of the history and contributions of the Japanese American community. Enjoyable programs on Japanese art, food and culture.

Koki Mashita

Kollab Rating: 89/100, good. The museum is not crowded and has good guides. It is not hard to understand for most and the pricing is very cheap. Audio guides available.

LGB LGB

Very good place to take anyone of any age.

Owen

A lot of artifacts and photos about the internment camps. Much of the focus is on the camps and the war years, as well as pre-war communities in Hawaii and the U.S. It is presented in Japanese, English, and Spanish. It has a good mix of visual, some media, and historical artifacts. You really sense the discrimination and hysteria during those years from the posters and media that is highlighted. It seems to stop at the 80’s with Reagan and I wish there was more modern information. Still it is well laid out. It is definitely a sobering walkthrough.

Justin Yoshida

Look at my name and you will see why I consider this one of the most important museums in this country, especially during these tumultuous times. If you hear some of the insidious policies put forth by our elected officials, you will know that this museum serves as much more than a record of past injustices, it also serves as a warning for us in modern times.

Alexis M

Really neat, they had an ethnic series going on where they would take Polaroids of visitors and tape it to a blank half sheet of paper and you can write whatever you want and post it on the wall. This was during the summer (2018). People would write their ethnicity and/or a message to share, it was neat.

Marie Lamb

had a very informative tour of this museum. it was very interesting.

Francisco Rivas

This is a historical memorial but the displays are very limited with a lot of artifacts removed for preservation. Everything displayed is in English so you will need the Japanese audio guide provided in different languages to keep up.

Danielle Johnson

This museum allowed us to walk through history and reminded us that we must not forget the past. Very beautiful exhibits that allowed for learning with a walk through of historical artifacts.

Steven Chen

When there is an event, it's always crowded.

Andrew Guenthner

A beautiful museum showcasing a variety of art and history, with a particular focus on California. There is enough here for an entire afternoon. Most exhibits are geared toward introspection and reflection, with the museum setting providing an elegant backdrop.

coMMand 003

Great museum. Very informative. It seems a large part of the exhibits, artifacts, and information contained in the museum focuses on treatment of Japanese and Japanese Americans in the U.S. during WWII.

TheFITCamp

Cool place to go and learn

NEFrettiti M

During TANABATA FESTIVAL is a great way to introduce yourself to JANM of Little Tokyo! I played TAIKO DRUM @ JANM in Fall 2013. Soo much fun! Grab a Curry

Ayaka N

Beautiful building commemorating Japanese American history with a focus on Internment camp. They also host interesting, relevant exhibits that change every 5-6 months. It's conveniently located across the street from Gold line station (Little Tokyo /Art District). Admission is free if you are a member of Japanese American Citizenship League (JACL).

27200my

One of the best places to learn about Japanese struggles in the USA during ww2

Enrique Hernandez

A wealth of information, the guides were awesome. A very incredible experience. Don't miss it.

Nicholas Huang

Exhibits the history of Japanese Americans, making this piece of history we learned in textbooks much more real. As others have said it's a small museum, about 2 hours is enough to go through the main exhibition

Andrew Kim

This place was full of interesting exhibits and it was free for veterans. It was a message of how the US government has wronged Japanese Americans during world War 2. You can experience how the internment camps were and what life was like being a discriminated Japanese American. It's a unique story that rarely gets told in history classes. So it's definitely worth checking out if you want to learn something new.

Susie Vargas

Cost 12 dollars for an adult, there was two floors, and an older gentleman who would answer ur questions if you had any. They showed you the concentration camp in a tiny model, the history of it all, a video/short movie, and even some stories with pictures of before/after the war. It was both beautiful and heartbreaking. Some areas said "do not take pictures" so I made sure not to, they even have one of the barracks that was used to hold prisoners the Japanese-Americans :( . I went on a Sunday around 1pm. I dont know their hours though.

Faith Rideout

Had a great learning experience which nearly brought me to tears. We went on Thursday during the free visitation time, goes by donation, and thoroughly enjoyed our time. My partner, who is Japanese, and myself, who is American, both had a lot to learn and spent almost an hour here in this small museum and would have stayed longer if it were not close to closing time due to the sheer volume of information. The exhibits incorporated a lot of reading with artifacts and mixed in several interactive elements. Recommend for all nationalities but especially for anyone of American or Japanese descent as this museum taught us both a lot about our history.

Ed Russell

Very emotional experience. Very beautiful place and a tribute to the sacrifice some Americans made to call the united states home. The "relocation" of real Americans must never happen again. I was in the dark on how bad this was my whole life. As americans we have to keep our eyes open to big mouth politicians with bad ideas or people we love could be next victims.

Karolyn Benger

Very moving and interesting

William Ho

I learned a lot about Japanese culture and festival.

Edward Duncan

interesting museum about japanese community in america.so much to learn and see.Really interesting museum.

Mahmood Ibrahim

A significant museum in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles telling the experience of Japanese Americans, especially during WWII. Other exhibits are shown frequently. There is a library for researchers and a bookstore as well as a tea room to relax afterwards.

Aaron V

The Japanese American museum was a great experience. My favorite part was meeting one of the tour guides who experienced the internment camps during WWII when he was 10. Bob was a third generation US citizen, but was incarcerated because of the way he looked... Sad moment in U.S. history

Johanna Rocher

It was eye opening

Kimmie

I came here multiple times on school field trips in elementary, very cool to learn of the history of japanese americans. I dont really remember much except the tour guide seemed pained while talking about some of the history, Which made me quite sad as well. At the end i remember being taught to make origami and tshirts out of dollar bills which was nice.

Michael Ruther

Great place for a field trip or if you are interested in expanding your knowledge of Japanese American relations after WW11

Nancy P

Definitely worth visiting when you‘re interested in finding out more about the Japanese American‘s roots.

tony riegos

You can use Golden train for transportacion. There is public parking acroos the street fair price. And walk around plenty of things to see

Amanda Walker

This is a very wonderful and educational experience for all of us. Everybody loved it, even the kids were actually behaving and listing. We are glad we decided to come by and visit the museum very well worth it.

Denise Mcafee

Located in little Tokyo, you could easily spend two hours here exploring the beautifully organized exhibits The museum features the Japanese American culture before, during and after World War II but it also promotes inclusion of all other cultures as well. I would highly recommend visiting this little gem of a museum

Tesa Tong

Good Place to learn Japanese culture

Chris Tran

Look beautiful and modern.

sharon wilson

Great place to take your friends and family on vacation

Miguel Artola

Great place to visit of you want to understand the difficulties faced by the Japanese American population since the late 19th century until WW2

John Swanson

Excellent Museum! Especially interesting are the displays describing the Japanese internment camps from World War II.

Thomas Hall

Very interesting time in history to learn more about, and this place has lots to learn.

M.S Perry

I love this place. It's amazing. Always different

Jacque Lindeman

Loved the Hapa exhibit. Also, the museum honored and respected the Japanes culture and provided the needed reminder of the Japanese internment camps and the struggle of Asian Americans.

Alan Yoshida

Keep up the great work.

Dana Rassas

Everyone has to visit. It's a significant part of America's history that should not be forgotten. Artfully done and tactfully and tastefully presented hard facts. Oh, they have a free entry on Thursdays as well. I am not sure if it is every Thursday or the first of every month, but worth checking out if you are not dure about affording the ticket. Go visit there is what you should do.

Kenyatta Moon

A MUST GO SEE .... AMERICAN HISTORY HAS A TORN SECRET AND THIS MUSEUM SHOWS EVERYTHING .... HAVE A FANTABULOUZZZ BLAST !!!

Mingzhao Xu

Small but very informative and family-friendly. They host fantastic cultural, entertainment and charity events here throughout the year. Rotating temporary displays are also fascinating. The constant metro construction nearby impedes traffic/parking but there are free days that make the visit worthwhile.

george hayduke

Everybody should visit, very informative and touching.

Ian Jose Clemente

Wow!!! There was abundant of History to absorbed and I Cried. Thank You, for Preserving the History of what Really Happened and the Lesson to come from Learning from your artifacts. Thank You, sooo much for Everything!

Anna Vidal

Relaxing atmosphere clean museum. Definitely recommend for all it's history and art museum and the great color wall.

Daniel Martinez

It was very informative and displayed in a fashion that honored Japanese people while informing the public things that are not usually taught in school. Thank you

Randy Lee

Beautiful facility. Fascinating history with a lot of relevance for today. Lots of stuff that we're not taught or exposed to. Diverse exhibits.

Susan Liao

Use free ticket. Unless you are Japanese American, not worth to purchase ticket

Liz Oyoque

The Japanese American National Museum was very insightful in regards to pre and post WWII in the U.S.A. I went to complete a school project and I was saddened by all the information I learned. The museum also had an exhibition of Japanese toys downstairs and that was a nice way of ending our tour.

Michael SyKo Theos

Very fun, interesting, and at times sad, learning experience. Definitely will return when in town again.

Robert Tucker

Amazing place to get some culture. Gambatte! (The exhibit we wnt to see) was a sobering reminder of how blind this nation can be.

Chauncey Lee

A unique focus on the Japanese American experience, that honestly is not highlighted enough in the rest of the country. An engrossing and beautiful collection. Also hosts fascinating visiting collections. I was very moved by the exhibit of Iraqi refugees' personal items brought from their homes to the United States.

Nataly Hernandez

Such a great place to go explore. You get to learn many things of how Japanese people used to live.

Kristine Haenschke

Great museum. Beautiful venue!

Douglas Andersen

I was very suprised that I had never known about how Japanese people were discriminated against in world war 2. What you learn here hasnt been taught in my textbooks yet.

Tania Luna

Nice place and interesting as well.

Joy De Noon

Great events, great service, excellent place to get together and to learn more about this rich history of the Japanese Americans and also the Japanese culture. Highly recommended!!

AMADEO BAIRES

Great food

Ryan Kato

A nice and educational museum that shows the history and heritage of Japanese Americans throughout history. The only downside is that I wish they had more space for other exhibits but then again, the exhibits wouldn't have the opportunity to be as educational and detailed if that were the case.

Miki Garrison

I went to this museum kind of randomly, but it was a great experience. It's not huge, so you can spend your time with each exhibit. The staff is also very knowledgeable and are happy to answer any and all questions.

Emilie Hill

Amazingly well organized and thoughtful high School field trip. Students were highly engaged and volunteer docents teaching origami and sharing their stories made the experience personal.

Ate Mitch B.

Informative.

Kyria Kalata

Loved it! It's small be rich with history. Take your time and you are sure to learn something new.

Kim X

Great insight to the Japanese community's situation leading up the internment camps and the effects after. Also the Kaiju vs Heroes exhibit is fun for all whether you like VR or action figures.

J Noone

Visited for son school project, which we learned more information about Japanese/Japanese American encampments than our US History books taught us about in school.

Lennon Lara

I've been wanting to visit for a while and thanks to the LA Public Library and their Discover & Go program I was able to get tickets. The Kaiju vs Heroes exhibit was great, so many great toys! Will definitely be back!

Suri Garcia

Amazing, important part of Little Tokyo. Parking is hard to find

Abby Anderson

Highly recommend visiting the Japanese American National Museum when you are in LA. The museum does a great job of telling the story of Japanese Americans in the United States. The main exhibit covers the history of Japanese immigrants and Japanese Americans with great overviews, pictures, artifacts, primary quotes and curated perspective. The museum staff is also wonderful. We especially enjoyed Marvin Inouye and his story telling.

yasi nurdom

The museum is small, so it doesn't take a long time to view all of the interior, but it is full of Japanese-American heritage and history. The modern displays are different, depending on the themes while the historical photos are always there. I happened to be there when they had the crane exhibit; it's so beautiful and I couldn't take my eyes away. The people are nice, warm, and helpful. It's so refreshing to be there though it's only for a short time!

Nathaniel Liao

I had the opportunity to visit this beautiful museum and I was not disappointed. The price is a bit high but the facility is very clean and well organized. Also they do offer student discounts if you bring your school ID. The exhibits were phenomenal and the ideas that they share are extremely enlightening. You learn a lot of the life style during the time and the staff and guides there are always willing to help you if you’re looking for a specific exhibit. I definitely recommend going for the At First Light: The Dawning of Asian Pacific America before October 20th when they change the exhibit or Fighting for Democracy: Who is the “We” in “We, the People”? By January 5th. Both exhibits are very detailed and the latter talks about more than just Japanese Americans and focuses on just 7 people of different races who fought for our country during WWII.

o0o 0o0

A great place for all young and and old people to learn and help preserve a part of our US history.

Prasai Chalidapongse

Providing much of the infomation, having never known (in the other aspect).

Cindy Martinez

Nice place to learn about the camps that Japanese were placed in. We did origami which was really cool. We learned about Taiko drumming and even got to use the drums really interesting. Also, nice people telling you about their personal experiences. You should definitely go.

Wil Page

An amazing place to understand the cultural significance of Japanese-Americans including their time in American concentration camps. The history of the Japanese American people and what the United States did to them during World War II is something that we must remember so we do not repeat the same things today!

Carlito Nati

Good Japanese museum and exhibits dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Japanese Americans. Its relatively small museum but its rich in history. Admission tkt is fairly priced. You can breeze through in an hour or less. Overall, it's a good museum.

Lynn Peavy

This was the only inspirational place in all of downtown LA. This and riding the Bird.

John Remington

I have to say that I was generally disappointed. The narrative was, by-and-large, very narrowly focused on the horrific oppression of the Japanese American within the earliest years of their immigration. There is a lot of anti-government rhetoric. The vibe is dark & angry throughout the whole place. There is almost nothing about the achievements of post-immigration Japanese Americans. Very little is said about the wonderful culture they brought which mingled with ours and leds them a nobility today. You get the idea that there is a deep seated grudge bordering on hate that is still being held on to despite the progress in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Sad really.

Fernando Pérez Rodríguez

Memories that everyone has to know and anyone must forget.

Robert Ichikawa

A tribute to all the Japanese AMERICANS who were in PRISON CAMPS, and the Armed Forces. A must see!

Jason Nicks

I love this place because of the warm welcome I've received everytime I come here. I feel blessed.

Domingo Canizales

Great very interesting place to visit

Kari Turner

I love coming here. This is a heartrendingly beautiful museum and so important to this city, culturally.

Kitsune9x

Very nice museum with alot of Japanese history and the newly kaiju vs heroes was Awesome to see the history! I definitely reccomend you visiting if your in the LA area

Michael Gordon

A good museum with lots of details on the lives of pre-WW2 Japanese immigrants to the US. The experience of leaving one's home country and everything that was familiar, to seek a better life in the US, and then to be treated like the enemy and have everything taken away, is one of unimaginable anguish and frustration, and one which this museum has elegantly chronicled. I left saddened by this story, but also inspired by the sheer resilience of this community which has contributed so much to California's rich cultural tapestry.

Cesar Martinez

interestin museum about japanese community in america.

chris holmberg

Cool place to see cool history

glynn isoda

Excellent exhibits documenting the internment camps and what my parents had to deal with growing up

Miguel M

Great Museum of Japanese American history in the heart of Little Tokyo close to many shops and restaurants and things to do

Sarah Tinlin

Really cool museum. They do a good job of bringing history to life by integrating a lot of "relics" into the exhibits. There is also a fascinating section on Japanese-American individuals' cultural identities

Jennifer Fleischner

Thoughtful permanent exhibit about Japanese American internment during WWII. Fun temporary exhibits. Love the gift shop.

April Moreno

Amazing museum on the wrong that was done to the Japanese people. The exhibits are amazing.

Michael Milliken

Really enjoyed all the time and effort that was put in ti the museum, great experience.

Pamela Evans

A great way to immerse yourself in an important aspect of California's history. Of course, the story that unfolds as you walk through the museum paints a broader canvas, detailing the arrival and establishment of Japanese Americans families, businesses and institutions in Hawaii, California and beyond. The displays explaining WWII internment of Japanese American citizens are particularly moving.

michael desbarres

A powerful, inspiring and emotionally moving collection of exhibits about Japanese Americans through history. Much focus on WWII with good reason and applicable to our current state of affairs. They also offer classes, lectures and other programming.

Yassuri Sánchez

Nice place !

Grégory Jeames

Really interesting museum. A lot of things to learn about the history of Japanese Americans.

Alys Grey

One of the most moving museums I’ve ever visited. Looking at the remains of lives torn apart with no justification beyond pure racism and standing in the shell of barracks where many families were cramped together was painful but worth the experience. We need to be reminded regularly that such atrocities are not ancient history, that we need to stand up for one another to ensure that this kind of abuse never happens again. (On a lighter note, they also have interesting temporary exhibits and lots of cute products in their gift shop.)

abigail Lomingkit

What have we learned if history keeps repeating itself

francesca gerali

Culturally interesting venue !Plenty of events always going on

Yolanda C

Actually, my friend and I were at Chado Tea House. We were there after the Woman's March DTLA, so many of the other tables were taken. However, we were early, but the staff was able to seat us. Great customer service, wonderful tea, delicious edibles!

Matteo Guardabassi

Great history of Japanese America after WW II

Claudio Uema

great place with my kids,to learn more,about our Japanese heritage

Gregory Mercado

awesome museum that goes into depth of the Japanese American culture. so much to learn and see

Jene Watt

Great place to learn about some of the history of our country. It was informative and educational.

Colin Sowter

Very, very interesting and informative.

Greg Friesen

Very informative about internment camps during WWII.

EyeOfTheWall

It was incredibly informal and descriptive. Even my 4 year old sister learned something. This place is perfect, especially for schools.

Nancy Oda

Such a special place to learn about how freedom is fragile. Beautiful, clean, spacious!

Sharon Boyer

Everyone loves toys! At any age.... creative creatures, details are amazing.

4nimetourist

It was cool. To me it was interesting because I'm a Japan fan.

Liesel Droesch

Went with my son and his class. It was beautiful and had a very informative speaker. It was free and I highly recommend.

Rhett C

A poignant exploration of an American tale that is both endearing and harrowing. The museum guide gave us tremendous insight into the history on display. Not only was he warm and welcoming, Roy really helped us appreciate many of the social dynamics and experiences embodied in the main exhibit. This experience has really left a mark, and we would like to go back.

Art BanDit

Interesting stories, but by the end it was a real bummer. Its a real eye opening experience to see what people lived like.

Jason

Amazing museum dedicated to the history and plight of Japanese Americans. The exhibits here illustrate the rich culture and History of the Japanese Americans.

Mark & Janet Salvaggi

It was interesting.

Yeeticus

A film and celebration was hosted here for my great uncle Minoru Yasui, and it's in the middle of the best Japanese community in LA. Beautiful place with a huge movable sculpture-type thing outside.

Gordon Pattison

Important exposition of the Japanese American experience in America including the unjustified incarceration of these innocent Americans during World War II at the hands of a prejudiced majority with unfortunate parallels today. We never seem to learn, but reminders like this are necessary.

Vanessa Diaz

Great information. Perfect to bring students. Parking is blah, but it is L.A.

Roberta Peppler

Go visit if you can. It is interesting & just a nice museum

C Lacza

The kids loved the family day with crafts and a scavenger hunt to fully engaged you into the museum

Diego Cordova

Fascinating museum with very well designed exhibits.

Keryleytza Ruiz

It was great. Everyone was very nice. Someone had a stroke but it was overall good.

Tiny McRib

The museum showed many different perspectives on the japanese community. I would definitely recommend going there. It is a trip worth taking.

Nelson Guzman

Nice place to visit..

Allen

Rich history be told here. The most memorable part is the history of WWII.

Ben MacKinney

You should know it's not about the history and overall relationship about the US and Japan. It is focused almost entirely on Japanese internment camps in America during WWII. It is great though. Somber experience.

Craig Kaneshiro

Great museum, exhibits are well done, definitely worth a visit!

Susan Moses

Very interesting. Def worth the visit

Arlene Okimura

So many Americans & younger Japanese generations don't know about the truth of the Japanese internment camps. This is the place to go. Part of the permanent exhibit houses the remnants of one of the barracks. There are plenty of items, pictures & signage re life before, within the camps & the soldiers who chose to fight in WWII. There's even a miniature model of a camp layout. The museum also has excellent temporary exhibits as well. Give yourself 2-3 hrs to leisurely browse through the exhibits & check out the gift store. The 2nd Sat is the day before Nisei Week & Sat is Tanabata. Tanabatas are decorated huge balls with long streamers hanging in the alley next to the Museum. Stage shows plus food vendors are there but more importantly, the Museum is FREE to everyone that day. It's the perfect outing!

Christopher Drake

Really good museum, you can admire a lot of the Asian culture.

Pei-Jeane Chen

Really great exhibitions. Good to know American history that was not taught in school.

michelle achille

Great museum to visit. The docents have a plethora amount of knowledge.

HEY SCRIBBLES

Great information on important American history. Also have an art gallery

Ayad Kadhim

It was a great opportunity to get to know of the aspects of the Japanese history in the last two centuries in the United States. Well organized museum and very warm and friendly.

Don Harmon

Excellent, but mostly covers the regrettable evacuation of Japanese-Americans from the US West Coast to internment camps during WW II.

Gabriela Martinez

I took my daughter here, it is a small museum but there are many vintage artifacts that are very interesting to look at. If you take your time to look around and actually read the information you have a chance to learn a part of Japanese culture and such.

Graham Marks

This place always had the best curated shows - always worth a visit.

sherryシェリー

Good place to come

Frank C

Awesome representation of early Japanese Americans. Very unique museum

Casa Del Mar

Spacious settings for exhibits, wonderfully engaging events. In the heart of little Tokyo, near food, shopping and parking.