Japanese American National Museum: Institution Main

The Japanese American National Museum has a rich and varied collections of materials including digitized collections of art, still images, and home movies of Japanese Americans, including art created by World War II internees.  

JANM has been open to the public since 1992. housed in the historic Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, built in 1925. The building was originally used as a Buddhist temple, social hall, and office space, and later as a storehouse for the belongings of Japanese Americans sent to U.S. concentration camps during World War II. When the Nishi Hongwanji moved the temple elsewhere in 1969, the building was sold to the City of Los Angeles and declared a landmark.

The museum's collection now includes over 60,000 items relating to Japanese American history, including unique artifacts, documents, and photographs.

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For all comments and questions about the Guide, please e-mail us:

mlaguide@nccjapan.net