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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. 

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  • Members Only Exhibition Tour: "Kaiju vs Heroes"

    Sep 15, 2018

    In California in the 1970s, Mark Nagata was living an all-American childhood when an aunt and uncle serving on a US military base in Japan sent him a box filled with colorful kaiju and hero toys. For Nagata, those toys and the artwork of their packaging inspired him to study art, to zealously collect vintage Japanese vinyl toys, and to become a toy designer himself. Join Mark Nagata for a gallery tour during which...

  • Rediscovering Japanese American Photography

    Mar 05, 2016

    In conjunction with Making Waves, historian and exhibition curator Dennis Reed will introduce and lead a panel discussion on the recovery of Japanese American photographs. Panelists will include David F. Martin, author and curator; Robert Hori, Cultural Curator, Huntington Library; and Stephen White, writer and dealer, all of whom have played a role in saving once-lost works by Japanese American photographers. Eac...

  • CANCELLED: Thanksgiving Sogetsu Ikebana Workshop for Beginners

    Nov 17, 2012

    This class has been canceled. We apologize for the inconvenience. Ikebana (“living flower”) is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. Sogetsu Ikebana is a three dimensional artistic expression composed of flower and plant material arranged in a container. This workshop will introduce the student to the basic technique and style that are the foundation of many ikebana arrangements. Instructor Mikiko Ideno will...

  • Bringing the Circle Together: A Native American Film Series -- Aleut Story

    Oct 23, 2008

    Screening of 'Aleut Story' In the turbulence of war, the Aleuts of Alaska would redefine themselves – and America. From indentured servitude and being put into concentration camps during World War II, to Congress and the White House, this is the incredible story of the Aleuts’ decades-long struggle for our nation’s ideals. Special guest author/poet Marie Huskey (Unangan/Aleut) to start the screening. Bringing...

  • J-Town/Bronzeville Suite Premiere

    May 13, 2006

    A three-part composition created by Dave Iwataki, J-Town/Bronzeville Suite explores a fascinating and seldom told chapter of Los Angeles' history. While Japanese Americans were incarcerated, newly arrived African Americans from the South settled in Little Tokyo, where they remained until the War's end. Known as "Bronzeville," it became a community hub with restaurants and clubs featuring some of the most recognized ...

  • Snakeskin Shamisen by Naomi Hirahara

    May 06, 2006

    Naomi Hirahara's new novel is the third in a series featuring one of mystery fiction's most unique heroes: Mas Arai, a curmudgeonly Los Angeles gardener and Hiroshima survivor. In Snakeskin Shamisen, Mas hates to stick his nose in other people's business, but a favor to a friend soon has him caught up in a mystery that reaches from the islands of Okinawa to the streets of Los Angeles--a world of heartbreaking memori...

  • Family Sunday

    Jan 06, 2002

    Oshogatsu: New Year Family Celebration Join us to celebrate the New Year with family and friends! Mochitsuki (Rice Cake Pounding) Performance Kodama Taiko will combine the age-old tradition of pounding mochi (rice cakes) with the sounds of taiko drums. Bring your friends and family to enjoy this energetic performance and taste the freshly-pounded mochi. Rice-Writing Workshop In conjunction with the current e...

  • Youth Culture in Boyle Heights: Past and Present

    Nov 18, 2001

    This program will explore past and present youth culture in Boyle Heights, one of Los Angeles' most dynamic and historic neighborhoods. This program is being held in conjunction with the Boyle Heights Project, a multiethnic and collaborative approach to documenting a Los Angeles neighborhood. The project is an initiative of the Japanese American National Museum, the International Institute of Los Angeles, the Jewish ...

  • Kenjiro Nomura

    Oct 04, 1997 - Jan 11, 1998

    On April 30, 1942, Kenjiro Nomura, his wife, and son were forcibly removed from their homes in Seattle and incarcerated in the Puyallup Assembly Center. Eventually they were transported, along with nearly 10,000 other Japanese Americans to the Minidoka concentration camp in Hunt, Idaho. At the time of the removal, Nomura was already an established and prolific artist. He worked at various other jobs to support himsel...

  • Barbara Kawakami Collection

    (92.12, 94.275, 97.263, 99.235, 2004.1, 2006.166, 2008.95) This online collection of textiles and other artifacts from late 19th century through the 20th century was gathered by author and scholar Barbara Kawakami primarily in Hawaii. It is the most significant collection of Issei (first generation Japanese) immigration and plantation clothing in the world. A sample of the collection is currently available online wit...