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National Japanese American Historical Society

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National Japanese American Historical Society

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from National Japanese American Historical Society, Nonprofit Organization, 1684 Post Street, San Francisco, CA.

A non-profit membership organization dedicated to the collection, preservation, authentic interpretation, and sharing of historical information of the Japanese American experience.

07/31/2026

In June 2026, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) announced its plans to shut down the San Francisco National Archives facility in San Bruno, California and NARA-Chicago. Housed within SF NARA are some 9,711 files of persons born in Japan, 2,300 with Japanese surnames, and 243 Japanese born in Hawaii.

The imminent closure will result in the likely loss of public access to original documents crucial to the Japanese American community.

The loss of access to these records would have far-reaching and lasting consequences for the Japanese American community. Historians, researchers, students, and community members who rely heavily on them to document, study, and preserve this experience will no longer continue to do so. Digitization is not enough. We cannot allow this important public resource to disappear. Please join us in urging NARA and our elected representatives to stop the closure of the San Francisco National Archives in San Bruno and NARA-Chicago and keep these archives accessible to the communities they serve.
For more information on how to take action, please visit the SONA (Save Our National Archives) website or www.njahs.org.

06/25/2026

Meet Our 2026 Summer Intern!

“Hi! My name is Emily Takamoto (she/her) and I’m the 2026 Nikkei Community Intern at the National Japanese American Historical Society this summer! I am an incoming sophomore at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, double majoring in Biology and Economics. As a San Francisco native, I grew up and spent a lot of time in Japantown, so I am excited to intern this summer learning more about the history, culture, and legacy of the Japanese American community.”

05/23/2026

THIS SUNDAY, May 24, 2026, 12:30 PM - 3 PM, join us for an afternoon of fashion, drag, and cultural expression at KOHO Co-Creative Hub 🌟❤️‍🔥🎊

Featuring a fashion show curated by Yutaka Ezekiel Goto and drag performances by Kristi Yummykochi, “Generations of Expression: Japanese American Youth Shaping Culture” will be a powerful celebration of creativity, identity, and self-expression—honoring how Japanese American youth, past and present, continue to shape culture, challenge norms, and imagine new possibilities 🙌🔥

Secure your spot and register for this event by visiting njahs.org/events/generationsofexpression/ 🫡

This event is funded in-part by Grants for the Arts, and organized by the National Japanese American Historical Society. Marketing partners for this event include Japantown Cultural District (JCD), 82ALLNIGHT, and the Japanese American Citizens League San Francisco Chapter.

05/18/2026

Meet our incredible fashion designer, Yutaka Ezekiel Goto 😱🔥

Join us as we close out AAPI Month and usher in Pride Month with an afternoon of fashion, drag, and cultural expression at KOHO Co-Creative Hub THIS SUNDAY, May 24, 2026 at 12:30 PM. This event also marks the opening day of our new exhibition at NJAHS’s Peace Gallery, “Queer Japantown” 🌸🏳️‍🌈❤️‍🔥

Yutaka Ezekiel Goto‘s work reimagines Japanese American identity through sustainable design practices. Yutaka sources secondhand materials throughout the Bay Area alongside secondhand deadstock kimono textiles (tannmono 反物) from Japan to create garments that express a new form of Japanese American identity. Their work has been presented through their fashion brand Yutan_Ño, at San Francisco State University, pop-up venues, and other runway opportunities across San Francisco 💪

At “Generations of Expression: Japanese American Youth Shaping Culture,” this fashion show and drag performance will offer a powerful celebration of creativity, identity, and self-expression—honoring how Japanese American youth, past and present, continue to shape culture, challenge norms, and imagine new possibilities 🙌❤️

Secure your spot and register for this event by visiting njahs.org/events/generationsofexpression/

This event is organized by the National Japanese American Historical Society and funded in-part by Grants for the Arts. Marketing partners for this event include Japantown Cultural District (JCD), 82ALLNIGHT, and the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) San Francisco Chapter🔥

05/13/2026

Meet our incredible drag performer, Kristi Yummykochi 🥳🌟

Join us as we close out AAPI Month and usher in Pride Month with an afternoon of fashion, drag, and cultural expression at KOHO Co-Creative Hub on Sunday, May 24, 2026 at 12:30 PM. This event also marks the opening day of our new exhibition at NJAHS’s Peace Gallery, “Queer Japantown” 🌸🏳️‍🌈❤️‍🔥

Kristi Yummykochi is a San Francisco Politi-Kween for the people, and member of the first A&PI drag collective in the U.S., the Rice Rockettes. She has been featured in publications from Vice News, NBC Asian American, and NewNowNext. In her spare time, she enjoys eating the rich and encouraging critical social dialog using her whip 🌟

At “Generations of Expression: Japanese American Youth Shaping Culture,” we will celebrate both the history and contemporary examples of Japanese American youth self-expression—from repurposing Japanese textiles into new fashion forms to exploring Japanese American identity through drag 🙌❤️

Secure your spot and register for this event by visiting njahs.org/events/generationsofexpression/

This event is organized by the National Japanese American Historical Society and funded in-part by Grants for the Arts. Marketing partners for this event include Japantown Cultural District (JCD) and 82ALLNIGHT🔥

05/08/2026

Join us as we close out AAPI Month and usher in Pride Month with an afternoon of fashion, drag, and cultural expression at KOHO Co-Creative Hub. Organized by the National Japanese American Historical Society, this celebratory event will take place on Sunday, May 24, 2026 at 12:30 PM and marks the opening day of a new exhibition at NJAHS’s Peace Gallery, “Queer Japantown” 🌸🏳️‍🌈❤️‍🔥

At “Generations of Expression: Japanese American Youth Shaping Culture,” we will celebrate both the history and contemporary examples of Japanese American youth self-expression—from repurposing Japanese textiles into new fashion forms to exploring Japanese American identity through drag ❤️

Featuring a drag performance by Kristi Yummykochi and a fashion show by Yutaka Ezekiel Goto 🤩

Secure your spot and register for this event by visiting njahs.org/events/generationsofexpression/

This event is funded in-part by Grants for the Arts. Marketing partners for this event include Japantown Cultural District (JCD) and 82ALLNIGHT 🔥

04/17/2026

Come celebrate Earth Day with us in-person at this important community event, free with RSVP. Enjoy light refreshments and an evening of performances by USC Poet-in-Residence Mason Granger, world renowned storyteller Brenda Wong Aoki, and music educator and guitarist Lior Ben-Hur, to celebrate nature and community 🍃🫂

This event is organized in the spirit of the
“Reconnecting the Western Addition” initiative to bring together the Black, Japanese, and Jewish communities connected to the Western Addition. Emceed by next generation leader Seba Chang, Japantown Cultural District Community Outreach Lead, with closing remarks by next generation leader Emma Grover, National Japanese American Historical Society Program Manager 💚

Seating is limited, so RSVP today. Help us plant seeds for a greener future! 🪴 RSVP link can be found on NJAHS’s website on the event page.

Hosted by the Japantown Cultural District in partnership with the National Japanese American Historical Society. Refreshments provided, in part, by KOHO Creative Hub.

04/07/2026

Cherry Blossom Festival book signing and fun family activity on Saturday, April 11, 2026 from 1-3 pm at NJAHS, Japantown, SF.

UNBREAKABLE: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp, is a powerful and poignant picture book that delves into the world of American incarceration camps during World War II through the eyes of Min Tonai. Co-authored by Minoru “Min” Tonai and Jolene Gutiérrez, illustrated by Chris Sasaki.

Join John Tonai, Min’s son, and co-author Jolene Gutiérrez for FREE Cherry Blossom Festival book signing and fun family activity on Saturday, April 11, 2026 from 1-3 pm at the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) San Francisco Japantown Gallery.

03/27/2026

Join John Tonai, Minoru Tonai’s son, and co-author Jolene Gutiérrez for a Cherry Blossom Festival book signing of UNBREAKABLE: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp and fun family activity on Saturday, April 11, 2026 from 1-3pm at the National Japanese American Historical Society San Francisco Japantown Gallery, 1684 Post Street.

A powerful, emotional, and ultimately uplifting picture book about the real-life experience of a Japanese American boy incarcerated with his family during World War II.

Cowritten by the late Minoru “Min” Tonai, an advocate for Japanese American rights, Unbreakable is based on Tonai’s harrowing real-life experiences.

Address

1684 Post Street
San Francisco, CA
94115

Opening Hours

Monday	12pm - 5pm
Tuesday	12pm - 5pm
Wednesday	12pm - 5pm
Thursday	12pm - 5pm
Friday	12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+14159215007

Website

http://njahs.org/

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