JANM on the Go logo
Closed for Renovations

JANM’s Pavilion is closed for renovation and will reopen in late 2026. While the museum and store are closed, join us for programs and events on our Little Tokyo campus, throughout Southern California, and beyond. 

Learn More

Search Results For

  • Silencing History: Protecting Truth in Public Spaces and Museums

    Sep 15, 2025

    Across the country, National Park Service sites are becoming ground zero in a growing battle over historical memory. Signs with QR codes invite the public to report “negative” or “unpatriotic” portrayals of American history. On the surface, these codes claim to ensure “accuracy.” But for communities like Japanese Americans, who have fought for decades to have the truth of their incarceration recognized, this devel...

  • JANM Celebrates the Book Launch of Giant Robot: Thirty Years of Defining Asian-American Pop Culture

    Oct 09, 2024

    LOS ANGELES, CA – The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) celebrates the release of the new book Giant Robot: Thirty Years of Defining Asian-American Pop Culture from 7 p.m.–8:30 p.m. on Friday, October 25, 2024. Tickets are $5 and available at janm.org/events.During the book launch, author and Giant Robot founder, Eric Nakamura, will be joined by special guests Randall Park, Tamlyn Tomita, Martin Wong, and Dani...

  • A Taste of Home: Recipes for Celebration

    Dec 13, 2020

    FREE For many holidays, both distinctly “American” and traditionally Japanese, Japanese American families share meals specifically prepared for the occasion. From oshogatsu (New Years Day) to Christmas, these flavors are closely tied to memories, festivities, and cultural practices. Even while incarcerated during WWII, Japanese Americans held on to their traditions and celebrations, highlighting their persever...

  • JANM TO PRESENT “MEMORIES OF FIVE NISEI”

    Sep 09, 2016

    The Japanese American National Museum will present "Memories of Five Nisei," a free event featuring five second-generation Japanese Americans, on September 24, 2016, at 2 p.m. The speakers were among those of Japanese descent imprisoned by the United States Government during World War II and will discuss their experiences during this ordeal of mass injustice. The event is part of the museum’s Tateuchi Public Progr...

  • Border Crossings Screening: "Cultures of Resistance"

    May 21, 2011

    Cultures of Resistance (2010), Directed by Iara Lee Border Crossings: An Ongoing Exploration of Community & Society Through Cinema & Media Arts Presented by Visual Communications. Visual Communications, the nation’s premier Asian Pacific American media arts center, is pleased to inaugurate an ongoing series at the Tateuchi Democracy Forum. Select works ranging from politics to horror, from live-action to anime ...

  • Terms of Service

    Japanese American National Museum Terms of ServiceLast Updated: December 30, 2023Welcome to the websites of the Japanese American National Museum (“JANM”), the largest museum in the United States dedicated to sharing the experience of Americans of Japanese ancestry. The mission of JANM is to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience. ...

  • JANM History

    History of the Japanese American National Museum The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) was founded to preserve and share the history of Japanese Americans. Its mission evolved to enhance appreciation for America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by documenting the stories of Americans of Japanese ancestry as an integral component of U.S. history. Incorporated in 1985 through the combined efforts of a band of ...

  • Big Drum Articles—San Jose Taiko

    San Jose Taiko: Embodying the Spirit of Taiko in America For San Jose Taiko, it all started over 30 years ago. After seeing a performance by Los Angeles’s Kinnara Taiko at a YBA (Young Buddhist Association) conference, Reverend Hiroshi Abiko was inspired to start something for the youth at San Jose Buddhist Church that was both musically and culturally interesting. He recruited Roy Hirabayashi and Dean Miyaku...

  • Big Drum Articles—Shasta Taiko

    The Rhythms of Life: Shasta Taiko “This woman came up to me and said, ‘I don’t know why, but I just burst out crying when you were playing taiko,’” Jeanne Aiko Mercer says. “That happens a lot,” the pioneering taiko artist explains. “I think taiko is very healing. It’s a release, and I think people need that in their lives.” For Mercer and her husband Russel Baba, who founded the renowned Shasta Taiko g...

  • Asobi at JANM

    Experience the Art of Play!Experience the art of play at Asobi at JANM, our new series once a month where local artists showcase their unique work through interactive demonstrations and every guest goes home with a new art piece and sense of accomplishment. Bring your friends, grab a drink, and try something new together. Enjoy beer from Brewyard Beer Company. We will also have drinks from Sanzo and light refreshment...