Museum of Japanese Emigration to Hawaii — Attraction in Suo-Oshima

We were out on a random drive to Suoshima when this place just popped up on Google maps. It just so happened that my brother who is married to a Hawaiian of Japanese decent, was visiting Japan. As it was New years holiday, we expected it would be closed, but we decided to check it out anyway. While we were looking around the grounds and peeking into the entrance, an older gentleman approached us and asked us where we were from. After telling him that we were visiting from the US and my about my brother's wife, he explained that he was the caretaker and that he would be happy to open the museum just for us!!! The museum itself turned out far exceed our expectations with a small theater and extensive displays that told the story of hardships endured by the emigrants to Hawaii. The museum house itself had belonged to an emmigree who had returned to Japan in the 1920s. To top it off, the caretaker offered to look up the archival records of my brother's wife's family name. He found the name of her great grandfather, who departed Japan in 1898!!! All in all, it was an amazing and unexpected experience! For anyone who is curious about the Japanese emigration story, this place is a real gem! It is only about 35 minutes by car from Iwakuni city, and Suoshima is a gorgeous destination in itself. Thank you to our excellent caretaker for making our unexpected visit a moment...

This is a fantastic museum with tons of information, items, photographs, etc., and a helpful staff. Its holdinga are specific to its intended purpose which might be a bit narrow for those wihtout ancestors who themselves emigrated from Japan to Hawaii. But, the learnings and information would be engaging for anyone with a interest in history, migrations, the origins of Japanese in Hawaii, the US/mainland, and south America. I had a little difficulty communicating with the staff due to network connection issues. But they were extremely helpful in providing information to me on my ancestors who emigrated to Hawaii from nearby Yanai city. The information complemented additional research I had been doing and the museum's information helpmed me to identify my family's honseki (family home), which was unexpected and astounding. When I visited the museum in person, I felt the staff's happiness that they'd been able to assist me, and pride that their efforts helped me learn more about my ancestors. Recommend and appreciate the musesum and the...

Small museum with numerous period artifacts and extensive documentation focused mainly on Japanese emigration to Hawaii that is housed in a renovated, traditional minka (farmhouse). Staff will provide an orientation about Japanese emigration (in Japanese) to Hawaii. The largest group of emigrants originated from this island in Yamaguchi-ken as a result poor economic conditions after the Seinan War (aka Satsuma Rebellion), a very large population (70,000) on this island that is mountainous with limited arable land and a three-year contract with the intent of returning to Japan. Staff is extremely helpful and will conduct a search of departure records if you suspect having relatives who left Yamaguchi for Hawaii. With their help, I found a possible record of my grandmother’s emigration to Hawaii. Additional exhibits about a person (Mr. Fukumoto) who returned to Suo Oshima from Hawaii as well as emigrants to Peru are displayed on the...