What observations are made in the book as it takes place in Japan? Does the author examine economics and politics, family traditions, the arts, religious beliefs, language or food?

[Finn]

One observation I had was that early on in the book the author depicted the traditional breakfast Sadako and her family ate before they left for the festival. "When he sniffed the good smell of bean soup, Masahiro got up" (Coerr, 9). Bean soup, also known as miso shiru, is a classic breakfast item in Japan. It is eaten almost every morning along with rice and tofu as it is very rich in protein (Osaka). As a child I went to Harajuku, Japan with my family and I had the opportunity to try authentic miso shiru and I found it was really good.
https://www.lasvegas-sushi.com/what-d...

[Dorothy]

One of the first instances of family traditions in the novel is the shrine dedicated to Sadako's grandmother, Oba. She was one of the victims of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and this is revealed when Sadako's parents scold her for her attitude towards Peace Day, how she "'must show respect'" since her grandmother was, unfortunately, one of the casualties (Coerr 11). However, Sadako replies that she does "respect Oba chan" and she "prays for her spirit" (Coerr 11), acknowledging that she is not ignorant to the fact that her grandmother was a victim of a harrowing experience in Japan. It is also heavily implied that this has been a tradition for nine years, since the bombings had occurred nine years before the novel begins, further cementing it as a tradition that's meant to commence every year on the anniversary of the disaster in both cities.

[Siena]

Sadako is a determined girl, she will not let life get her down. She, like many young Japanese girls, hangs out with her friends and participates in school events. One such school event is the athletic festival with its relay race that she trains diligently for (Coerr 22). Based on some basic research this festival seems to be called Undōkai and is an athletic festival seen at many Japanese schools (Cross Currents, 2003). This seems to be similar to an American field day with students participating in many athletic events in front of their parents and teachers. However in America it is generally only the students that participate while in Japan sometimes the parents or guardians or the students may compete as well.

Reference Article: http://www.crosscurrents.hawaii.edu/c...

[Siena]

Dorothy wrote: "One of the first instances of family traditions in the novel is the shrine dedicated to Sadako's grandmother, Oba. She was one of the victims of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and this is ..."

Shrines in Japanese culture have long been a tradition for respecting and remembering the dead. This goes back to the Shinto roots of Japanese society (Kamidana, 2016). Although today not every follows these traditions some people still observe them or adapt them to their own and that should be respected. This is the lesson Sadako's parents are trying to teach her, it is important to respect her heritage and her grandmother. (Coerr 11). The Sasaki family most likely have had great respect for Sadako's grandmother to build the shrine for her and most have loved her to want to remember her. It also ties back into how devastating the bombings were, how many families made shrines for their loved ones? How many families were left as shadows so there was no one to make a shrine for them? With no one left to love them enough to want to remember them like that.

Reference Article: https://www.britannica.com/topic/kami...

[Dorothy]

Siena wrote: "Sadako is a determined girl, she will not let life get her down. She like many young Japanese girls hangs out with her friends and participates in school events. One such school event is the athlet..."

The idea of Undōkai is actually very important to Japanese culture. For students, they are actually required to participate in the various events set up for the festival (Fukue). This then raises the question; what if Sadako started experiencing the symptoms of leukemia before the race? Remember, it was only after she won that she began to feel dizzy (Coerr 24). If she felt fatigued or dizzy beforehand, would she report it to her parents or the instructor of the race? Would she brush it off like she did in the aftermath of the festival?

Referenced Article: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/201...

[Dorothy]

There is also a reference to Japanese cuisine at the Peace Day festival. It is a minor detail, but one of the offerings are bean cakes (Coerr 18). However, one minor flaw is that it isn't explicitly mentioned as to what this treat is, as many Japanese treats include beans, most likely in paste form. One of these treats is Dorayaki, a treat where red bean paste (known as Anko) is in between two pancakes (JapaneseCooking101, 2012). Another is Manjū, a dessert with two layers; the outer layer is made of wheat or rice flour, and the inner layer has paste inside, the most common being red bean paste (TasteAtlas, 2020).

Referenced Articles:
1. https://www.japanesecooking101.com/do...
2. https://www.tasteatlas.com/manju-china

[Siena]

Japanese honorifics are present in this novel despite it being a western translation. Sometimes when you have a Japanese piece of media containing honorifics it can be translated out as Mr, Mrs, or Miss or something entirely different, however the meaning is not quite the same. Honorifics show respect which is a huge part of Japanese culture (Sacasas, 2020). Honorifics are really common in Japan but are often filtered out to western audiences to make them more digestible. This goes to show that the author most likely wanted to respect the original integrity of the story as close as possible.

Reference Article: https://www.fluentin3months.com/japan...

[Kiera]

Siena wrote: "Japanese honorifics are present in this novel despite it being a western translation. Sometimes when you have a Japanese piece of media containing honorifics it can be translated out as Mr, Mrs, or..."In addition to the discussion on honorifics, Sadako is often called "Sadako-chan" as a term of endearment because she is a little girl. "In reality, -chan is for anything cute(Sacasas)."

[Kiera]

"Mr. Sasaki came in from the back porch. 'That's right,' he said. 'Sadako chan, you must show respect. Your own grandmother was killed that awful day.' 'But I do respect Oba chan,' Sadako said. 'I pray for her spirit every morning(Coerr).'" This quote emphasizes the Confucian tradition of filial piety, brought to Japan from China during the Han Dynasty. Filial piety is the honoring of ones' ancestors, and following the traditions laid out. This is one of the main philosophies of Confucianism, which is a major part of Japanese culture.

[Finn]

Japan is known for the various charms people use to grant wishes and to protect themselves. There are countless shrines in Japan with wishing wells and shops that sell love charms, success charms, money charms, and so much more. Coerr makes this a point when she writes that Sadako's mother, Mrs. Sasaki, had placed good luck charms above their door to protect them during the new year, on page 26. These charms are called Omamori and are used to ward off evil spirits and have the spirits of either the Buddha or Shinto deities protect you. They are often little fabric bags that say "Omamori" in kanji and inside contain a blessed piece of wood that contains the worshipped spirits. (Nao).

https://livejapan.com/en/article-a000...