Aims Nikkei (Japanese American) communities are known to be forerunners for building culturally sensitive long‐term care (LTC) services and programs. Existing literature highlights evolving cultural shifts among Nikkei communities as well as the baby boomers from the previous aging cohort. The present study's primary purpose was to examine Japanese American (JA) boomers' perceptions about their LTC planning compared with their non‐JA counterparts. JA's residential and care preferences were also examined. Methods The study applied survey methodology with a total of 499 “boomers” (age 51–71 years) in the state of Washington. Data obtained from JA (n = 264) were compared with the data from non‐JA Washingtonians (non‐JA, n = 235). Data from an additional subset of questions asking JA's preferences for retirement/LTC facilities were also analyzed. Results The findings showed similarities and differences between the two groups. No group differences were found with regard to caregiving experiences, exposure to LTC, expectation of requiring future LTC or physical proximity to their adult children. JA boomers, however, showed more knowledge about LTC‐related facts, stronger preference to avoid becoming dependent on their families and a higher rate of LTC insurance purchases. JA boomers ranked higher preferences on culturally universal elements (e.g. transportation services, Internet access) for their retirement and LTC facilities over Japanese cultural‐specific elements. JA boomers also preferred to reside with a mixture of racial/ethnic residents. Conclusions The present study suggests that the LTC industry including JA communities should accommodate boomers' retirement plans and preferences with a multicultural selection of services and settings. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 1074–1084.