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

Shogo Oketani,

Avery Fischer Udagawa (Translator)

4.12 · Rating details · 41 ratings · 18 reviews

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 ...more

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Paperback, 212 pages

Published July 12th 2011 by Stone Bridge Press (first published July 1st 2011)

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Average rating 4.12 ·

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· 41 ratings · 18 reviews

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Jul 28, 2011 Dani rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, kids-and-teens, japan, memoirs-bio, own, historical, first-reads

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. ...more

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Jul 15, 2011 Alana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: first-reads

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, wh 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
...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Christina Getrost rated it really liked it

Shelves: biography, earlyreviewers, historical-fiction, multicultural, realisticfiction

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 ...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Tamara rated it it was amazing

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 ...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Owen rated it liked it

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 ...more

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Jun 01, 2012 April rated it it was amazing

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 ...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Jessie rated it really liked it

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 J ...more

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Sep 18, 2016 Andres Eguiguren rated it really liked it

Shelves: japanese-literature

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 photo ...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Jackie rated it really liked it

Shelves: friendship, librarything-early-reviewer, japan, school, multicultural, ya-fiction, historical, translated

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 ...more

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Apr 04, 2011 Holly Thompson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: japan-related-ya-mg

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.

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Oct 19, 2011 Diane Nagatomo rated it it was amazing

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. ...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Hugh Ashton rated it really liked it

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. ...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Laura rated it really liked it

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.

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Apr 27, 2012 Caroline rated it liked it

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

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Oct 10, 2011 Naomi rated it really liked it

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.

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May 25, 2020 Books on Asia rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I enjoyed this book and the main character Kazuo, a 9-year-old boy growing up in Tokyo in the 60's. The interior of the book is gorgeous (even the e-version) and I liked the "footnotes" on the side like tabs that explained Japanese culture. At least it is clear from the beginning that this book's aim is to teach Japanese culture. There were a few confusing aspects of the book for me. One was that I thought I was reading fiction but true to life photos of Japanese students are peppered throughout I enjoyed this book and the main character Kazuo, a 9-year-old boy growing up in Tokyo in the 60's. The interior of the book is gorgeous (even the e-version) and I liked the "footnotes" on the side like tabs that explained Japanese culture. At least it is clear from the beginning that this book's aim is to teach Japanese culture. There were a few confusing aspects of the book for me. One was that I thought I was reading fiction but true to life photos of Japanese students are peppered throughout the book. This just made me feel like the author was hiding something. If it's autobiographical, why not just write it that way? I felt this fiction/non-fiction struggle throughout the book, mainly because the photo reminded me of it each time. Second, I thought the narrative fell flat half-way through the book. As a reader, I thought Kazuo was going to pursue running at least as a sport, or try to get on the school team. He seemed to be inspired by the Olympics and his hero was a runner, so all those times he went to the empty lot to practice with his friend seemed kind of pointless to the story overall and I felt I was lead on as a reader (Kazuo just stops going to the lot). In the last ten percent of the book many things happen and the reader finally realizes what the book is about-a boy losing his friends as time marches on, and trying to deal with family relationships at the same time. I felt the whole concept of "J-Boys" deserved more than just one line in the book, and that bonding and friendship could have had a more central role than just being part of every day life. I would have liked to have seen the other characters gradually move on, so we could experience how Kazuo dealt with this. Instead, it all happened at the end, then there was a conclusion. But as I said, I did enjoy the book, and everything is cleared up in the end with an Author's Note that says yes, it is largely autobiographical, which suddenly made a lot of sense. It's a trip down memory lane for anyone who lived in Tokyo in the 60's. ...more

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Mar 13, 2019 Crystal rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-about-japan, read-children-s-literature

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. ...more

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Aug 15, 2011 Susanna rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, non-western

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 bo ...more

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