Japanese American National Museum
Japanese American National Museum
4.5
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
12:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The mission of the Japanese American National Museum is to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience. As the national repository of Japanese American history, JANM creates groundbreaking historical and arts exhibitions, educational public programs, award-winning documentaries, and innovative curriculum that illuminate the stories and the rich cultural heritage of people of Japanese ancestry in the United States. JANM also speaks out when diversity, individual dignity and social justice are undermined, vigilantly sharing the hard-fought lessons accrued from this history. Its underlying purpose is to transform lives, create a more just America and, ultimately, a better world.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Downtown
Downtown Los Angeles is a busy metropolis of towering buildings, bustling streets, and industrial warehouses. There is a distinct multiplicity of cultures here with a growing influx of business professionals and hipsters. Many call the evolution of Downtown over recent years gentrification. New lofts, bars, hotels and restaurants are popping up regularly. Downtown is home to some of the very best restaurants in the city leading the LA foodie scene, plus it is the location of cultural and sports venues including the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Staples Center, and the Coliseum at the University of Southern California.
How to get there
- Little Tokyo/Arts District • 1 min walk
- Union Station • 10 min walk
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
381 reviews
Excellent
227
Very good
124
Average
24
Poor
6
Terrible
0
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Shashouxx
Paris, France558 contributions
Oct 2023 • Solo
A museum in which you have to spend time as there is so much to read about the living conditions of the Japanese who arrived in the United States, it is sometimes hard to see and read... I absolutely loved the temporary exhibition by Glenn Kaino, equipped with a virtual reality headset, we walk through what was his grandfather Aki's convenience store. It was both ingenious and very moving, it made me smile, in short, I loved it and I will remember it for a long time.
Written October 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
phvi2617
Anaheim, CA647 contributions
Aug 2023 • Solo
This is a small, but well curated museum focusing mostly on Japanese immigration to the US and Japanese-American internment during World War II. Even though the exhibits are limited, they're interesting and worth a visit. It's located right across the street from the new Little Tokyo Metro Station.
Written December 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gatechnihonjin30350
Sharpsburg, GA1,385 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
As a first generation Japanese-American, I was interested in this museum. It made my heart ache to learn how much Japanese-Americans have suffered. I learned that this is where the internment camps really were, with gaps in the walls and how hot it must have been in the summer and cold in the winter.
It seems that the victims of war are always ordinary people.
It seems that the victims of war are always ordinary people.
Written March 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SMOgal
Santa Monica, CA280 contributions
Nov 2022
The WWII exhibit highlights how Japanese American families were suddenly relocated to internment camps. Descriptive panels and models of Manzanar were moving. It was worthwhile to read the timeline showing Japanese immigration to the US along with important contributions to society. This was an interesting learning experience.
Written February 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lori S
102 contributions
Jan 2023
I knew a little about the WWII internment camps for Japanese Americans but now I know so much more. The docent volunteering that day (I think his name was Marvin) was very engaging and knowledgeable. Well worth the admission price, and you can also go on the one free day a month.
Written March 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary C
Los Angeles, CA284 contributions
Oct 2016
This museum is not huge, but it is wonderful. Expect to spend about 2 hours. Parking is convenient and the admission is fair. It is all about Japanese American's and it is so very interesting. Have fun.
Written October 29, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MD_T0urist
New Jersey233 contributions
Jul 2019 • Family
Don’t expect Sanrio or anime when you come to this Smithsonian affiliate: the Japanese American National Museum is a reminder of the unthinkable discrimination Japanese Americans faced before and during WWII. There were many precious & household items, documents, and photos from America’s concentration camps which imprisoned over 110,000 Americans. There were first and second hand accounts of dissent, patriotism, and perseverance in the face of bigotry and hatred. There was a re-creation of a camp housing to add to the photojournalistic experience, but what will stay in my mind for a long time are the children’s faces peering out of formations led by soldiers and concentration camps surrounded by barbed wires. Yes, Ronald Reagan did sign the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 to superficially apologize for what the US government did, but many others in California, Oregon, and Washington were co-conspirators as well as beneficiaries.
Please leave your toddlers at home if you are not willing to control their tantrums - this place deserves decorum to respect the memories of those who lost so much.
Please leave your toddlers at home if you are not willing to control their tantrums - this place deserves decorum to respect the memories of those who lost so much.
Written July 16, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KelvinRyan
Omaha, NE43 contributions
Dec 2013 • Solo
The museum is located just across the street Little Tokyo and very close to the Gold Line station, so it is very easy to access without having to drive. However, if you have to drive there is parking all around the area. I paid $8 for a spot across the street. The museum itself is very new and modern. The first floor is made up of a few temporary exhibitions and the second floor is made up of all the main exhibitions.
As you walk upstairs, you begin a journey back in time...a very sad portion of American history that should not be forgotten. The main portion of this museum is comprised of artifacts and stories from the WWII Concentration campus the US placed hundreds of thousands of Japanese Americans in. What really made this museum stand out to me are the docents. The docent I was privileged with talk to me for over an hour telling stories about his occupation and daily life in the concentration camps.
Admission is only $9 (Students $5 w/ID). On Thursdays between 5pm and 8pm it'[s free to get in. The 3rd Thursday of every month is free all day. They are closed on Mondays.
If you happen to be in the Little Tokyo area of downtown LA, this is a great museum to check out.
As you walk upstairs, you begin a journey back in time...a very sad portion of American history that should not be forgotten. The main portion of this museum is comprised of artifacts and stories from the WWII Concentration campus the US placed hundreds of thousands of Japanese Americans in. What really made this museum stand out to me are the docents. The docent I was privileged with talk to me for over an hour telling stories about his occupation and daily life in the concentration camps.
Admission is only $9 (Students $5 w/ID). On Thursdays between 5pm and 8pm it'[s free to get in. The 3rd Thursday of every month is free all day. They are closed on Mondays.
If you happen to be in the Little Tokyo area of downtown LA, this is a great museum to check out.
Written December 21, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jonathan
Los Angeles, CA107 contributions
Sep 2018 • Family
Take a tour of the museum and be sure to visit the Hapa Exhibit, very moving and the longitudinal project is well done. Whether you're Hapa or not, go on a Saturday, take a polaroid and contribute a personal reflection on your identity.
Written October 13, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wbullseye
Windermere, FL1,321 contributions
Mar 2013 • Solo
The Japanese-American National Museum in downtown Los Angeles provides an excellent historical background on how the Japanese influenced the country's growth and history. The museum is located in the Little Tokyo section and is easy to find. It is a good sized two-story complex with exhibits, a tea room, research center, conference room and a store. It costs $9 for an adult. The museum is open everyday except Mondays and certain holidays. There are also certain times where the admission fee is waived. It is best to check the website for these times Photography is not allowed inside.
All of the exhibits were located on the second floor. You start by briefly learning the early times when the Japanese first came across the Pacific to the Kingdom of Hawaii (before it became a US state) and the mainland of the US. Most of the exhibits are tailored towards WWII and the US Internment of Japanese Americans on the west coast. They have part of one of the original cabins used at one of the camps on display where you can get a sense of what it might have been like.
You can walk through the museum on your own, but you'll get more out of your visit if you take a tour from one of the docents. While I had read most of the information already in the first part of the exhibit, the docent provided more details that filled in the gaps. The second part that focuses on WWII and afterwards show how the Japanese Americans helped the US succeed.
While I thought that the museum focused too much on the internment during WWII, I still learned a lot and would highly recommend visiting the museum. Even those who've been there before will find temporary exhibits that change.
All of the exhibits were located on the second floor. You start by briefly learning the early times when the Japanese first came across the Pacific to the Kingdom of Hawaii (before it became a US state) and the mainland of the US. Most of the exhibits are tailored towards WWII and the US Internment of Japanese Americans on the west coast. They have part of one of the original cabins used at one of the camps on display where you can get a sense of what it might have been like.
You can walk through the museum on your own, but you'll get more out of your visit if you take a tour from one of the docents. While I had read most of the information already in the first part of the exhibit, the docent provided more details that filled in the gaps. The second part that focuses on WWII and afterwards show how the Japanese Americans helped the US succeed.
While I thought that the museum focused too much on the internment during WWII, I still learned a lot and would highly recommend visiting the museum. Even those who've been there before will find temporary exhibits that change.
Written April 7, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DayTrip262436
Los Angeles, California
Can I donate my collection of Japanese serigraphs by the artist Hisashi Otsuka. I have about 18 serigraphs signed and numbered. A beautiful collection.
Marty Goldberg
818-285-9007
Written October 24, 2022
Rima T
Los Angeles, California
are you planning to have exhibition of Yayoi Kusama
Written January 2, 2019
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