JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM SETS REOPENING FOR APRIL 16

LOS ANGELES - The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) will reopen to the public on weekends beginning Friday, April 16. Admission is free but with reserved tickets only; no walk-in admissions.

“JANM has always been a vibrant gathering space for our local communities and visitors from across the nation and the globe to come together to reflect, to learn and to celebrate,” said Ann Burroughs, President and CEO of JANM. “We are poised to re-open our doors and to re-establish those physical connections which are so important to our mission. This has been a difficult and painful few weeks in which the heightened racism and violence against the Asian community has been at the forefront of our minds, particularly in the wake of the abhorrent and tragic killings in Atlanta. Offering JANM as a place of healing and renewal is one of the most important services we can provide at this time.”

Highlights of the Museum’s reopening also include: 

• Transcendients: Heroes at Borders a contemporary art exhibition by Taiji Terasaki, in collaboration with JANM, that honors individuals who advocate and fight for those who face discrimination, prejudice, and inequality at borders. This includes Transcendients: 100 Days of COVID-19 and Memorial to Healthcare Workers, created during the pandemic, weavings that tell stories ranging from issues around race and class, to food sustainability, art, scientific innovations, and climate adaptation.
• Under a Mushroom Cloud: Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the Atomic Bomb, was organized by JANM in partnership with the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

JANM’s permanent exhibition, Common Ground: The Heart of Community is also on view.

New Museum hours are:

• 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PDT), Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only. 
• Last entry is at 4 p.m.
• Closed Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

New rules include:

• Advance tickets are required (no walk-in admissions) at janm.org/tickets.
• Face masks are required, except for children age two and younger.
• Social distancing is a requirement.
• All visitors will be COVID screened with a new, contactless temperature check system.
   

The free public admission will continue for a limited time. We will offer a special, free, members-only weekend on April 9-11.
 
All visitors and staff will experience new protocols and procedures at the Museum, including an upgraded heating, ventilation, and air filtration system, one-way directional routes, more frequent surface cleaning, and reduced visitor capacity. Note that water fountains will be closed off. Water bottles will be allowed except in galleries. For more details see: janm.org/visit/covid-19-rules-and-protocol

Some parts of the Museum will  remain closed including the Hirasaki National Resource Center, and the Chado tea room entrance through the Museum’s Hirasaki Family Garden. (Chado is open at its First Street entrance. See chadotearoom.com).

The JANM Store remains closed, but online orders continue 24/7 at janmstore.com. For orders or questions, leave a message toll-free at 888.769.5559. On-site pickup is available. 
 

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Established in 1985, JANM promotes understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience. Located in the historic Little Tokyo district of downtown Los Angeles, JANM is a hybrid institution that straddles traditional museum categories and strives to provide a voice for Japanese Americans as well as a forum that enables all people to explore their own heritage and culture. Since opening to the public in 1992, JANM has presented over 70 exhibitions onsite while traveling 17 exhibits to venues such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Ellis Island Museum in the United States, and to several leading cultural museums in Japan and South America. For more information, visit janm.org or follow us on social media @jamuseum.