gr33nb00ks's review
5.0
The book starts out telling us about Kazuo, a young boy who dreams of running as fast as Bob Hayes. His family lives in the Nihon Optics company housing, and although Kazuo feels fortunate enough to live there, his brother, Yasuo, wants to move so he can have a yard for a dog. Kazuo lives a humble life in Tokyo, but throughout his story ( a year in his life, during the start of quite a change in Tokyo) he idealizes the classic middle-class American dream, post WWII. He has a few good friends, whom he seems to learn from, just as much as plays with them. This books is all about Japanese culture and what it would have been like to be a kid in Tokyo in 1965, playing pachinko, being forced to drink miruku at school, warming up via kotatsu during the winter while mother begs one to study, and dreaming of eating a hanbaagaa.
I absolutely loved this book. It had so many historical post-war elements, like how the middle school kids were to drink their Miruku before recess, as this very hard to digest powdered milk was seen as healthy for them. And also, how the 'grown-ups' around them were affected by the war. The book posed a great description of the 1960's and what it was like to grow up during this time.
The book also had definitions to some traditional Japanese words in the margins of the page, And although I personally knew most of them, they were helpful with some words I didnt already know.
It was neat for me to read this book as I've dreamed of going to Tokyo my whole life.
The only thing that bothered me about Kazuo is that he strives to become more Westernized. Japan has such a rich culture, and one of the most healthy diets on the planet and I'd hate to think anyone in Japan would WANT to be like the average, overweight, white picket fenced, hamburger eating, middle class American. Nevertheless, this was a common dream for Japanese kids post WWII as they often watched American TV shows such as Tom and Jerry, Popeye, and The Three Stooges during that time.
The pictures in this book are really great! Just added that extra little bit of meaning for me. Kazuo and Yasuo truly touched my heart as I got to know what there life was like.I felt like Kazuo was my own brother.
My favourite chapter, naturally, was Bathing and The Beatles, as Kazuo, his brother, and friends were discovering one of the greatest bands of all time, again another post war influence on Japanese culture.
I think I am going to give this book to my little brother. He is 11 and I am curious to see what he thinks of it, or if he learns anything from Mr.Yoshino or any of the other characters in this book :)
In compliance with FTC guidelines, I disclose that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads
I absolutely loved this book. It had so many historical post-war elements, like how the middle school kids were to drink their Miruku before recess, as this very hard to digest powdered milk was seen as healthy for them. And also, how the 'grown-ups' around them were affected by the war. The book posed a great description of the 1960's and what it was like to grow up during this time.
The book also had definitions to some traditional Japanese words in the margins of the page, And although I personally knew most of them, they were helpful with some words I didnt already know.
It was neat for me to read this book as I've dreamed of going to Tokyo my whole life.
The only thing that bothered me about Kazuo is that he strives to become more Westernized. Japan has such a rich culture, and one of the most healthy diets on the planet and I'd hate to think anyone in Japan would WANT to be like the average, overweight, white picket fenced, hamburger eating, middle class American. Nevertheless, this was a common dream for Japanese kids post WWII as they often watched American TV shows such as Tom and Jerry, Popeye, and The Three Stooges during that time.
The pictures in this book are really great! Just added that extra little bit of meaning for me. Kazuo and Yasuo truly touched my heart as I got to know what there life was like.I felt like Kazuo was my own brother.
My favourite chapter, naturally, was Bathing and The Beatles, as Kazuo, his brother, and friends were discovering one of the greatest bands of all time, again another post war influence on Japanese culture.
I think I am going to give this book to my little brother. He is 11 and I am curious to see what he thinks of it, or if he learns anything from Mr.Yoshino or any of the other characters in this book :)
In compliance with FTC guidelines, I disclose that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads
nerfherder86's review
4.0
J-Boys is a sweet look at one boy's experiences growing up in Tokyo. It takes place during one year, when he is nine, as he goes to school and plays with his best friends, who nickname themselves the "J-Boys". Kazuo tells of shopping for tofu in his neighborhood, playing in the empty lot, and how people's lives were still affected every day by the suffering of World War II (from his mother's memories of a fire bombing she barely survived, and being thrifty because "in the war we had nothing", to having to drink the dreaded "miroku"--awful powdered milk--in school.) He has quibbles with his younger brother but also stands up for him. Not a lot happens, plotwise, but the book's gentle vignettes celebrate family and holidays and feeling pride of ownership of a particular neighborhood. There is some nostalgia, as Kazuo talks about the changes that came later to Tokyo (and there is an excellent afterword by the author, who explains that the book is not strictly autobiographical but is fictionalized from several boys' experiences). The part I liked best was the glossary, and the side tabs on nearly every page that explained Japanese words, phrases, customs and concepts. Thus even elementary students will have no problem reading the book, and even those teens who are big fans of Japanese culture may learn something.
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