Japanese American National Museum

This museum is ideally situated on the edge of Little Tokyo in Los Angeles. With the museum itself, along with the nearby shops, cafés, and restaurants, it’s a great place to spend a few enjoyable hours.

Worth visiting!!! The museum is in the heart of Little Tokyo, accessible and there are plenty of parking places around. The collection centers on the Japanese American struggles during the war and how the survivors made it a point to educate the younger generations never to forget and ultimately seek justice which they rightfully deserved and this idea applies to all of humanity. The museum offers free entrance of certain Thursdays so check them out. Don’t forget to enjoy the many Japanese restaurants around. For those taking the metro, a stop was opened right next to the museum.

I always LOVE coming here. To learn and remember about where my family came from, how they sacrificed, and were stripped of their constitutional rights because of their ethnicity. Never forget, never forgive.

Got some free tickets. Got there 2 hours before closing time. Enjoyed the whole place. Kid friendly just make sure they're respectful because we experienced some little rude sh!ts when we were there. They have an area where they give you some sort of camera you walk around that room and it shows you old school pictures and stuff. Overall awesome place to learn about how crazy it was for the Japanese people. Oh yeah no parking and hard to get street parking so there is paid parking lots around. Also after the museum you can hit up all those restaurants and shops in the plaza across the street.

The place is relaxing, you educate yourself about Japanese culture, you learn about their community and history in the USA. The staff is really polite, the place was so perfect for our field trip. By the way every Thursday is free from 5pm - 8pm. The museum is located in Little Tokyo, an easy way to get there is by Metro, the Golden line. Street parking is also available.

Something always to be learnt The Japanese American Museum depicts a topic of history that is often overlooked or even just not known. The artifacts and stories are touching for anyone, not just those of Japanese but for anyone with an interest in humanity. One element that was unique and rarely seen is an interactive recording of veteran Sakai-San. I also found the propaganda against the Japanese Americans fascinating and profoundly sad. This may not be the location for a first date. My fiancé at the time and I found it a wonderful location to spend together after years of being together.

Great exhibits but a sad part of our history with interment camps. The art section was really fun.

I thoroughly enjoyed coming here with my partner :) we both got the afternoon tea service, and as always it was perfect! (excuse the orange cat sticker I wasn't sure if they'd want me to post them on a review lol)

Absolutely fantastic, well-organized, and deeply informative museum experience that I would recommend to everyone. The permanent, on-going exhibition, "Common Ground," shares the history of Japanese American experiences within the United States. I appreciated the incorporation of individual and family stories connected to the photos and artifacts on display. Additionally, the curators took time to carefully lay out the racism underpinning the sociopolitical landscape of the 18th-20th centuries (and beyond), leading to incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese Americans. I also appreciated the clear discussion of reparations and the Redress Movement. From quotes to newspaper clippings to personal stories, I learned a TON from the main exhibit *and* I left the museum eager to further educate myself beyond this two-hour museum visit. In addition to the permanent exhibit, the museum has a large collection of art as a part of the Giant Robot Biennale 5 recurring exhibit. Please go while this exhibit is still up! Incredible works by Japanese American artists featuring a wide array of styles and media! Clear layout, kind staff, excellent accessibility features, and amazing location (stop by all of the excellent eateries, shops, and vendors in Little Tokyo!). I cannot wait to return with family and friends.

Awesome place to learn about history. This museum is located at the heart of Little Tokyo, nice spacious parking area across the street and lots of food places and drinks to go after or in between. The exhibit is very good and very insightful. Giant Robot was actually good too.

#20 for 2023 I recently took a friend here who recently found out about the 100th\442nd RCT Going For Broke Nissei Japanese who fought in the war. He resparked my interest and we've been researching this part of history visiting many locations. It was so nice to visit this museum in Little Tokyo surrounded by many enjoyable Japanese restaurants serving ramen, sushi, bbq and everything else. There is parking available for $9 all day within a short walking distance. The Aki Market exhibit was created by artist Glenn Akira Kaino. A virtual reality recreating Glenn's family's general neighborhood store in Boyle Heights, CA Catering to the Japanese and Mexican community existing there at the time. It toggled my own memory because I recognized many of the products there. The same goods I grew up with in Hawaii. It touched me even more reminiscing fondly the neighborhood stores I frequented myself no longer present. The museum centers more on the events removing the Japanese from Southern California area to concentration camps and life within the camps. The atrocities inflicted on these American citizens were brought more to light by the artifacts, pictures, articles recovered by the museum. There is even a portion, one section, of one cabin brought and preserved within the museum. The stories make you realize America was just as bad as the Germans and their concentration camps. A range of feelings and emotions take hold of you but it is anger that grips you the most. It did for me. If you do come to Los Angeles, besides the theme parks, please make this one of your must visit stops.

We visited the Japanese American National Museum, a block away from the Little Tokyo Mall. The museum has an immersive display of the many contributions of Japanese immigrants have brought to the United States and a very detailed account of the atrocities of the internment camps during World War II; even the sacrifices of the imprisoned Japanese-American who voluntarily signed up for the U.S. Military and signed a loyalty clause against Japan. It was a very moving exhibit. There were several other smaller exhibitions from "Giant Robot" magazine and other artists.

Free admission for JACL members, and also Thursday nights for the public as I learned. Great museum for learning about a part of American history that is still too often shoved under the rug. I remember being assigned "Farewell to Manzanar" for summer reading and thinking, is this fiction? How could something like that happen and I'd never heard about it? Even though I am now pretty familiar with the history and involved in activism, there were some surprises - like the Ben Franklin quote pictured.

We were here Sat March 23, 2024 on Free museum day!! People here are so kind, even on Free museum day! They were very organized. So happy they still have a little Hello Kitty around (lol).

Have been here a few times, I feel like my history is here. My family stayed in the internment camp during the war and here they honor and remember their struggle. I stamped the Ireicho, which is a book that has record of everyone who stayed in the camps. Anyone can stamp anyone's name, but it was especially special to honor my family. They have guided tours as well, so informative. It's not a big museum but very interesting.

Disclaimer: This review is mostly about the Giant Robot exhibit. This museum contains a rich history of the Japanese American experience. It was an interesting experience to see the challenges and accomplishments of Japanese Americans through a historical and personal lens. My visit to the museum was purely on a whim. My partner and I had just visited The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, which is right next door to JANM. We saw that there was a Giant Robot exhibit and because my partner is a fan of their works, we had to make a stop. We both entered the museum with our student IDs on student admissions fees and walked through the main hallways of the museum first. (I wish that I had taken pictures of the original exhibition.) There is a sentimentality while seeing the struggles and challenges that Japanese Americans had to endure. As a Korean American myself, I felt that the overall immigrant experience resonated with Japanese and Korean Americans, despite the complicated historical relationship between the two nations. Now, onto the Giant Robot exhibit. The exhibit showcased Asian American artists and their works, celebrating Asian-inspired art and popular culture. The exhibit overall was big and displayed many unique works. As a Linkin Park fan, I was pleasantly surprised to see Mike Shinoda's very own artwork on display. The founder of Giant Robot, Eric Nakamura, was even on site hosting an artist talk. At the end of our visit, we both enjoyed it and hope for others to see a slice of Japanese American history and Asian American culture in the heart of Little Tokyo.

I finally visited the museum and so glad I did! I was able to take my children (23) and (19), and I'm kind of glad I waited. They're now at the age where they fully took it all in. Lots of interesting and meaningful photographs and archives to digest and reflect on. It was bigger than I thought it was going to be! My father had to live out a part of his childhood at Heart Mountain and they had a reconstructed barrack from that site. It was so meaningful to stand inside of the well-presented barrack and try to envision what it must've been like to have to be there. I also made a rsvp to stamp the book of names for my mom, dad, uncles aunts and grandparents who all stayed there. It was really, really, really good for the soul. Recommend! (The book will be closed on 12/1/2024, so try to get your loved ones recognized in the book of names by then!)

An incredibly moving experience... the history lesson we didn't get in school (that we should have). The front desk staff were welcoming and helpful. Thursdays are free admission, check their website for details. Cheap parking across Judge John Aiso St. - 1st 2 hours $1/hour. Even with the limited exhibit currently on display (undergoing renovations, it seemed) I easily spent 2 hours here. There is so much detailed information, so many artifacts and pictures, so many stories! Museums teach us so much, and allow us a perspective that we would not know otherwise. While incredibly heart-wrenching, these are stories that must be told! Grateful to the museum staff, donors, and curators for creating a space to do so.

A must-see museum in downtown LA if you want to better understand the history of the Japanese American experience before and after WWII, especially life in the internment camps. The permanent exhibit does an excellent job of displaying artifacts, photographs, video interviews, and even an original house from the Heart Mountain camp which was carefully torn down and recreated inside the museum. Today we appreciated the virtual reality recreation of Aki's market by Glenn Akira Kaino, depicting his grandfather's convenience store in the 50s.

I've been to Little Tokyo multiple times to visit the shops, bakery , restaurants, etc. I was looking to explore something else , so decided to visit this museum . Walk in tickets were $16 for adults , but I believe there are free admission days which you should check on their website. Entrance for the exhibits are on the second floor , there were a lot of interesting displays. One of them was the compiled suitcases which really spoke "immigration" . There were a lot of interesting items that the Japanese people utilize in the past for everyday life . I wish there were a bit more explanation on the items . Many of the display mainly tells stories of some notable people , events and more. There was also some video displays of old recordings which was pretty cool , what I found interesting was the manzanar display since I studied about this in history. There's also a little gift shop on the first floor . If you've never visited the museum I would definitely check it out when in the little tokyo area!

This is one of LA's premier museums and should not be missed. Their building is beautiful and their exhibit of the Japanese experience in America is unparalleled. Here you will find a mix of artifacts, story telling and technology. They have curated a poignant collection that will touch your heart. The building and the way the collection was curated and displayed reminded me of the great museums of Tokyo; but the collection is uniquely American. They truly succeed in representing to Japanese-American experience. This is a must visit museum when you come to LA. Double highly recommend!

I recently came here for the annual Kokoro Craft Boutique. Not the first time I've been to the museum, but the first to this event. Free admission, just wanted everyone to sign in. So crowded, but great handmade crafts. Two stories worth. I had the opportunity to see it all. The most popular vendor was selling handmade necklaces and earrings, many with inlayed pearls. Gorgeous. I'm certain he sold out by the end of the day, as it was elbow to elbow at his station. If you've never been to this museum, it's an opportunity to view Japanese American history.

Here for the Oshogatsu Family Festival! Great family fun event! My daughter did arts and crafts and learned to play the taiko drums. They also have drum performance to end the show. My daughter really liked this year where they let u play with the drums.

Staff are very rude, when given the chance to make humane actions, they choose to maintain what can only be referred to as a snobby attitude. I will never be giving this place my business, my sincerest advice is that if you wish to visit a museum that highlights the social injustices that have been perpetuated by human beings, you don't want to visit one that continues to perpetuate injustices.

This is the museum of my people! I'm very proud to say it and to be here for this special exhibit about the WWII internment camps and the people who were forced to go there. I'm so proud of my children who initiated this trip to the museum today, to honor their grand parents and great grandparents. We stamped their names in the big book.

Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. June 2022 I could take pictures of all the photos, personal effects, proclamations, re-creations. It would not adequately capture how intensely emotional I feel when I visit. The deceptive euphemisms I learned long ago were, evacuation, relocation, internment. It was part of a decades long distortion targeted at a single ethnic minority, two thirds of whom were American citizens by birthright, with most of the other third denied citizenship by discriminatory laws. The words I know now that apply are, forced removal, exclusion, incarceration. My maternal grandfather was a Japanese national who immigrated to Kona and worked as a tenant coffee farmer. Takao Ozawa vs U.S. said that as a Japanese national he was not Caucasian and therefore not eligible for naturalized citizenship. Not being a citizen denied him as an alien resident the right to own the land he farmed. There are voices of cooperation on display. There are voices that challenged on display. There are voices of resistance on display. There are voices of disillusion on display. I saw and read about these voices here. I was fortunate enough to attend a conference hosted by JANM and hear these actual voices in person. These voices did, and still do, painfully hurt, even though they were never my own voice. Any visit to the second floor exhibits moves me to tears. I almost cannot bear to go. But I do because I know I must never forget.

Educational. Learned a lot about Japanese history. Great location near Little Tokyo. I've also been at this venue for an industry party.

We came to the museum because of a college recruiting event that was held in an assembly area. Part of the event included getting museum passes, so how could we not walk the premises? I was blown away by the exhibit and my learnings. I left with a new understanding of the hurt and discrimination that was inflicted upon the Japanese Americans and other Asians living in the United States.  It turned into a super deep afternoon, my daughter had some tourist things she wanted to do in the area, but we ended up engulfed in the museum. The museum is well run and full of great detail, just be prepared for a 'deep' encounter. While I was ashamed to learn more about the discrimination that resulted from fearmongering, it also made me realize that our society has come a long way, granted we have a long way to go yet, but we ARE headed in the right direction. It's important to learn from past experiences so we can move forward with extra clarity and knowledge, and this museum will assuredly open your eyes.

You must check out this place if you love history and museums. You'll learn a lot about Japanese history--plenty of parking spaces and restaurants in the area. Spend a day learning about the Japanese culture with your family and friends.

Must see for all citizens and USA visitors to see what it means to be an American citizen.

The Japanese American National Museum is a huge community institution in the LA Japanese American community. Their central hall is a great venue that is used for many community events, weddings and other gatherings. Their permanent exhibit is about the internment camps so that everyone learns about the history and the experience. I work for a non profit, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California and we recently held our gala at JANM. And we recently had a partnership with them for the Artists at Work program to develop the An American Vocabulary: Words to Action. Everyone loved the space. Like most museums, they stay open late on the third Thursday of the month and have free admission that day.

If you're at little Tokyo and have 2 hrs to spare, then you gotta check out this Museum, especially if you're Japanese or not.

I went a couple of times before, but most recently, I went on a little VIP tour and appreciated it even more. You'll learn and see exhibits about the Japanese internment during World War II. There is also Japanese American art from different periods, especially art made in the camps and belongings that were recovered by the community or donated from one's family. It's really impressive how they document and share history. If they recover an object, they would try to find who owned it or who made the art piece and get the story. You can learn a bit from their posted videos, especially since they leveraged technology during the pandemic.

Great Museum in Little Tokyo in Downtown LA. In fact, the whole Little Tokyo area has really changed over the past few years. I would say it is one of the most popular areas in all of downtown now. With regards to the museum, not only do they have a great exhibit of Japanese American History and Culture, but they host many great community events. The one I went to most recently was Oshagatsu, or the New Years Festival. Their events are great for all ages (but more geared towards families in my opinion), but their exhibits are more for the older crowd. Great piece of American History at the Japanese American National Museum. A big thumbs up, and you should check it out whenever you are in the downtown area. As of now the Museum also has free admission days.

Japanese-Americans have a such a rich history - amazing pieces, horrifying pieces - it can't be incapsulated in a brief review. JANM does a good job of showing you some of the stories and giving insight into the early and current days of the experience. They have a few ongoing exhibits but there are many traveling or limited time exhibits that change a few times a year. It's worth keeping up to date to see what's ne at JANM. And don't miss the photo op outside with the OOMO (Out of Many, One.) Cube! Admission is $16 for adults, but keep your eyes open for free days. Parking is a bit hard to find immediately near the museum, but park in any nearby lot and you'll be fine. They are all paid lots but make a day of it checking out Little Tokyo and dining in the 'hood - it's def be worth it.

The National Monument for the WWII Japanese American Incarceration/"Book of Names" is now unveiled here. 125,000+ are listed in this huge book. Getting the names right and including every single person there was a great unprecedented feat. But it's finally here! Thank you to all involved who made it happen! We tell the stories of people (good and bad) because this helps us all be better in the future.

An accurate representation of the Japanese American experience in America, a story which is seldom told. It is wonderful that the Japanese community has a place to be recognized in the Los Angeles region. I have been coming here since they opened.

This is a similar concept to a Jewish Holocaust museums. The main focus are the internment camps and related policies during WWII. It would be good if the museum expanded into more Japanese culture and art. It's worth a visit and important historically, although not sure if it's worth full price admission.

One of my all time favorite places to be in historic Little Tokyo Los Angeles California. Many activists, leaders, and community are the heart of JANM Japanese American National Museum. Their work is incredibly important and needed, honoring our Japanese American community histories of not only oppressions, but resistances and community re-building and creating. What I appreciate about JANM the most is the cross Asian American and BIPOC solidarity curating of coalitions they foster. I appreciated JANM for hosting diasporic and decolonial Pilipinx femme music artist Gingee to open their American Words to Action art featuring art collaborations centering Japanese, Chinese, Pilipinx, Korean, Pacific Islander, Hawaiian, Samoan, and more past, present, and future ancestors such as Grace Lee Boggs, Larry Itliong, and more. I also very much appreciate JANM for hosting contemporary Asian Am activists, artists, and creators such as the cast of Fresh Off the Boat. So much great work is happening here. Their exhbits are so needed showcasing Asian Am histories and community collaborations. A fun past exhibit was the Hello Kitty exhibit in which Chado Tea Room also had Hello Kitty afternoon tea and scones. Thank you JANM for all that you do to uplift Japanese American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and all communities.

My Brother-in-Law, Ronny, was born in a Japanese Internment Camp in California in 1944. When his family was released a year later, they moved to Chicago, where my baby sister lived. My Sister, Linnea, born one year after Ronny, eventually fell in love with him. She was the daughter of Sicilian and Swedish immigrants, as I was, which was wonderful for food, but terrible for politics. However, European Politics and Asian Politics are two very different things. It suddenly seemed that almost everyone from every corner of society no longer understood us, and maybe even hated us, including our own Italians & Swedes (my uncle Harry wouldn't even allow Ronny in his house, and Uncle Harry was the mayor of the city he lived in). We, my entire family, were basically labeled "non-humans" by many factions that we once belonged to. Nobody we knew understood Buddhism. People were afraid of Ronny (who was 6'2" and wore a black leather jacket just like Elvis). And truly, outside of pot smoking Beatnik crowds, my father was a mystery to everyone. But the one thing that held us all together was the fact that we were all - suddenly and urgently required to master Japanese cooking as well. And that was no problem for any of us. My Sister's mother-in-law did it, and so did I. My father converted to Buddhism two years after I was born, and all I wanted was to be like him. So it's no wonder that for most of my early life I wanted to balance myself between accepting our fates in the Buddhist way, and raging like a maniac through the USA's Government's Halls of Power, and Smash Down the many forces that robbed my Sister of her happiness. Man, has this issue just overwhelmed my entire life. Until Now. For Now I am at Peace... just like a flying Duck might be at peace before the final shot. Before it falls, unconscious to the Earth, with a pellet berouged in its heart. What type of peace is that! It is the type of peace that this museum gives you even for just one simple living moment. It is the type of peace that one can only get from standing humble and small before a towering display of artifacts and history, curated by human beings who care. This Museum addresses that. This Museum does that.

We were doing the tourist walking tour of the shops (and food venues) in Little Tokyo and decided to stop in for some culture. The museum is well curated and contains an impressive number of "real world" artifacts that tell the Japanese version of the universal story of immigration to the USA by most people other than the pilgrims: people with different language and culture coming for work opportunities, often working to support those left behind. The museum did an extraordinary job documenting the impact of that hatred during WWII as those of Japanese decent were summarily rounded up and sent to concentration camps here, right here, in America. The experience of living in those camps was beautifully documented, as was the fight for justice and a return to full citizenship. The museum also documented in a separate exhibit the shocking and horrific decision by our government to drop two atomic bombs not on Germany but on Japan (and explored other options to end the war that were considered but discarded). The stories of bombing survivors were deeply moving - and should be more widely disseminated. The museum is an important place to visit, it's also a lovely structure. In addition to the artifacts and exhibits themselves there's a small gift shop and a Chado tea shop onsite.

Had to stop by and bring my son to learn about how his grandmother was born in one of these internment camps and raised with her family. It was a great education for me too. It was a very heavy experience to see and understand how my relatives felt when they were illegally removed from their homes to live in an illegal camp. I can feel the emotions as I walked through the exhibit and read the stories. After returning home, I asked my mom and aunties a few questions that came to mind as I walked through the museum. Thankfully they're still around to give me their personal insight and get their side of the story.

We got there right at opening and the front desk people were SUPER kind. The lady who gave us the museum pamphlets also gave a background of the facility. She was extremely professional, but something in her voice made me feel like she was very passionate about the place. So it definitely made me appreciate that we walked. It set the tone. Many of the imagines, the items, the stories, the struggle, the voices. Their is history in there that will bring you to tears, but also put a fire in you. There is a great amount of information about Manzanar, so if anyone wants to really get a real lesson, go here. I grew up here in Southern California and your history teacher is probably going to go over this section pretty quick. So do yourself a favor. Read everything. Give yourself ample time to learn. Probably 2-3 Hours if your really want to pay attention and some respect. I don't think I can really describe how meaningful this visit was to me. Mahalo for making sure these stories are never lost and are forever heard.

Really moving. We had extra time and just walked in, so glad we did. Took about an hour to go through (though we rushed through a bit at some parts). The people at the front were extremely friendly. There's a student discount (even for university students) - just need your ID. Exhibits were touching, informative, and emotional. Don't want to spoil too much, but you get to learn a lot about Japanese American history and what they had to go through, interment camp, enlistment and all. Some of us teared up. There's a Hiroshima exhibit as well.... If you can, just go.

JANM is near me and I finally made my way here. I came by during the third Thursday of the month (admission is by donation). I want to comeback here because I had to rush my visit. I started on the third floor and viewed the history of the Japanese. As I worked my way through the museum there were a docents giving extra information about the history. Parking is either in the street or structures near by.

It was a very moving experience to visit this museum. The art is strikingly beautiful, but the most amazing thing was the life stories and artifacts that went with them. I didn't know what to expect in visiting, and I was not disappointed on any level. This was an amazing dive into history, culture, and Japanese life in the US during WWII, and by the time I got to the wall of purple hearts, I was completely and emotionally spent. Yes, it goes there - to the detainment camps and what life was like for the Americans of Japanese descent. I think every human should see this museum. What a beautiful museum. Highly recommend it.

An incredible museum dedicated to the Japanese American experience. The Common Ground exhibit is phenomenal and so informative on Japanese American incarceration, and the Be Here 1942 augmented reality experiences both inside and outside the museums are an incredible and innovative way to bring history alive and put you at the scene in 1942. Can't recommend a visit to JANM strongly enough.

Stopped by JANM today because it just so happened to be free SoCal Museums Day! I came to JANM with my grandparents growing up, however it wasn't until high school that I realized how significant this space to share and be reminded of Japanese American history was. Today, I was able to see an exhibit regarding Japanese American incarceration during World War II, along with an exhibit about Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the atomic bombs. If you happen to be in the Little Tokyo area before June 2020, I highly recommend taking a visit to see these exhibits. While it can definitely be an emotional experience, I'm so glad I was able to see these exhibits!

Edit: After taking some time to think I changed my mind to say that the man who replied to my review is the same man who made my daughters feel uncomfortable, Nick or Nicky Woo. Because he disrespected me I do not feel to owe him kindness by respecting his privacy. I don't think I'll be stopping by here again. I went with my husband and my daughters. We all went in together but as we left separately since I was hungry. My daughters told me that the man at the front would not leave them alone as the were making their way out of the building, he would not stop asking them questions and asked them to download their app, we downloaded it in the beginning why would would download at it end? He was just looking for reasons to talk to them and he even followed them out of the building and walked out with them!!! Even when they said no thank you to his questions he wouldn't leave them alone they thought he was creepy and pushy. It makes me think had my husband been there he would have left them alone. I'm angry and frustrated to know someone made my daughters feel unsafe. Me and my family have been to many museums in the East Coast and this is the first one I've been to that I've been to where the staff is inappropriate. Disappointing. As a museum the exhibits were interesting my favorite was the interactive experience with the veteran. You could ask him questions and he responded. We found out he passed away a few years ago. I wish I could say we enjoyed the service, that's enough for me to give this museum 1 star. I recommend to all parents, do not allow your daughters to go to this museum alone.

really well executed exhibits about the Japanese-American internment (incarceration/concentration) camps. the facts and lived experiences of the Japanese Americans presented were illuminative and sobering. the exhibits talked about the lives of Japanese Americans prior to being unrightfully incarcerated, the emotional and physical realities of "camp," the social and political conditions surrounding incarceration (before, during, and after), the japanese-american and non-Japanese allies who resisted incarceration, as well as the influence of Christianity and Buddhism on the Japanese American community. the exhibits implore us to use the power of community and empathy to fight the punishment of people who have done nothing but be themselves. the exhibit also nicely connects Japanese internment to contemporary issues of internment today (like the migrant children separated from their parents put in cages at the boarder). cannot recommend enough. like it was so, so, so(!!) well put together. when i first went in i was like "ugh y the ticket gotta be $16" but by the time i left i was like "was $16 enough?" 10/10

Little Tokyo is a popular sightseeing spot in LA.People can enjoy contemporary Japanese culture.However, there was hardship in Japanese community, LA.I learned history of Japanese Americans here. The exhibitions are beginning of the immigration in the 18th century, discrimination, the interment after Pearl harbor,Japanese American infantry regiment, and reparations for Japanese Americans. You may not know history of hardship of Japanese during World War 2.Hope that many people learn it. The building was beautiful I saw some little garden.There was a tea house outside.Please visit here before you go to little Tokyo.

Very educational about Internment camps during WWII. Show your AAA card for $1 off adult admission (normally $12). Second floor is dedicated for displays and information about Japanese American before, during and after the war. They also had information about Latin American of Japanese decent sent to the US camps, especially from Peru. As I read, I developed angry feelings but in the end, I realized there were a lot to learn from them. One of the volunteers talked to me while there and he shared his experience as a child being sent to one of the camps. His story was focused on what he appreciated during that time. The way of their living is something I should learn more from them. Appreciate what they have despite of unfairness and hardship. I am glad I made a time to visit here during my short stay at downtown LA.

*Currently open with FREE admission. Open Friday-Sunday only. 11am-5pm, last entry at 4pm. Advance ticket reservations are required and can easily be made on their website. I booked my tickets just a couple hours beforehand, on a Saturday, with no issues. I think the free entry is a temporary promotion so take advantage while it lasts. EXHIBITIONS: I really enjoyed the exhibition about early Japanese immigrants and learned a lot. Additionally, the WWII internment exhibition was very thorough. I've been to Manzanar which is a powerful experience but this was excellent as well. Lots of information accompanied by artifacts to tell the collective story as well as individual ones. The temporary Hiroshima/Nagasaki exhibition was also powerful (how can it not be?) but I felt like it was a bit lacking as far as exhibitions go. It was pretty small and comprised entirely of wall text. There was a section of art made by survivors which was very impactful but other than that, it was just small-scale and simple wall placards. I can understand that it may be difficult to borrow artifacts from other museums but maybe they could have included some interactive installations or models. Obviously, these are important stories that must be told, over and over again. However, there is more to the Japanese American experience than just suffering/discrimination so I was hoping to read more about culture/art/music/food. Additionally, I would have liked to learn about the specific history of Little Tokyo. I see that their past exhibitions did include more of a cultural focus so it seems that their scope does vary depending on the rotating exhibition. GIFT SHOP: Currently closed, unfortunately (due to Covid). All the items are available in their online shop, I was told. PARKING: There is an outdoor lot just around the corner, with a $10 all-day parking fee. Pass the museum (on your right), take the next right turn, and the lot will be on your right. You can then cut through the lot and the museum is right there. LOCATION: Great location in Little Tokyo. Lots of restaurants and shops around the corner.

I can here on a Sunday and it wasn't crowded at all. The parking garage is 10$ and entry is 12$ for the museum and 6$ for students. This museum is clean and decently sized. It has a lot of pictures and trinkets to look at and read. My favorite part was the cherry blossoms in Petri dishes. I spent about 1.5 hours here looking at everything and wanted to go into this computer/book room but they closed that early.

9/23/2017 Wonderful opportunity to see this museum thanks to free museum day LA. I love the modern look. Flows very well. Loved the staircase which led to exhibits on the second floor. Easy to navigate to the many different exhibits. I wish I had more time to see everything. A large focus of the exhibit contained art from Latin America which were done by Japanese people who lived in Latin America or they were half Latin American. Another section of the museum was about the internment. So sad and yet so important to know about and hopefully never to happen again. One of the exhibits showed all these luggage piled on top of each other which belonged to the people who were interned in the camps. Of course there was an art piece of Hello Kitty. I saw this amazing statue made out of glass. Even their restroom was nice looking!! LOVE nice and clean looking restrooms. We explored the interesting museum gift shop afterwards. So many cute and funny things. The only thing missing was a magnet!! I REALLY wanted a magnet which had to do with something regarding the museum. I was SO disappointed!! We parked in a lot not to far away. Short walk with many interesting shops to look at along the way. I will definitely be back.

Lots of immersive history to learn. We learned about the concentration camps the Japanese Americans were forced into. It was actually a bit overwhelming with all that needed to be taught, but I paced myself so I wouldn't turn into puddle tears. I recommend visiting

We visited the day a bunch of museums were offering free admission. Overall, I felt it was very educational and did a fantastic job about conveying the history and the related emotions of the Japanese American people. Hubby and I maybe spent an hour viewing the exhibit. Did notice some people were chatting with/sharing stories with an older gentleman (volunteer) who had experiences of his own to tell. It's a heavy subject (both the internment camps and the a-bombs) so we walked out of the exhibit feeling a little morose. Whether planned or not, we noticed they placed a single Hello Kitty exhibit ("How tall is HK?") in the hallway to the restrooms. For the record, I'm three times the size of HK which is 15 apples. They may have normally had exhibits downstairs but they must have been taking advantage of the fact that they didn't have paying customers that day to do some remodeling on the 1st floor. There wasn't much else other than a library that was open that day. We browsed the gift shop for a bit (lots of cool stuff) and went on with the rest of our day. Definitely a must-visit at some point in your life.