Japanese elementary schools cover grades one to six. The Japanese school year begins in April and ends in March, and consists of three terms (April–July, September–December, January–March) with a six-week summer break and shorter winter and spring breaks. Students change into indoor shoes when they enter a school. Students in public elementary schools generally do not wear uniforms, and class size may be up to about thirty-five students. Students take part in school cleaning duties and hold other assigned roles of responsibility. In the classroom, students are often organized in han, or groups.
Juku are Japanese “cram” schools or after-school schools. Many students, like Jason’s friends Yōhei, Shō, and Ken, attend juku several times per week from elementary through high school, in addition to attending public or private school, in order to gain skills necessary to pass rigorous entrance exams for middle schools, high schools, or universities.
The Japanese writing system consists of kanji derived from Chinese characters plus two phonetic syllabaries: hiragana and katakana. There are about two thousand commonly used kanji, about one thousand of which are taught in elementary school. In grade six, Jason’s grade, students learn about 180 new kanji during the school year plus many compounds (combinations of kanji to create different meanings or words).
Japanese houses and apartments come in different styles, but all have some sort of genkan or entryway where shoes are removed before stepping up into the living area. Some homes are more traditionally Japanese in style, with a room or rooms that have tatami-mat flooring, sliding interior doors, and large closets for stowing folding futons.
Baths are a daily evening ritual in Japan, and Japanese homes usually have a dedicated bathing room that is separate from the toilet room. Tubs are deep. Washing is done outside the bath before entering the tub for soaking.
Aikido is a Japanese martial art that means the way of harmonizing or unifying life energy or ki. Aikido involves turning and redirecting an attacker’s energy and requires physical and mental training. Jason practices Shinshin Toitsu Aikido, also known as Ki Aikido.
Doro dango are small spheres made of dirt or sand and water, often created in sandboxes at playgrounds and schools. If patiently polished, doro dango may acquire a shiny surface.
Dragons are important mythological creatures throughout Asia. In Japan, dragons are associated with rain, clouds, and water and figure prominently in Buddhism. Many Japanese temples feature ceiling paintings of dragons, or ryū. Jason’s Kamakura neighborhood is rich with dragon lore.
Insects are commonly collected and kept in terrariums or carrying cages in Japan. Jason’s tutor, Yūsuke, gives Jason a bell cricket, or suzumushi, to keep.
Kamakura is a seaside city in Kanagawa Prefecture along the Shōnan Coast, about thirty miles (fifty kilometers) southwest of Tōkyō. From roughly 1185 until 1333, Kamakura was the military capital of Japan, and the city today is rich with historical sites including many ancient temples and shrines and samurai cave tombs. Jason’s story takes place in Kamakura and surrounding areas. Manpukuji is the temple famous for the Koshigoe letter said to have been written by Minamoto no Yoshitsune; the Great Buddha is one of the most famous Buddha statues in Japan; Engakuji, where the white deer are said to have appeared, is one of the most prominent Zen temples in Japan; and the Enoden streetcar that connects Kamakura with the city of Fujisawa runs through Jason’s neighborhood. Along the Kamakura city border with Fujisawa lies Ryūkōji (Dragon’s Mouth Temple). This temple and the nearby island of Enoshima, with its Benten Shrine and dragon cave, are featured in the dragon tale that Takemura-san tells.
Police boxes known as kōban are small neighborhood police stations that operate in addition to the larger police stations. Neighborhood policing practices include officers introducing themselves to new residents and learning family names and businesses in a neighborhood.
Japanese foods are wide-ranging. Rice or noodles are featured at most meals. Foods mentioned in this story include yakitori—grilled chicken morsels on skewers; gyōza—a Japanese version of a Chinese dumpling; dagashi sweets—a Japanese style of penny candy; green and purple ice cream—soft-serve made with green tea ice cream and purple sweet potato ice cream; mochi—glutinous rice often used to make sweets, including dango; and rice crackers, which are a common snack.
Japanese teas include many varieties of green tea, including hōjicha, a roasted tea that Daiki serves to Jason and Cora. Also common is mugicha, barley tea, and oolong tea, both of which are especially refreshing when served chilled.
Name order in Japan is family name followed by given name, so when Daiki introduces himself he says, “Nakano Daiki,” with Nakano being his family name. Children usually go by their given names in elementary school. Takemura is a family name, as are Ōshima and Yamada.
Typhoons are tropical cyclones (like hurricanes) that occur in the northwest Pacific Ocean. Typhoons are common in Japan from July through October.
Tora-san is the beloved character played by Kiyoshi Atsumi in the forty-eight films of the series Otoko wa tsurai yo (It’s Tough Being a Man). Each film features a different region of Japan and a different leading woman (with some repeating).
Shōgi is a Japanese game similar to chess played on a grid by two opponents with twenty playing pieces each. Captured pieces may be put back into play.