Japanese Overseas Migration Museum

In Yokohama, the Japanese Overseas Migration Museum traces the journeys of Japanese people who emigrated to North and South America and other parts of the world. Exhibits cover how people left Japan, how they built lives abroad and how the Second World War affected their communities. Information is available in several languages, including English and Spanish, and QR codes link to audio guides. Admission is free, so it is an easy stop if you are curious about Japanese diaspora history or your own family connections.

Stories of migration

The museum follows Japanese emigration from its early history through the present. Its exhibits explain who left Japan, how they travelled and what life was like after arrival in destinations across North and South America, including Hawaii. The displays also cover the effects of the Second World War on Japanese communities abroad. Together, these accounts give visitors a way to consider the history of migration from the perspective of the people who made those journeys.

Reading and listening to the exhibits

Exhibit information is available in several languages, including English and Spanish. QR codes provide access to audio guides, and visitors can explore independently or arrange a guided tour in English. If you are researching Japanese ancestry, ask staff about records held at the nearby JICA library. The museum itself is a place to learn about the wider history; the library may be relevant for looking into individual family records.