The Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj) is located at 535 N. Fifth Street in
San Jose, in the heart of
Japantown
is a common name for Japanese communities in cities and towns outside Japan. Alternatively, a Japantown may be called J-town, Little Tokyo or , the first two being common names for Japantown, San Francisco, Japantown, San Jose and Little ...
. The museum's mission is to collect, preserve, and share
Japanese American art, history, and culture with an emphasis on the
Greater San Francisco Bay Area.
History
The JAMsj was established in November 1987. It grew out of a 1984-86 research project on Japanese American farmers in the
Santa Clara Valley
The Santa Clara Valley is a geologic trough in Northern California that extends 90 miles (145 km) south–southeast from San Francisco to Hollister. The longitudinal valley is bordered on the west by the Santa Cruz Mountains and on the east ...
. The farming project collected family histories, historical photographs, private memoirs and other unpublished documents and led to the development of a curriculum package on
Japanese American history, which was adopted for use by the
San Jose Unified and
East Side Union High School District
The East Side Union High School District (abbreviated as ESUHSD) is a school district in San Jose, California, serving the East Side of San Jose. ESUHSD administers 19 high schools with a combined enrollment of approximately 24,500 students in t ...
s. JAMsj's workshop on developing family histories provided documentary materials and photos included in the award-winning book Japanese Legacy: Farming and Community Life in California's Santa Clara Valley (1985) co-authored by
Timothy J. Lukes, Ph.D. and
Gary Y. Okihiro, Ph.D.
The museum started in the historic
Issei Memorial Building (formerly the Kuwabara Hospital) with the help and support of the
Japanese American Citizens League, San Jose Chapter. In 2002, the name changed from Japanese American Resource Center/Museum (JARC/M) to Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj) to better reflect the museum's archival focus. JAMsj now occupies the former residence of
Tokio Ishikawa, M.D. two doors south on North Fifth Street.
[
The original JAMsj building was demolished in 2008. The new museum re-opened in October, 2010.
]
See also
* Japanese American National Museum
The is located in Los Angeles, California, and dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Japanese Americans. Founded in 1992, it is located in the Little Tokyo area near downtown. The museum is an affiliate within the Smithsonian Affil ...
References
External links
Japanese American Museum of San Jose
homepage
{{coord, 37.34754, -121.89347, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-CA, display=title
Museums of Japanese culture abroad in the United States
Museums in San Jose, California
Ethnic museums in California
Asian art museums in California
Japanese-American culture in California