Japanese American Museum of Oregon

Within walking distance from the Portland Saturday Market is the Japanese American Museum of Oregon. If we were to compare it to Los Angeles’ Japanese American National Museum, we’d probably scoff at how small this museum is. But don’t let its small exterior fool you because this museum does a wonderful job of using every space it has. And to be honest with you, I was very impressed with this museum and must say it’s been one of the best museums I’ve visited.

What I liked most about this museum is how immersive it was. I really got to just not read about the internment camps that Japanese Americans had to experience in the past. But I actually had the opportunity to sit in a space that resembled a portion of an internment camp. I know that it’s not the same experience as being out in some random desert with a bunch of strangers, but this small, yet immersive component of the museum gave me spatial insight on how little privacy interned Japanese Americans had and of course, how boring (and terrifying) things must have been, especially for younger children that didn’t know better as to what was going on in the world.

I can sit in that replica space and smile for a memorable photograph but could someone of that era really sit in that same space in the past and genuinely smile? I wonder about that.

Of course, I’ve come across photographs of people in these internment camps in the past and while there are photos of people smiling at times, I think they were just making the best of an ugly situation. Like, what other choice do you have, right?

And it wasn’t just this experience that I appreciated. I loved looking at the “artifacts” they had. An antique cash register that looks more like a typewriter than anything. A worn and stiff looking chair that was probably some form of a luxury for clients back then. An advertisement for haircuts and showers which costed only a quarter max. Canned goods that have outdated designs on them.

Oftentimes when we go to a museum, photographs of items or a small sample of items are shown behind a display case for visitors to look at. While that is typical museum behavior, it limits how much a visitor can truly immerse themselves.

And that is why I liked the Japanese American Museum of Oregon so much. From the start, you are transported back into time to get a glimpse of how life was like back then. It was like entering a shop in the late 30’s where your end goal is to buy rice and a few canned goods. The only issue is that there is no one manning the counter or antique cash register. From there, you move on to history that isn’t as light and fluffy.

I don’t know who is the mastermind behind the layout and art of this museum, but I loved it.

For those that want to go beyond reading and looking at stuff, the museum features a great educational video at the end. It’s not too long of a video, but it isn’t short either. There’s also ample seating for you to sit and watch the video from.

If given the opportunity, I would love to visit this museum again. I heard they moved to a new location (still within walking distance to the Portland Saturday Market) so I’m not too sure how different the museum may look from when I saw it. But if anything, I am quite confident that it’s just as immersive and would love to check out any new items they’ve added to the museum. They do hold exhibits and even have a gift shop in house, so it’s safe to say that returning visitors will be able to see something new whenever an exhibit is being held.