Japanese American National Museum Opens

Located on N. Central Ave. and E. 1st Street, the Japanese American National Museum opened in 1992 with the mission to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience.

Built by Japanese immigrants in 1925, the Japanese American National Museum’s renovated historic building was the first structure designed specifically in Los Angeles to house a Buddhist place of worship, the Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple. It is located less than a mile from Azusa Street, walking west along 1st Street.

The Japanese American National Museum is the first museum in the United States dedicated to sharing the experience of Americans of Japanese ancestry as an integral part of U.S. history. Through its comprehensive collection of Japanese American objects, images and documents, as well as multi-faceted exhibitions, educational programs, documentaries and publications, the National Museum shares the Japanese American story with a national and international audience. At this time, Los Angeles had 3,485,499 residents.

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