The National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) is an American 501(c) 3 non-profit organization based in

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 To ...

San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

. The organization is dedicated to collecting, preserving and sharing historical information and authentic interpretation about the experience of

Japanese Americans are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...

. As part of its mission, it hosts rotating exhibits, archives, and education programs aimed at education beyond the Japanese-American community with a particular focus on the incarceration of Japanese Americans during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The organization was founded in 1980 and incorporated in 1981. It is headquartered at the former site of the Uoki Sakai Fish Market at 1684 Post Street in San Francisco. The organization has received funding from the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

's Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program.

Military Intelligence Service (MIS) Historic Learning Center

The National Japanese American Historical Society operates the Military Intelligence Service Historic Learning Center in

Crissy Field Crissy Field is a public recreation area on the northern shore of the San Francisco Peninsula in California, United States, located just east of the Golden Gate Bridge. It includes restored tidal marsh and beaches. Crissy Field is a former Un ...

, within the

Presidio of San Francisco The Presidio of San Francisco (originally, El Presidio Real de San Francisco or The Royal Fortress of Saint Francis) is a park and former U.S. Army post on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, and is part o ...

. The site, known as Building 640, which was the original site of the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) Language School where Japanese American soldiers secretly trained in Japanese military language to assist the American war effort during

. The Learning Center was originally expected to open in 2012. However, the opening was delayed and the museum finally opened its doors in 2013. The Military Intelligence Service (MIS) Language School, which started just weeks before the Pearl Harbor attack, was a clandestine program to train

Nisei is a Japanese-language term used in countries in North America and South America to specify the ethnically Japanese children born in the new country to Japanese-born immigrants (who are called ). The are considered the second generation, ...

as interpreters and intelligence personnel. Despite their families being interned, these Japanese Americans played a crucial role in translating and interpreting Japanese military communications to significantly aid the U.S. war effort. The interpretive center aims to advance understanding of the Military Intelligence Service and Japanese American veterans' roles during the war which, according to Major General Charles Willoughby, "shortened the Pacific War by two years and saved possibly a million American lives". It also documents how the work of Japanese Americans at MIS formed the basis leading to the creation of the

Defense Language Institute The Defense Language Institute (DLI) is a United States Department of Defense (DoD) educational and research institution consisting of two separate entities which provide linguistic and cultural instruction to the Department of Defense, other f ...

Peace Gallery and exhibitions

The NJAHS has created a number of different traveling exhibitions relating to Japanese American history, for example internment camps during World War II and the history of Japanese American women. It also hosts exhibits that highlight various aspects of the Japanese American experience. The Peace Gallery, located at its headquarters, showcases exhibits on many issues and themes relating to the Japanese American experience. Exhibits are free to the public and typically last three to six months. , it is currently hosting an exhibit featuring Japanese American veterans by Los Angeles photographer Shane Sato.

External links

References

{{Internment of Japanese Americans Non-profit organizations based in San Francisco Historical societies in California Japanese-American history Japanese-American culture in San Francisco Military monuments and memorials in the United States Asian-American organizations 1980 establishments in California World War II espionage American military personnel of Japanese descent Military intelligence

Military Intelligence Service (MIS) Historic Learning Center

Peace Gallery and exhibitions

External links

See also

References