Amazing Japanese American museum with knowledgeable tour guides (Will Kaku). The tour takes about an hour. Definitely a must visit if youre in San Jose. Opens only Thu - Sun.

While the topic of abuse and racism that runs rampant throughout Japanese-American history is hard to hear without a great deal of anger and sadness, Rich Saito is an absolutely incredible tour guide, and I sincerely suggest you take him up on his full tour sometime. It easily made it the best museum experience Ive ever had, and he was both very knowledgeable, and especially thought-provoking. The rest of the staff were all smart, friendly, and full of great energy as well.

This is one of my favorite museums. The docent was very friendly and well informed. He was concerned with the length of the talk but I learned so much that I would have stayed twice as long!

Very friendly service, somewhat small but packed with information.

Very kind staff. The place was interesting. Dont forget to go out back! My wife really liked their mock barracks room. The tour guide was out when I visited. Check it out! Cool old stuff, ww2 history, lots of japanese american history.

Great museum delve into the rich history of how the Japanese have helped create this amazing country of ours

Very insightful tours and exhibits, a local cultural gem.

Ticket prices are decently price and such a small and beautiful museum

Small but well-made and touching

Thanks to news stories, documentaries and movies I know a lot about the subject matter of this museum. But its nice to visit a place that is dedicated to to the preservation of historical events. Didnt know this museum was there until I was walking by it, a nice find.

At first I was the only visitor and got a tour guide just for myself. We talked about the exhibition but he also asked questions about my country (Germany), so we exchanged a lot of experiences. I learned a lot in this museum, as it is maybe small but packed with information and you can see the exhibition is made with love and passion for the topic. A lovely experience and if Ill ever be around, I would visit the museum again.

There is A LOT of history to this place. If you want to learn about Japanese American history, this is the place to go!

Very nice museum that tells an important part of San Jose history. The big focus is on the World War 2 era that caused a huge disruption to many the lives and families of many US citizens living in the San Jose area. Docents lead excellent small group tours that take about an hour and make the exhibits much more understandable and personal. Entry fee was $8 for adults, with no additional fee for the tour.

Well organized, good place for kids to learn another culture

Small but excellent museum. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and patient with our questions. There is a tiny parking lot, but street parking and a nearby paid lot are also available.Much of the exhibits relate to the Japanese internment during World War II, but there are also exhibits related to the local Japantown and period farming equipment. There is a small gift shop and a movie showing (which was sold out when I visited, so I cant review that.)They also organize walking tours of the neighborhood.No snacks or food sold, but there are places to eat in the neighborhood.

The people here were so friendly. We learned some amazing things about the Japanese American history. They have an amazing collection of historical artifacts from the early 1900s and photographs

Excellent well designed, small cultural museum with exhibits on Japanese American life in San Jose and a powerful display about the Japanese American internment camps - complete with a replica of a camp barrack. Outdoor youll find an extensive collection of farming equipment used by a Japanese American farmer that gives perspective on crops used, home life, and how agriculture evolved. Changing exhibit focused on Hapa, or people of Asian or Pacific Islander mixed heritage and the challenges theyve faced in Japanese culture and their wider existence. Volunteer docent was a young woman who was so passionate and well educated on the history, she seemed wise beyond her years.

I had to walk away during the tour. My heart hurt, I knew about the encampments. But didnt know a lot of the history. I cant believe California allowed this.

One of the most important museums in the United States. Lessons which are still relevant today. Chronicles how Japanese Americans adapted and assimilated as Americans, and were then unjustly thrown into desert internment camps, many families losing their homes, property, and businesses. Also has history about the 442nd battalion which still remains the most decorated American army unit in US history..

This museum has a wonderful collection of artifacts relevant to Japanese-American community life before WWII and during internment. Its a small museum packed with a ton of information - I was particularly impressed and grateful for how much they had curated on the 442nd Infantry - and personal artifacts such as art and other items handmade by Americans during the internment.

Small and calm fully guide place ticket price are five dollars

Rare museum, must visit if you are interested in Japanese American history

Very nice people,I like the tour guide (Reiko) She is Awesome.It saddens me that there going to remove the Farmering equipment, Where familys work the fields from Sun Up til Sun down to carve a future for what generation have today.

It was a very interesting muesuem, I came here on a date and it was very odd and enlightening experience.

Very informative place with nice guides who know what theyre talking about

Im the tour guide. Everyone in my tours learn something new.

A wonderful learning experience about the struggles of Japanese during the war.

A wonderful repository of the Japanese American history in San Jose.This is a small museum with very knowledgeable staff. The displays are of high quality and show the community and individuals in San Jose. The museum also teaches you about the shameful internment of the Japanese American people during WWII. During my visit there was another visitor who was interned in Utah and was sharing his experience with the docent. Listening to him speak about life in the camps was an unexpected privilege. You will also learn a little about other Japanese American communities in the West coast of the United States. It is inexpensive to visit and there may not be many other guests, so you may have the museum to yourself. It is situated in a pleasant neighborhood near the San Jose Bhuddist Church and the main area of Japantown, which has many nice places to eat of get coffee. This is a very worthwhile visit.

So much information in such a small space. Also, loved the old farm equipment display.

This museum worth a visit if you are looking for things to do in San Jose. Japanese immigrants experience and Japanese-Americans resettlement in particular are a lesser known pages in the story of American fight for equality. Very relevant knowledge in the context of 2016 presidential election.

Great. Just great. Human in every way, informative, and built by those who lived it.

A treasure trove of Japanese history in early and war era San Jose. Displays of farm tools, tractors, newspaper and other articles on the time when the country relegated these people to enemy status. Glad and sad stories and history told in a wonderfully rich museum. You wont leave unchanged.

Such a beautiful museum with friendly staff!

A great resource for the over 100 year Japanese-American history. You will learn about early immigration, the leadership in the agricultural community and the incarceration during World World II, what you didnt learn in school.

You have to see it. What an amazing story and history.

Nice

Our tour guide was enthusiastic and very knowledgeable.

Nice people

Well do e mueseum

Good

Raw

Helpful docents

Boring

Nice museum with a sad history of American Japanese history.

Awesome place, best musuem in San Jose