Housed in a contemporary building and a restored Buddhist temple in Little Tokyo, this museum provides context for the surrounding community.

A great starting point for a Little Tokyo visit, The National Museum weaves together an impressive collection of Japanese-American art and sculpture in addition to celebrations of prominent persons of Japanese descent. The museum also showcases artifacts and personal items recalling the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. The JANM's calendar is full of lectures, tours, film screenings and classes (origami, anyone?) as well. Crafts classes are held 1pm-3pm on the last Saturday of each month.