NIKKEI LOS ANGELES 2026 | Japanese American National Museum Announces Promised Gift of $21 Million+ Estate from George Takei and Brad Takei
LOS ANGELES, CA (September 23, 2026)– The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) announces today that George Takei and Brad Takei have pledged to gift their estate, currently valued at over $21 million, to the Museum. This future gift ensures that the Takeis’ passion for JANM will continue to endure for years to come. In recognition of their support, the new, 9200-square-foot gallery space of JANM’s core exhibition, In the Future We Call Now: Realities of Racism, Forging Democracy, will bear their names.
“JANM represents the resilience of humanity through the stories and experiences of Japanese Americans over many generations. We wanted our gift to ensure that for generations to come, the Museum will remain a vital and active place for our community to come together to learn, reflect, and be inspired to continue the fight for a more just future,” said Geoge Takei. “For over 40 years, the museum has illuminated the connections between history, democracy, and social justice. No child should carry the trauma of racially motivated discrimination or incarceration as many Japanese Americans were forced to endure during WWII. JANM embodies the power of diversity, community, and civic participation. We believe that our gift will strengthen JANM’s mission and its voice to speak for all Americans.”
“It is an honor for the Japanese American National Museum to be the sole beneficiary of the Takei estate. George’s and Brad’s commitment to our mission and their iconic leadership in tackling the toughest civil rights issues in our country continue to inspire the work we do everyday. We are deeply grateful for their generosity and visionary support that has given JANM the opportunity to use the lessons of Japanese American incarceration to illuminate a better path forward for all Americans. This monumental future gift will ensure that we continue to keep those memories alive, shape a more just future, and carry on the legacy of George and Brad Takei for generations to come,” said Ann Burroughs, JANM President and CEO.
Since 1989, the Takeis have given $22.5 million to JANM, including this recent estate gift. Known as an accomplished actor, social justice activist, social media mega-power, and New York Times bestselling author, Takei has been involved with JANM since its founding in 1985. During World War II, he was incarcerated in the Rohwer concentration camp and Tule Lake segregation center. His graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy and his children’s book My Lost Freedom chronicled his experiences behind barbed wire. A founding Trustee, he served as the chair of the JANM Board of Trustees from 2000 to 2004, and continues to serve on the board. JANM presented Takei with its Medal of Honor for Lifetime Achievement and Public Service, the Museum’s highest honor, in 2015.
In 2017, George Takei donated his extensive personal collection to JANM. The George Takei Collection includes over 175 linear feet of artifacts, photographs, correspondence, scripts, awards, campaign materials, and other ephemera that demonstrate the magnitude and breadth of Takei’s accomplishments. Of special note are a sculpture made by Takei’s father while the family was incarcerated during World War II at the Rohwer concentration camp in Arkansas; the walking stick Takei carried on his ascent of Mount Fuji in Japan; and the Olympic torch he carried in the lead-up to the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The collection was the foundation of JANM’s 2017 exhibition, New Frontiers: The Many Worlds of George Takei.
Images from the George Takei Collection are featured throughout JANM’s new core exhibition, In the Future We Call Now. The Life in Camp section includes an image of Takei with his kindergarten class at the Rohwer concentration camp. It is part of a tableau of images depicting daily life in camp and it is being used to talk about the creation of K–12 schools within the ten American concentration camps. The Hard Choices section includes an image of Takei with his family as an example of families that were sent to the Tule Lake Segregation Center. The Onward section features Takei as one example of Japanese Americans who are taking action in the present. It includes an image of George and Brad Takeis’ wedding at JANM as well as an article about George Takei’s activism in the LGBTQIA+ community.
In March 2026, JANM previewed four new interactive StoryFiles of Takei and three other Japanese Americans who were incarcerated in America’s concentration camps during World War II. Based on hours of recorded interviews, StoryFiles use innovative technology to give visitors a realistic experience of engaging with the subjects in conversation about their personal accounts of American history.
When JANM reopens on January 23, 2027, the Museum’s renovated galleries will give visitors new ways to engage with American history. The new StoryFiles, along with the StoryFile of Lawson Ichiro Sakai, will be located in JANM’s new Hirasaki National Resource Center and Weingart Foundation Foyer, giving visitors a realistic experience of engaging with Japanese American concentration camp survivors and veterans and celebrating those who have ensured that their stories are preserved for generations to come.
The StoryFile of George Takei is presented by JANM and the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation and is supported by Joanne Watanabe Erceg. The project was created with the nonprofit Japanese American Stories and is supported by The Freeman Foundation.
This promised gift brings the total raised in JAMM’s Our Promise campaign to $135 million, more than double the original goal for the comprehensive fundraising campaign.