Japanese American Museum of San Jose

Not everyone understands the black mark in American history by the name of FDR’s Executive Order 9066, but once you go through this museum, you will. The docents do a good job of explaining the exhibits and contextualizing the historical background of the Internment of Japanese Americans during WW2. It is a fascinating subject. I’m glad I made time to visit this museum, and understand the evils of racial discrimination and the resiliency of Japanese Americans. I’m also glad to learn about the history of San Jose’s Japantown, which is only one of three Japan towns left in North America.

Great museum ! Very good information and collection. It was emotionally stirring to read about the internment of Americans and the history of Japantown in San Jose. A definite must see first stop if you are in San Jose Japantown as it will develop a sense of place before you stroll into the shops and restaurants of Japantown. Active students receive a discount as well as seniors. I believe US military receive free admission with ID card.

As a family we all learned so much about the history of the area and the era of world war 2. The staff was super knowledgeable and friendly! It is an experience worth the stop

It is a small museum with a lot of information. The coolest thing is not the exhibits, but the people just walking around there. The tour groups are small so you get to ask a lot of questions. What happened next I was not prepared for: in depth and really interesting conversation. There was a random elderly woman who offered her opinion, and again, another insightful conversation. The people who work there are extremely knowledgeable, and very passionate. Made for an amazing afternoon: if you are in the area and have an hour or so to spare, definitely go.

This seems a weird review to write, and maybe I need to explain a couple of things. I was born in Japan, but my biological father was white, and I was adopted by white Americans who lived on the military base in the town where I was born. We moved to San Jose.
I recently returned to California and this would be my 5^th visit, and the first when the museum was open – I have really bad timing, though the museum is open something like Thursday through Sunday.
As a Japanese, I was interested to see how life progressed for Japanese (Japanese-​American or American-​Japanese) people in the area. Plenty had been said in my American History and World History classes – all of it negative toward Japanese, even though these classes were taken in the 1970s.
The museum requires a modest $ 5.00 admission fee, paid at the desk to the left of the entrance. All of the exhibits are downstairs, and some are in an exterior structure to the rear of the museum.
There are photos and stories of prominent people from the community. A great deal of the museum deals with the unfortunate imprisonment of all Japanese-​American citizens. This brought back old anger, unfortunately. War is wrong, but imprisoning innocent citizens is horrid. The museum’s displays attempt to grand dignity to this unfortunate time. Yes, I am having a difficult time writing about this.
They re-​created the barracks with cots and lockers and luggage.
They also had an agricultural exhibit outdoors, under shelter. They had quite a bit of old equipment that would have been used on farms. They also had a few old cars and trucks, as well as tractors.
The two people working in the lobby area were friendly.
There seemed to be a couple of people working in the exhibit room who were not. I’m not sure whether they were working for the museum or not but the woman almost bumped into me and acted as if I was a problem for her. I heard her say that she was looking for someone who spoke Japanese, and I almost insulted her in Japanese for being rude.
The museum obviously was a mixed experience for me. I was uncomfortable early in my visit. I think that most people wouldn’t feel this way, especially non-​Japanese. It’s a worthwhile visit, as much as the museums in Hiroshima are.

We stopped by early afternoon, and had a docent give us a tour. He was so knowledgeable about the local and regional history and the Japanese internment. You could learn a lot alone, but having a docent that can give you the overall theme is the way to go.

This museum is located in a suburban street of SJ’s Japantown.
Our docent was Will Kaku and he made our visit very interesting and informative. Great quality museum and an hour well spent.

Quality museum in the SJ’s Japantown. I actually liked this one even more than the one in LA.
They have passionate docents who give true-​to-​heart and through provoking tours. Will Kaku was our docent and he gave an amazing 1-​hour tour. He was so worried about boring us and talking too much, but everyone in the group loved it and was in tune for all of it. Learned about the «no-no’s» and the resistance movement that I never learned about when in school.
I’m just bummed that this museum is only open for such limited hours. You really need at least 2.5 hours here to appreciate it. I went to explore Japantown after the museum closed at 4PM last Sunday and was shocked to find out that most stores were CLOSED! Seems like the establishments really cater to the local businesses during the work week only…
My only complaint is how long it took me to pay for admission with a credit card. The whole ordeal had me running back and forth between two desks and cost me the first part of the docent tour… so mad about that, but I left happy enough to not dock a star for it.

I learned so much visiting this museum. They have docents that can lead you around the museum to give you background information if you would like. We mentioned that we would prefer to walk around on our own but were given a docent anyways. He was a very sweet old man whose family had been relocated to a camp and was very passionate about sharing the history. They have many old photos, personal items, and even an old car. It isn’t a huge museum, but its well worth a look if you have the time.
Keep an eye out for the museum. It is located on a side street of Japantown in San Jose. They have a small lot, but frequently the street is easier to park on.

I have to agree with J.R.‘s review — «staff just didn’t seem very inviting». I was asked if I was a member and I told them «No», told me the price and took my money then she proceeded to go back towards the office where all the other ladies congregated and chatted. I walk around the gift shop area, no friendly smile or «hello»… nada. I didn’t feel welcomed at all.
I wished the exhibition had more information regarding the history of Japantown in San Jose. Found the museums in Kelly Park more interesting and the people working there are friendlier.

Visiting from Hawaii, it tied more knots of my previous knowledge about the subject. Being an issei, I read stories and documents of 442^nd and internment camps both in Hawaii and the mainland, but people on the mainland seemed to have been much more affected. Probably because Hawaii had such a large Japanese community, people lived normal lives on the Big Island even through war times. I was able to learn more about Senator Inouye’s legacy before his recent passing too. Thanks!

Was here for a lecture/​talk by my professor today, and in the process, discovered this little gem.
This museum is situated in a suburban street alongside private homes in Japantown San Jose. I drove by without noticing the place until I asked a local across the street. Seriously, it looked like a regular house. I parked in two hour parking (relatively easy on a Saturday afternoon) and walked into the museum. I later notice a small parking lot to the side (I was clearly unobservant.). General admission is $ 5 (I think) but I paid $ 3 as a student (Seniors get discounts too). Compare this to admission to the deYoung or SF MOMA in San Francisco, which is ridiculous!
The talk was upstairs in a meeting room, but most of the items for viewing, gift shop, etc. were downstairs. The museum is really small. Now, of course SF MOMA and the deYoung are easily 50x larger than the Japanese American Museum so I can’t blame them for being too expensive. Through a poor college grad’s point of view, I appreciate the low admission fee here. I really do.
I stayed for a total of about 2.5 hours (lecture included). I learned a lot about economics and politics and how it shaped Japanese and Japanese Americans in the states. The people were so passionate, and eager to share their experiences. I was about to leave (fear of parking ticket) when I was introduced to Jimi, an elderly yet vivacious man, who is also the curator of the museum. Jimi quickly gave me a tour of the exhibits. There was a lot of stuff: my favs– OLD CARS FROM THE 1900s AND A REMAKE OF A BARRACK. Oh my gosh. It reminded me of a book I had read when I was young (Farewell to Manzanar). Jimi is still smiling throughout. I wish I had more time to enjoy the exhibits downstairs. Next time I am in San Jose.

This is a gem in San Jose’s Japantown and the Bay Area as a whole. In addition to housing some fascinating historical archives, the people who work/​volunteer here are amazing. It’s likely that you’ll be able to meet and talk to someone who was interned during WWII, or someone who has contributed to the collection at this museum.
Whether you’re looking to brush up on American History, need to do research for a paper or project, or just happen to be in the neighborhood, JAMsj is a wonderful stop!
Step into a barrack, learn about the origins of San Jose’s Japantown, see and hear the stories of those who came before us and endured one of the greatest injustices in U.S. history. They also have events on a regular basis so be sure to check that out! I went to one today and it was very good!

for once a history museum that’s very interesting for me! lots of artifacts, photos and information in this place. I highly recommend this place if you are interested in Japanese American history or writing a report. outside in the back, there’s more history about farming/​agriculture too. there are some buildings from photos in the museum you will recognize when you leave like the print shop :)
adults $ 5
student with ID $ 3
PS watch out for moths because one flew out of no where in the luggages and i had a mini heart attack…

How have I lived here for 5 years without going here until this weekend?
I went with a friend who is doing research on Chinese and Japanese immigrants. We had a docent, Will, take us through. He enriched the informative exhibits with stories about his family’s experience and the camps they were sent to. He was also able to tailor his presentation based on the previous knowledge we had about the internment camps – which was great. In fact, we had so much fun learning at the museum with Will that we didn’t even get a chance to go to the exhibit on immigration, which was our reason for being there!
I will definitely be back, and then will walk around Japantown.

This is much smaller than the Japanese American National Museum in LA, but it does pack a lot of information and history of the Japanese Americans that moved to the San Jose area in the early 1900s.
There is an emphasis on farming and agriculture, as well as information on the internment during WWII.
Having a docent lead you through the exhibits is far more informative than going through the museum on your own.
The staff was very friendly and good with kids.

It’s a hidden gem in San Jose’s Japantown, but this is one of those smaller museums where you can really learn more about the culture and especially what occured during World War II and the internment. The volunteer guide I interacted with shared a lot of first-​hand experiences he and his family went through during the internment camps plus there are actual materials and real items on display from that era. As sad as some of the stories are, this is definitely a learning experience and one that is rarely mentioned or talked about in school. How could such stories not affect you, even if you didn’t personally know anyone who was involved? You’ll also find things related to San Jose’s Japantown before and after World War II.

A little known gem in Japantown. We visited for the first time during the Nikkei Matsuri Festival and were pleasantly surprised to see all the great history in one small area. The donation fee (admission, lets be honest) is fair at $ 5 for people 13 – 64. Seniors were a dollar less I think and 12 and under were free.
We found out a lot more about the Japanese internment that is just not told about in school. We left feeling educated (and a bit sad– seriously– that was just a BAD call on the 1940s government!). I don’t know how often I will be back, maybe for updates or new exhibits, but I am glad I went.

I was lucky enough to be in town during the grand opening weekend of JAMsj, and enjoyed visiting with my family. It’s in a beautiful new facility and the volunteers are obviously and deservedly proud.
The museum does an excellent job of telling the story of Japanese Americans, especially the history and impacts to the Bay Area. I challenge anyone to not be moved by the stories, especially with the photos and artifacts that help tell them. My favorites were the luggage tag (designed by Vicki Taniguchi from whom I received a nice note about the photo I took for Unilocal) and camp sink installations that really hit home as to what it must have been like to be interned.
In addition to the section on WWII, there are also exhibits on pre– and post-​war, especially as it relates to SJ Japantown.
While it’s not a large museum, it’s definitely worth a visit, especially if you’re planning on visiting the surrounding neighborhood for a meal.

I went to the Japanese American Museum of SJ on my day off to check it out. It’s $ 5 for adults; $ 3 for students, bring CASH. It’s on N. 5^th St not far from the Wesley United Methodist Church.
Small museum, lots of interesting information about Internment — where they were forced to go. Forced Removal; Assembly Centers; WW2 Internment — I knew about Manzanar, but not about Crystal City, TX; Gila River, AZ; Poston, AZ; etc.
Next saw a room they made to be like a Barrack Room. There was a huge quilt made by students — that was cool.
Exhibit Camp Days 1942 – 45 by Chizuko Judy Sugita De Queiroz — watercolor artwork. Very colorful, sad stories.
They have a small store to buy books, DVD, jewelry, etc.
Separate bathrooms near the entrance on the Left.
I recommend checking it out if you’re in the area & have an hour or so.
Pics allowed, that was nice.
Hrs: Thurs-​Sun 12 – 4
*Closed for the Holidays on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day
Website: