Japanese American Museum of San Jose

Japanese American Museum of San Jose The mission of JAMsj is to collect, preserve and share Japanese American history, culture and art with a focus on the Greater Bay Area.
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The Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj) showcases a unique collection of permanent and rotating exhibits chronicling more than a century of Japanese American history. Visitors will learn about early immigration of Japanese to America, their leadership in the agricultural community, their incarceration during World War II and the challenges they faced, while adapting and contributing to W

est Coast communities. JAMsj provides a historical forum that stimulates present day discussions on civil liberties, race relations, discrimination, and American identity.

Our first JAMsj Fam Mixer was a slice of everything we love: community, conversation, and good food! 🍕Thank you to every...
06/01/2026

Our first JAMsj Fam Mixer was a slice of everything we love: community, conversation, and good food! 🍕

Thank you to everyone who joined us at JTown Pizza to welcome our newest board members: Jimi Sadaki Kogura, Judy Higuchi, Julie Takata, and Tanaka.

We’re so grateful to grow, celebrate, and build the future of our community museum together with our volunteers, board members, and staff! See you at the next one! 👀✨

On Thursday, May 28, together with our preservation partners, we hosted “Sake for the Sakauye Farmhouse: Restoring Histo...
05/31/2026

On Thursday, May 28, together with our preservation partners, we hosted “Sake for the Sakauye Farmhouse: Restoring History, Celebrating Solidarity” at History Park.

We extend our sincere thanks to Santa Clara County Supervisors Betty Duong and Margaret Abe-Koga for co-hosting this special event. We are also grateful to SakeTrend and Kazumi Wines for their generous support and amazing refreshments.

The preservation of the Sakauye Farmhouse is made possible through allyship, solidarity, and collaboration across our community. This historic site represents an important chapter of local Japanese American history and the history of the Valley of Heart's Delight, and its restoration will help ensure that future generations can learn from and connect with these stories.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and to the many donors whose generosity supports this work. Together, we are preserving our shared history and strengthening our community for generations to come!

Donate today or learn more about this historic preservation effort at www.preservation.org/sakauye

05/27/2026

Walk with us! We're inviting you to join us in this preservation effort and learn about the multicultural history of San Jose's Japantown on our June 3rd walking tour with PAC*SJ 🚶🚶🏼

Hear from JAMsj's Executive Director Vanessa Hatakeyama as she draws connection between the historic San Jose Japantown and the Sakauye Farmhouse. One of our museum's co-founders, Eiichi Sakauye, was one of many Japanese American farmers and among the immigrant families who built the agricultural landscape of the Santa Clara Valley. The restored Sakauye Farmhouse at History Park will become a co-curated educational and exhibit space to keep these stories alive.

🏠 Looking to join the walking tour? Tickets can be purchased from our link in bio! If you can't make it but would still like to support the preservation effort, ALL donations made during the month of May will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $50K! Donate today and learn more at www.preservation.org/sakauye

Don't miss this film screening and panel discussion centering "Object Biographies of Japanese Incarceration" developed b...
05/27/2026

Don't miss this film screening and panel discussion centering "Object Biographies of Japanese Incarceration" developed by researchers of SJSU Anthropology in partnership with the Japanese American Museum of San Jose.

Explore the object biographies connected to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II through the bridged lenses of scholarship and community. Following the screening will be a panel discussion hosting project participants, JAMsj leadership Tom Izu and Vanessa Hatakeyama, and the SJSU Anthropology research team.

📅 May 29th (Friday), 5:30-7:30
📍 Yu-Ai Kai Japanese American Community Senior Center
🔔 Refreshments will be provided at the event and no RSVP is required!

05/25/2026

There's just ONE WEEK LEFT to double your donation to help preserve the Sakauye Farmhouse at History Park! 📣 Your donation goes to the restoration of the historic farmhouse, and supports it in its transition into a co-curated museum and space for future generations to learn about the significant impact of the Japanese American farmers of Santa Clara Valley.

In celebration of AANHPI Heritage Month and National Preservation Month, every dollar donated is matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $50K. This matching initiative is supported by a generous grant from the K/T Foundation.

🏡 Become a part of preserving this significant piece of San José history. Learn more and donate today at www.preservation.org/sakauye

Thank you to everyone who joined JAMsj and PAC*SJ for our first historic walking tour together to celebrate, honor, and ...
05/19/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined JAMsj and PAC*SJ for our first historic walking tour together to celebrate, honor, and preserve the multicultural lineage of San Jose Japantown 🚶☀️

Miss your chance to embark on this historic walking tour? Keep your calendars open for additional dates soon! 👀

All proceeds from this walking tour program contribute to the restoration of the Sakauye Farmhouse at History Park. Learn more about how you can support us in this mission at www.preservation.org/sakauye

05/17/2026

Step into preservation in action with Executive Director Vanessa Hatakeyama and San José City Councilmember of District 1 Rosemary Kamei 🏡

In celebration of AANHPI Heritage Month and National Preservation Month, your impact goes twice as far—every dollar donated is matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $50K. This matching initiative is supported by a generous grant from the K/T Foundation.

🏡 Become a part of preserving this significant piece of San José history for future generations. Learn more and support the project at or www.preservation.org/sakauye

For generations, our Japantown has been a cultural crossroads and place of belonging for immigrant communities across Sa...
05/12/2026

For generations, our Japantown has been a cultural crossroads and place of belonging for immigrant communities across San Jose.

Join us and PAC*SJ this AANHPI Heritage Month and National Preservation Month for a special walking tour through the historic neighborhood led by Vanessa Hatakeyama (JAMsj Executive Director), Ben Leech (PAC*SJ Executive Director), and community historians Robert Ragsac and Curt Fukuda. The tour starts at JAMsj and ends at JTown Pizza! 🍕

SJ Japantown Walking Tour (Morning)
🗓️ Sunday, 5/17 | 10AM-12PM

SJ Japantown Walking Tour (Evening)
🗓️ Wednesday, 5/27 | 4PM-6PM

🌳 ALL proceeds support the restoration of the Sakauye Farmhouse. Come walk the neighborhood, hear the stories, and help preserve an important piece of San Jose history! Purchase tickets at our website www.jamsj.org/upcoming-events

05/07/2026

Step inside the story of the Sakauye Farmhouse with our Executive Director Vanessa Hatakeyama (and a special someone from History San José!) 🌳

Now relocated to History Park, the farmhouse represents the agricultural roots of the Santa Clara Valley and the Japanese American families who helped build it. In partnership with History San José, PAC*SJ, and District 1 Councilmember Rosemary Kamei, we plan to restore it into a place for continued learning for generations to come.

Become a part of preserving this piece of San José history for the future. In honor of AAPI Heritage Month and National Preservation Month, individual donations will be matched up to $50K!

🏡 Learn more and support the project at www.preservation.org/sakauye

05/01/2026

"And so now to have this museum here, which we will co-create, co-curate with History Park is a way that we can really tell the future generations that this history is everybody’s history. This is American history, this is part of San José, this is an integral part of what it means to be part of San José and the Santa Clara Valley.” - Vanessa Hatakeyama, Executive Director of JAMsj

The historic Sakauye Farmhouse has successfully been re-located to History Park, but there's still work to do! On April 30th, the Sakauye Farmhouse Preservation Partners announced the launch of Phase 2 of the project: Restoring the Farmhouse.

During the month of May, JAMsj is providing a $50K match for all individual donations, made possible by a generous grant from the KT Foundation. Support us in our mission to restore this important part of Santa Clara's history.

Learn more about the project and how to support at: www.historysanjose.org/get-involved/support/

Address

535 N 5th Street
San Jose, CA
95112

Opening Hours

Thursday 12pm - 4pm
Friday 12pm - 4pm
Saturday 12pm - 4pm
Sunday 12pm - 4pm

Telephone

+14082943138

Website

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