J-Boys

by Shogo Oketani

  Croquette : Korokke in Japanese. A deep-fried breaded patty of minced meat or fish mixed with potato, eggs, and breadcrumbs.

  Curry rice: A favorite Japanese meal consisting of a thick, sweet curry sauce over white rice.

  Entryway: In a house like Nishino-kun’s, the front door is a sliding panel that opens onto an entryway (genkan) where visitors call to announce themselves or take off their shoes before entering the home (you never wear shoes inside a Japanese house or apartment).

  Firebombs: Bombs used in a series of raids conducted in 1945 by the United States Army Air Forces on Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kobe, and other Japanese cities.

  Ginza: An upscale shopping district in downtown Tokyo.

  Hanbaagaa: Hamburger.

  Haori: A lightweight silk jacket worn over a kimono to protect it and keep it clean and dry.

  Hijiki: A brown sea vegetable that grows wild on rocky coastlines.

  Itadakimasu: Japanese expression used before eating, meaning “I humbly receive.”

  Kamishibai: Japanese “paper theater.” Kamishibai grew popular in the 1930s and involved a performer/narrator visiting a neighborhood and setting up a wooden stage, where he would tell a story using picture cards to illustrate the action.

  Kanji: Japanese characters, or ideograms, originally developed in China.

  Kimono: Traditional Japanese garment worn by women, men, and children. Kimono are in the shape of a T and reach nearly to the floor. They have big collars and long, wide sleeves.

  Korea: Japan colonized Korea from 1910 to 1945. During World War II the Japanese government forcibly moved many Koreans to Japan to work in factories and mines.

  Korean phonetic letters: The official script of North and South Korea, hangul,, was created in the mid-15th century. Each hangul character forms a sound.

  Kotatsu: A low, heated table. The top of the table is only 14 inches off the floor.

  -kun: A suffix often used when speaking to boys in a respectful way.

  Miruku: Japanese pronunciation of “milk,” used to mean a type of powdered skim milk.

  Miso: A flavoring paste, usually made with soybeans and a fermenting agent. It is used to make miso soup.

  Mount Fuji: The highest mountain in Japan, at 12,389 feet (3,776 meters). Mount Fuji is just west of Tokyo and can be seen from there on a clear day.

  Nagauta: A form of traditional Japanese vocal music.

  Names: Generally Japanese people introduce themselves by giving their family name only, without any kind of respectful suffix. English speakers usually introduce themselves by their first or full names. (In Japan, the family name comes first.)

  New Year’s: The period around New Year’s Day, known as O­shogatsu, one of Japan’s biggest and busiest holidays. People clean their houses and pay off their debts to get the new year off to a fresh start.

  New Year’s dishes: Traditional foods served at New Year’s time throughout Japan. These osechi foods vary from region to region and are prepared before New Year’s Eve so they will last through the holiday (until around January 3).

  Nihonjin: The Japanese word for “Japan” is 日本 nihon, written with the characters 日 ni for “sun” and 本 hon for “root.” This is why Japan is sometimes called the Land of the Rising Sun. The character 人 jin means “person.” So a Japanese person is a 日本人, or nihonjin.

  Niichan: Brother, used to address an older brother in a casual way.

  Noh: Classical Japanese theater. The stage is bare, with just a pine tree painted on a wood-panel background. There are only a few actors, each wearing a long robe and usually a stylized wooden mask.

  Obaachan: Grandma.

  Obi: A sash for a kimono.

  Oi: “Hey!” or “Hey you!”

  Ojiisan: Grandpa, or what you might call any elderly man whose name you do not know.

  Okaasan: Mother, mom, mommy. A very common variation of this is Okaachan or just Kaachan.

  Otohsan: Dad, Daddy.

  Pachinko: A kind of vertical pinball machine. A steel ball is launched into the top, and as it drops down the face of the board it hits against pins and bumpers.

  Paddy fields: Flooded areas of land used for growing rice.

  Sake: An alcoholic beverage made by fermenting rice.

  -san: A suffix added to names to show respect. It is used for both men and women and can be attached to either the family name or the personal name.

  Saturday: Japanese public schools held classes on some or all Saturday mornings for many years.

  Seasonal labor: During the 1960s and later, when Japan was growing rapidly, some 200,000 to nearly 350,000 rural workers, among them people like Uncle Yoshio, migrated to cities each winter to find work.

  Setsubun: Bean-throwing ceremony day, February 3. In the old calendar Setsu­bun was associated with the Lunar New Year, so it was a time for chasing away the evils of the past and welcoming in good fortune.

  Soba: A thin, beige-colored buckwheat noodle. It is served chilled with a dipping sauce or in hot broth as a noodle soup.

  Sukiyaki: A popular dish of meat simmered with vegetables and other ingredients in a slightly sweet broth of soy sauce and sugar.

  Sumo: A Japanese sport where a wrestler (rikishi) tries to push another wrestler out of the ring (dohyo).

  Tatami: Straw mats used as flooring.

  Tatsuta-style: A style of breaded, deep-fried meat such as whale, pork, chicken, or mackerel.

  Tattoo: Japanese traditional tattoos are colorful images of geisha, dragons, or various mythological gods.

  Tea: Tea is very important in Japanese culture, particularly for its role in the tea ceremony, which is a ritualized way of preparing and sharing tea with guests.

  Tempura: Breaded, deep-fried seafood or vegetables, introduced to Japan by the Portuguese in the 1600s.

  Tofu: Bean curd.

  Tokyo: The main area of the city of Tokyo (population 13 million) is made up of 23 municipalities, commonly called “wards.” Shina­gawa Ward, where Kazuo lives, is in the southeastern section of Tokyo.

  Tokyo Olympics: The Summer Olympics held in Tokyo in October 1964.

  Tokyo Tower: A tall communications and observation tower in central Tokyo. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it is 1,091 feet (332 meters) high.

  Udon: A thick, white, wheat noodle (similar to spaghetti) usually served in a big bowl of broth with scallions, tempura, or other ingredients.

  Vietnam War: A conflict waged between the United States and North Vietnam in Southeast Asia in the 1960s.

  War (World War II): Also known as the Second World War, lasting from 1939 to 1945. Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 and large bombing attacks on Tokyo preceded the Japanese surrender in August 1945.

  Yakitori: Skewers of chicken and vegetables grilled and dipped or covered in sauce.

  Yakuza: Japanese mobsters, members of organized criminal gangs.

  Yamagata: A prefecture (a bit like a state in America) in northern Japan, part of the rural Tohoku region along with Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, and Miyagi prefectures.

  Yokozuna: Grand master or grand champion, the highest rank in professional sumo wrestling.