J-Boys: Kazuo's World, Tokyo, 1965

by Shogo Oketani, Avery Fischer Udagawa (Translator)

Kazuo Nakamoto's life in inner-city Tokyo is one of tea and tofu, of American TV and rock 'n' roll. Kazuo is nine. It is the mid-1960s, just after the Japan Olympics, and Kazuo dreams of being a track star. He hangs out with his buddies, goes to school, and helps with household chores. But Kazuo's world is changing. This bittersweet novel is a deft portrait of a year in a boy's life in a land and time far away, filled with universal concerns about fitting in, escaping the past (in this case World War II's lingering devastation), and growing up. J-Boys author Shogo Oketani is a writer and novelist who grew up in Tokyo in the mid-1960s.

Genres: Japan, Historical Fiction, Cultural, Historical, Fiction

212 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2011

Reviews

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

J-Boys is a semi-autobiographical (though really historical fiction) look at life in Tokyo in the mid-1960s. Though aimed at a younger audience, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and was captivated from beginning to end. The characters feel fleshed out and lovable, and it was fun to enjoy their adventures through my own lenses of Japan in the late 2000s and growing up in the US in the early 1990s, both times that this book made me feel nostalgic for.

For its intended readership, this book is great. The book is divided up into many manageable chunks (sections based on months, then chapters, and smaller sections within chapters), which was always a plus for me when I was younger - having the option of many "stopping points." There are many photographs scattered throughout which depict 1960s Japan, which is great for contextualizing the story. Perhaps the best part is the sidebars which at various points in the story explain unfamiliar terms ranging from "tofu" and "kotatsu" to "the war" and "Leave it to Beaver." Super helpful, particularly for a young reader not familiar with Japan or the 1960s.

I really think I would have LOVED this book as a kid and now all I want to do is get into a classroom and make some kids read it.

Full disclosure: I received this book for free from 45th Parallel Communications as part of Goodreads First Reads. I'm not gonna lie, I was super excited because I never "win" anything. ;) Thanks 45th Parallel and Goodreads!

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Christina Getrost · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won J-Boys through a Good Reads Giveaway and want to make it clear that my review is not biased because I won the book.

I am a huge fan of all things Japanese and was very excited to have the opportunity to read this book. It is a quick read and a very interesting one too.

The story is a translation and is one that tells what it was like to grow up in Tokyo circa 1956. Kazuo, is the main character of the novel, his Mom has a very tragic view of her past life during wartime Japan 20 years before. Life now for the family is so much brighter with their t.v. and american t.v. shows that both Kazuo his brother Yasuo enjoy. The story touches on the Korean population that was forcibly brought to Japan and discrimated against. We learn about so much cultural aspects of Japan as well such as the children being forced to drink and eat certain foods that they did not enjoy.

This novel is written in a way that would appeal to both children (10+)as well as adult readers. There are tons of photos as well as explanations of various topics mentioned in the book on most pages. This was one of the best books I have read this year and am thankful to have won it.

[Owen · Rating 3 out of 5]

In compliance with FTC guidelines, I disclose that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

I am very interested in the study of differences of other cultures, so I've read a lot of books like this, but the perspective of a child in 1960s Japan is pretty unique.

Given that the major theme of this book seems to be the changing cultural mores in the country at the time, a schoolboy is the perfect device through which to show the loss of the old and the inevitable march of the new. The author makes sure to describe in specific detail the unfamiliar habits and customs, so that there is sufficient context to understand the stories.

It's not a dense book by any means, and probably suited to those of the same generation as the narrator, but for the subject matter is was a fun and intriguing read, offering a illuminating glance at Japanese culture as it undergoes a fundamental shift.

[Jess Deitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

In compliance with FTC guidelines, I disclose that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

This book is a sweet, innocent look at a young boy growing up in a changing Japanese world. It is semi-autobiographical in that the stories are some what based on the author's experiences and childhood memories. Some of the stories made me laugh; others almost brought me to tears.

It was interesting to me (being of Japanese descent myself) reading about the culture in the 1960s and how Japan became modernized. Growing up and listening to the stories of my grandparents really made this book hit close to home.

I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys historical narratives, stories of other cultures/times, or for anyone who wants a nice book to read about a sweet boy and his childhood.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

J-boys: Kazuo's world, Tokyo, 1965
Shogo Oketani
Translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa
Stone Bridge Press
2011

An Early Reviewers book.
J-Boys is the story of what life was like in 1965 Tokyo for Kazuo, a nine year old boy.

Written for middle readers, this collection of stories is sure to resonate with 4th and 5th grade boys. The situations, while set in a vastly different world than today, are still similar and resonate deeply. The book is filled with sidenotes explaining unfamiliar terms and cultural references.

As an adult, the book enthralled me. The author does not step back from difficult subjects and handles them with compassion. From WWII, to the Vietnam War, and the treatment of Koreans, the reader is given an unhappy but accurate view of 1960s Japanese life.

I recommend this book to readers 9 years and up.

5 stars.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1965, Kazuo Nakamoto is living in Toyko with his family which is still recovering from WWII and its aftermath. American culture, TV, and a changing face of Toyko are all influential on Kazuo's family.

J-Boys: Kazuo's World, Tokyo, 1965 is a realistic glimpse into the daily activities of this Japanese family in the mid-60's. Yet, for a 9 year-old boy, many things remain the same...growing up, fitting in, teachers, girls, in short, growing up and coming of age.

A delightful story with historical notes and cultural snippets.
Thank you to LibraryThing and Stone Bridge Press for this giveaway copy.

[Andres Eguiguren · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover and the title of the book sum up these auto-biographical, historical fiction snippets into the life of a nine-year-old boy growing up in Tokyo in the mid-1960s. It's a light read, and I almost put it aside after the first couple of chapters, but it does capture (I believe) what it was like to grow up in the capital some twenty years after the end of the Second World War and only a year after hosting the 1964 Olympics. The interconnected short stories are accompanied by historical photos of the era and an cultural notes, making it an accessible intro to Japanese culture for teenagers and young adults.

[Holly Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

J-Boys gives readers a chance to time travel back to 1960s Tokyo through the eyes of nine-year-old Kazuo Nakamoto as he tries to make sense of the changes to his Shinagawa neighborhood and the world. Rich with details of day-to-day Japan life, and enhanced with photographs and notes, J-Boys offers deep and lasting insights into family and school life, foods, seasonal rituals and the all-important sense of community.

[Diane Nagatomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't realize that this was a children's book (upper elementary level) when I ordered it from Amazon, but it was a very charming story about two boys growing up in Tokyo during the mid-1960s--at a time when American culture (mainly through TV) was influencing Japan's youth. Lots of photos and text boxes explaining various aspects of Japanese language and culture makes this book a useful book for anyone interested in Japan.

[Hugh Ashton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this - it's a part of life that was lived by many of my Japanese friends, and it allowed me to see how they grew up, through their eyes. The stories are sometimes funny, sometimes touching, and always informative.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

J- Boys gives a glimpse into a different world. The characters are compelling and the side boxes offer interesting information. It is a great book for middle-schoolers interested in other cultures. I am going to use it for summer school this year.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really a nice and cool read for a young boy. Full of adventure, plus the author lays out translations for Japanese words. I enjoyed this book reading it from a juevenile perspective.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not something I would pick up and read usually but it was very interesting to read about the different characters and Japan during this time period

[Lisa of Hopewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Interest

My knowledge of Tokyo at the time of the 1964 Olympics begins and ends with the wonderful Cary Grant film Walk, Don’t Run. Otherwise, I know almost nothing except that Japan was not the Superpower it is today.

The boys in this fictionalized memoir (written for middle grade students, but enjoyable for any age) are 2-4 years older than my brother, so 6 to 8 years older than me. That would make them around 70 today.

[Apologies–I must have learned of this book through a blog, but I’ve tried to retrace my steps and cannot. If I find where I first read about this book, I will update the post.]
The Story

“[Their family] and many other people living around them, had begun to prefer the new Tokyo over the old. He wondered if this was good or bad.”

Month-by-month, this book tells the story of two brothers and their very ordinary life in a company owned subdivision in Tokyo around the time of the Olympics in ’64. Unlike the mothers in my world in’64, theirs works in an electronics factory and the father works for the company that owns the house. Their home is one typical of the Tokyo of that day–small, a few rooms, not bathing facilitates. They go out to bathe each night at a communal bathhouse which was very normal then. The boys argue and slack-off on studying and prefer TV and playing with their friends to doing chores or homework. Very normal anywhere. But, along the way, they are growing up and seeing their world with greater clarity.

Kazuo, the main character and the older of the two brothers, is growing weary of his mother saying “During the war….” and of his father, when he occasionally drank too much of ranting at him to study and get a good degree and not make the mistakes he had made. Kazuo dreams of running as fast as the American Sprinter, Bob Hayes. He practices Hayes’ low start over and over hoping to improve. His group of friends include the local butcher’s son and a Korean-Japanese boy whose father is a scrap man. These friends and their stories help Kazuo to see the world around him through more mature eyes as the story progresses. His teacher is a kind man who encourages instead of berating his students. When he shares that he, too, goes out to bathe, Kazuo feels better about himself.

Like all children, Yasuo, the younger brother, isn’t always as attuned to social cues as his parents might like him to be. Once such scene that broke my heart in more than one way occurred during the family’s dinner out at New Year’s. Next to them, an older couple was eating–the woman holding a doll. Yasuo realized she was holding a doll, but nonetheless asks what his name is. As a parent I winced, but as an older person now, I rejoiced. He noticed the lady and treated her kindly. Her husband also rejoiced. No matter that the curried rice they had ordered was sub-par and overpriced. I loved that scene.

Kazuo is very taken with American culture–he watches Leave it to Beaver and other American TV shows, but he hates the milk they are given to drink at school–a legacy of the occupation and a good-faith effort to improve the nutrition of Japanese children. But how does the American culture of Wally and the Beaver’s nice life square with Agent Orange and the Vietnam war that is all over t.v. and makes his mother complain that she doesn’t want to hear more about war.
My Thoughts

I remember the Vietnam Was vividly on t.v., but the thoughts on the war and the mother’s talk about World War II as she experienced were educational for me even at my age. Woke culture of today is easy to lampoon with it’s language of “lenses” to “view” events though and the exercise of “agency” or the exposure of “privilege.” But it does a good thing too–it makes us stop and look at events through the eyes of others. The mother’s story of the bombings and of Vietnam made me stop and reflect on their side of the story. This even though a cousin resigned his officer’s commission over our decisions in Vietnam and completed his tour of duty as an enlisted man. It takes a well written book to do that.

I loved reading Kazuo’s story. I loved the ordinary everyday aspects of it. I loved hearing about dinner and play and how they bathed. I nearly cried when Minoru’s family voluntarily repatriates to North Korea knowing what their fate would be. I wish Mr. Honda had been my teacher.

This is a wonderful book. An absolute delight. I highly recommend it.
My Verdict
4 stars

[Dan Allbery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kazuo is an elementary school student growing up in an ever-changing Tokyo in 1965. He loves American TV, hanging out with his friends, and the simple pleasures of life. He is often accompanied by his younger brother Yasuo, and they tackle life through the eyes of a child. With the end of WWII having forever impacted Japan, Kazuo is part of a youth generation who only hears grown-ups recount the "war days" and he is possibly shaped more by Japan's recent hosting of the Summer Olympics. Forever on-the-go, Kazuo is witness to changes in his city and himself, sometimes with full awareness and other times, none at all.

I recently read another book translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa and decided to give another a go. Having lived and worked in Japan from 2008 to 2009, I was reminded of my days biking the streets of this country. Although set in 1965, I was in awe by how many cultural aspects are still fully intact. It reminds me of how steeped in tradition this culture is. As I approached the end of the book, I was reminded of Stephen King's The Body (later made into the film Stand By Me). There were no overnight excursions to find a dead person, but I thought about those years early on where friendships and experiences forever imprint on your mind and change how you see the world. This book is probably best for those who have a previous connection to Japan. Recommended for GR 6-8.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kazuo's world comes alive vividly in this book. The notes don't interfere with the text, so readers can choose how much explanation they need.
My favorite description is this one: Nishino-kun's house...seemed to exist for the sole purpose of storing books. (p. 79).
And yes, while reading I cried on the train, so this was another book that probably reinforced my image as the crying foreign woman reading children's literature on the Denentoshi Line.

[Susanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

J-Boys is a series of short, anecdotal stories covering Kazuo's life between the October and April of one year. Each story is basically concerned with one or two aspects of Japanese culture and Tokyo life in the 1960s: tofu, public bathhouses, education, New Year's, memories of WWII, etc. Not only is the cultural and historical information interesting, but tracing the melding of traditional Japanese culture with Western influences is fascinating as well.

While the information presented in this book is interesting, the plot is not, mostly because with the short stories there is little cohesion between the chapters besides the same setting and characters. Only one story really stood out to me: "Kazuo's Typical Tokyo Saturday," where Kazuo notes the inevitable changes to the city and its culture as it faces the passage of time and incursion of new influences. I think that J-Boys would probably be much more enjoyable as a read-aloud between parents and their children or teachers and young students, reading a story or two a day instead of attempting to plow through the book like it's a novel as older readers (myself included) have a tendency to do.

Disclosure: I received my copy of this book from LibraryThing Early Reviewers in return for an honest review.