Japanese American National Museum


Based on ethnic and cultural diversity, the Japanese American National Museum is the first museum in the United States dedicated to sharing the experience of Americans of Japanese ancestry and an integral component of our American heritage. The Japanese American story told through the eyes and voices of individuals who lived that experience is a global experience.

Gyo Obata is the architect of the elegant sandstone, granite, steel, and glass museum building, the Pavilion. Interior features highlight a grand sweeping stairway, cherry wood paneling, a centrally located collection space, and expanded areas for educational programs, and library facilities.

The renowned landscape architect Robert Murase designed a tranquil, inviting garden atmosphere for contemplation and reflection. An integration of Japanese and American aesthetics, the gardens incorporate plants, a flagstone terrace and the soothing sound of running water, that links the lobby and the museums café.

The gallery houses the most thoroughly documented collection of Japanese American artifacts in the world. The focal point of the collection is a relocation camp barracks in Heart Mountain, Wyoming. Dismantled, transported, and reassembled in the museum, it stands as silent testimony and tribute to the internment experience.

The acquisition of artifacts, paintings, works on paper, photography, film and video documentation, ephemera, textiles, and recorded life histories has grown tremendously due to support from the community. The broad scope of the collection ranges from vintage kimonos to World War II artifacts and contemporary art. An interactive database including images and text on the entire museum's unique collection is housed in the National Resource Center in the museum.

As part of the larger scope, the museum's outreach program is dedicated to spreading knowledge and appreciation for the Japanese American experience. The traveling exhibitions include: America's Concentration Camps-Remembering the Japanese American Experience at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, Statue of Liberty National Monument in New York and the Kona Coffee Story: Along the Hawaii's Belt Road at the Museu Historic da Imigracio Japonesa in Sao Paulo. The museum is a frequent partner with regional groups across the country in exhibitions that create, preserve and present the shared stories of people of all backgrounds.

The copyright of the article Japanese American National Museum in Art Museums is owned by Judith Stock. Permission to republish Japanese American National Museum in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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