History
Located in Japantown, San Jose, the Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj) was established in November in1987. JAMsj grew out of a 1984-86 research project on Japanese American farmers in the Santa Clara Valley. The farming project collected family histories, historical photographs, private memoirs and other unpublished documents and led to the development of a curriculum package on Japanese American history, which was adopted for use by the San Jose Unified and Eastside Union High School Districts. With the help and support of the Japanese American Citizens League, San Jose Chapter, the museum started in an upstairs room of the historic Issei Memorial Building, formerly the Kuwabara Hospital. 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.
Specialties
Japantown Walking Tours Did you know that San Jose's Japantown is one of only three Japantowns in the United States? A JAMSJ docent can show you all the historic sites including Issei Memorial Building and the Buddhist Church. Speakers JAMSJ provides speakers who will go to schools or organizations to give first-hand accounts of life in the internment camps and explain how the former incarcerees reestablished themselves after their release. The speakers program only covers grades 10 and higher. For more information, please contact Mimi Suga at (408) 265-8693, mimi@jamsj.org Speakers JAMSJ provides speakers who will go to schools or organizations to give first-hand accounts of life in the internment camps and explain how the former incarcerees reestablished themselves after their release. The speakers program only covers grades 10 and higher. For more information, please contact Mimi Suga at (408) 265-8693, mimi@jamsj.org