Mission 

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. 

Our role in the community 

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. 

History 

The Japanese American National Museum started as a dream, but without funding or a site. Within 20 years of its incorporation, JANM built a campus, traveled exhibitions internationally, became a Smithsonian Affiliate, secured its community’s history and changed how Americans think about Japanese Americans. Learn about JANM’s story. 

Nikei Project

About the Project

Discover Nikkei is a community website about Nikkei identity, history and experiences. The goal of this project is to provide an inviting space for the community to share, explore, and connect with each other through diverse Nikkei experiences, culture, and history.

The DiscoverNikkei.org site is a cornerstone program of the Nikkei Legacy Project, a project of the Japanese American National Museum, with major funding by The Nippon Foundation.

Establishment

The foundation for the Discover Nikkei Web site traces back to the National Museum’s International Nikkei Research Project (1998–2001), a unique collaborative project that involved a multidisciplinary and multinational research team of more than one hundred scholars from ten countries and fourteen participating institutions. It was coordinated by the Japanese American National Museum and generously supported by The Nippon Foundation.

The research and relationships developed through the International Nikkei Research Project (INRP) created an important global network. The Nikkei Legacy Project was initiated in April 2003 with funding by The Nippon Foundation to build on the work of the INRP. For the first two years of the project, we focused on developing the conceptual framework and site architecture for the site. DiscoverNikkei.org was launched officially in March 2005. Since then, Discover Nikkei has continued to expand both in content, and in the rich relationships and connections that the project has fostered.

Credits

Project Organizer: Japanese American National Museum

Major Funding by: The Nippon Foundation

Web Design: HT Group

Logo Design: Rory Matthews

This project would not be possible without the contributions of our global Nikkei network—Participating Organizations, consultants, translators, volunteers, community partners, and individuals.