Mission Statement

Discover Nikkei is an international network that celebrates cultural diversity and explores both global and local identities. The project connects generations and communities by sharing stories and perspectives of the Nikkei, people of Japanese descent who have migrated and settled throughout the world.

About the Project

Discover Nikkei is a community website about Nikkei identity, culture, and history. The goal of this project is to provide an inviting space for the community to share, explore, and connect with each other through diverse Nikkei stories, experiences, and perspectives.

The DiscoverNikkei.org site is a cornerstone program of the Nikkei Legacy Project, a project of the Japanese American National Museum, with major funding by The Nippon Foundation.

Establishment

The foundation for the Discover Nikkei Web site traces back to the National Museum’s International Nikkei Research Project (INRP, 1998–2001), a unique collaborative project that involved a multidisciplinary and multinational research team of more than one hundred scholars from ten countries and fourteen participating institutions. It was coordinated by the Japanese American National Museum and generously supported by The Nippon Foundation.

The research and relationships developed through the INRP created an important global network. The Nikkei Legacy Project was initiated in April 2003 with funding by The Nippon Foundation to build on the work of the INRP. For the first two years of the project, we focused on developing the conceptual framework and site architecture for the site. DiscoverNikkei.org was launched officially in March 2005. Since then, Discover Nikkei has continued to expand both in content, and in the rich relationships and connections that the project has fostered.

Credits

Project Organizer: Japanese American National Museum

Major Funding by: The Nippon Foundation

Web Design: HT Group

Logo Design: Rory Matthews

Pro Bono Legal Advisors: Fenwick & West LLP (United States), Gabriela Yoshihara (Argentina), Patricia Murakami (Brazil), Jose Antonio Arostegui Hirano (Peru)

This project would not be possible without the contributions of our global Nikkei network—Participating Organizations, consultants, translators, volunteers, community partners, and individuals. Thank you for your ongoing support of the project!