Uniquely Japan

Uniquely Japan is one of several travel guidebooks that I purchased for my upcoming trip to Japan. Most of them are in comic strip format. Three have been written by Abby Denson! She also wrote Cool Japan Guide and Cool Tokyo Guide which I will review later this month. Denson has used her own drawings and photographs in this book. There are chapters devoted to Arts and crafts, fun things to do, fashion, food, high tech toilets, Japanese creatures. and street sights.

I have learned to look down at the ground to see lavishly decorated manhole covers, pink polka-dotted backhoes, and toilets with warmable seats and blow dryers. I now know that I can get my ramen from a vending machine and I will see silly mascots promoting serious businesses and whimsical architecture for neighborhood police stations. Denson also discusses several types of sweets available in Japan, which is important to me! However, I have already begun researching sweets by ordering boxes of sweets and tea directly from Japan.

Uniquely Japan is a nice resource to have. While it is in no way a comprehensive guide, I know that there are a few things I will remember due to the comic strip format.  I am rating it 4 out of 5 stars. 

Displacement

Displacement is a graphic novel about the internment of the Japanese in America during WWII.  I have read 2 other comics on this subject and they all gave the same information. In this story our heroine Kiku is on vacation in San Francisco where her family is from. The displacements begin when she magically finds herself transported back to the 1940s when her grandmother Ernestina was forced to relocate to an internment camp. Living alongside her young grandmother and other Japanese-American citizens in internment camps, Kiku gets the education she never received in history class. She witnesses the lives of Japanese-Americans who were denied their civil liberties and suffered greatly, but managed to cultivate community and commit acts of resistance in order to survive.

What separates this account of the tragedy from others is the illustration. I like that the comic strips were larger, with 4 to a page. It made the dialogue much larger for me to be able to read on a cell phone. When reading other comics on my phone, I have to enlarge the page in order to be able to read. Then I have to reduce the page in order to turn the page. Author Kiku Hughes drew all the illustrations. This is her first graphic novel and I am very impressed with both her ability to tell a story and her drawing skill.

Hughes makes many insightful quotes in her book. One of them is:  "I think sometimes a community's experience is so traumatic, it stays rooted in us even generations later. And the later generations continue to rediscover that experience, since it's still shaping us in ways we might not realize. Like losing the ability to speak Japanese, losing connection to Japanese culture, they're all lasting impacts of the camps that travel down the generations." I never realized before that the generation who suffered through the internment experience would raise their children to be American, not Japanese. They felt it would make successive generations safer from the government. They made sure their descendants did not know how to speak Japanese or cook Japanese food. It was a strategy that the entire generation followed.

Displacement gives an honest history of the internment camps run by the U. S. government during WWII. While it is a sad story, it is one we all should know about. 5 out of 5 stars. 

The Way of the House Husband Volume 11

The Way of the House Husband is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kousuke Oono. Published in the online manga magazine Bunch Comics since 2018, Volume 11 was published on January 1, 2021. The series has been filmed for  Netflix but I haven't seen it. The Way of the House Husband follows Tatsu, an infamous and feared yakuza boss nicknamed "the Immortal Dragon" who retires from crime to become a househusband so that he can support wife Miku. The episodic series depicts a variety of comedic scenarios, typically wherein Tatsu's banal domestic work as a househusband is juxtaposed against his intimidating personality and appearance, and his frequent run-ins with former yakuza associates and rivals.

Tatsu found that it was not easy to walk away from the gangster life. What should have been mundane household tasks are anything but. In this installment of the series Tatsu must help Masa move his operation to a new pad, and fast, after the cocky kid lands himself in trouble with the wrong enforcer, his landlady! There’s just one catch  the kid lacks the funds to make any big moves. Luckily for Masa, the Immortal Dragon has some househusband tricks up his sleeve to transform even the cheapest, shadiest apartment into a comfortable place! The funniest thing Tatsu does in this volume is to buy a professional grade laundry dehumidifier that will dry his clothes indoors. The reader also gets a drawing showing the humidifier drying his clothing. Four pages were devoted to this subplot which should give you a sense of the flow of the book.

I don't usually read manga because the romantic stories I usually see are rather sappy. The Way of the Househusband is different but it still retains the Japanese sense of humor as one would expect from a Japanese author. However, I don't share that type of humor. It seems to me that I have been forcing myself to read these volumes because a comic fan should be a manga fan, right? Well it hasn't worked out for me. While I have enjoyed the premise of the series and loved reading about many of Tatsu's adventures, I think it's time to cease reading the series. Volume 12 will be coming out soon but I will skip it.

3 put of 5 stars.

Animal Pound 1 and 2

Animal Pound is a hilarious 4 part comic book series where the caged animals stage a take over of the pound. Led by a cat called Fifi and dog Titan the doors to all of the cages are unlocked and all of the cats, dogs and rabbits roam freely throughout the building and grounds. Author Tom King and illustrator Peter Gross give us an updated version of Animal Farm for 21st century America, where a two-party system gives way to fear and facism. Volume 1 was released on December 20, 2023. 

Animal Pound #1 opens with an old dog named Lucky talking to a kitten named Fifi. Her explains that he is going to be euthanized the next day but before he goes Lucky explains how unfair the world is for animals. He hopes that some day the animals will rebel against the humans who control them and become free. Several years go by and Fifi is still in the pound. A new dog named Titan is scheduled to be put down the next day. The two of them decide that they must enact the escape plan that they have been working on. Fifi rallies the rest of the cats and Titan rallies all of the dogs. When the next day comes they enact their plan. While Titan distracts the humans working at the pound, Fifi opens the cages. The dogs are able to expel the guards. Volume 2 shows the animals trying to come up with a government that works for all of them.

Animal Pound has no violence or foul language and is suitable for young children. The story is a fast and fascinating read and I highly recommend it. I am looking forward to reading the next volume when it is released on April 17, 2023.

Seoul Before Sunrise

Seoul Before Sunrise is French cartoonist Samir Dahmani's first graphic novel to be translated into English. It is scheduled for publication by Humanoids on May 21, 2024. Thanks to Net Galley I received an advanced review copy of it. The book follows a young woman who sparks an unlikely friendship with a stranger and begins walking the streets of Seoul with her at night.

The publisher's summary:

Longtime friends Seong-ji and Ji-won are excited to begin university in Seoul, swearing to stay close in the big city, but from the moment they arrive, they begin to drift apart.

Her focus split between her rigorous accounting program and her overnight job at a grocery store, Seong-ji tries to make peace with the loss. It’s during her overnight shifts that she encounters an enigmatic young woman who spends her nights entering the empty homes of other people to paint and photograph these places. Now, the normally rational Seong-ji finds herself swept up in a dreamlike otherworld, made up of freedom and creativity. As she explores these quiet places, she uncovers not only an intimate portrait of strangers, but perhaps even herself.

But as the nocturnal walks reveal the possibilities of the future, they also force her to relive the pain of her lost friendship with Ji-won…

This is a coming-of-age story where Seong-Ji eventually discovers that she is in love with her childhood friend Ji-won. When she finally tells Ji-won of her feelings, Ji-won is horrified and immediately ends their friendship. However, Seong-Ji has found a new friend in the stranger, a ghost, who befriended her at the store she works at. The ghost helps Seong-Ji see life more clearly through the lens of that liminal space between the end of the night but before the sun rises.

Seoul Before Sunrise is an emotional and sad story. I felt bad for Seong-ji as she waited day after day for contact from her childhood friend. She was an unhappy person due to the loss of this friendship. Seong-ji admitted to herself that she doesn't make friends easily and didn't have any other friends. She was lonely. When Ji-won finally contacts her 149 days after they arrived in Seoul, she is ecstatic. The story ends with the ghost entering the store looking for Seong-ji. However, she no longer was employed there because she was fired for leaving the premises during her shift. It's a sad ending but realistic. The artwork was done in watercolor by the author. One of his paintings was selected for the book cover. He has a diffuse style that perfectly fits a story that takes place in Korea. 5 out of 5 stars.

Lunar New Year Love Story

 

I adore Gene Lien Yang's graphic novels. They are always comical and light reading even is the topic is serious. His novels are also clean reading, no sex or foul language. I was not aware of his newest title until last week and immediately bought a copy. It is fantastic! This one is about a couple who cannot get it together during their senior year of high school. There are a few magical creatures as characters as befitting a Chinese story.

The publisher's summary:  

She was destined for heartbreak. Then fate handed her love.

Val is ready to give up on love. It's led to nothing but secrets and heartbreak, and she's pretty sure she's cursed—no one in her family, for generations, has ever had any luck with love.

But then a chance encounter with a pair of cute lion dancers sparks something in Val. Is it real love? Could this be her chance to break the family curse? Or is she destined to live with a broken heart forever?

Yang gives us realistic characters. Valentina, or Val, grew up with just one parent, her father. When she finds out the he lied about her mother' death she stops speaking with him for almost a year. Val's best friend Bernice is also raised by a single parent, her mother. Bernice cannot stand to be without a boyfriend and within 24 hours of a break up she finds a new love. We all knew someone like that when we were growing up. Val is the complete opposite. The boys in the story are typical Chinese Americans while their parents live a very Chinese life in the U.  S. 

Another reason I enjoy Yang's novels is that they are the same length as a traditional novel. Lunar is approximately 350 pages. This allows him to create full formed characters and an extensive plot. The relationships among the kids in the story revolve around lion dancing. They are all taking a class on how to dance under a lion costume, as you would normally see at the Chinese new year and other special occasions. Val's relationships with two boys generally take place while they are sharing a costume to dance under. Val cannot decide which boy she really loves. A magical dragon has given her one year to find true love. If she fails then she must give the dragon her heart and foreswear future love interests. Val believes that her family will always be unlucky in love and is not sure that she can find true love.

The illustrations by Leuyen Pham are gorgeous. She has used primarily a red and pink color pallet to fit with Val's love of Valentine's Day. There are some panels colored in blues and greens but all the colors are bright as I like them. Her character's faces illuminate their emotions so when there is no dialogue in a panel strip, the reader knows how the characters are feeling. 

Lunar New Year Love Story is the perfect Valentine's Day story. It would make a great gift for both kids and adults who like comics.  I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

We Hereby Refuse

 

We Hereby Refuse is a graphic novel about the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. After the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, tens of thousands of Americans of Japanese descent were rounded up and placed in detention camps around the US. They lost their jobs, their businesses, and even their homes, not because of any crimes committed, but simply for their ethnic roots. Three characters are featured in the book. Jim Akutsu, Hiroshi Kashiwagi and Mitsuye Endo each embody a typical Japanese American experience during this time period.

Mitsuye Endo was a 21-year-old typist who lost her State of California job when she was ordered to report to the internment camp. A lawyer asked her to sue the government for causing her job loss. He recruited her because she seemed the ideal candidate at a time when everyone was scared of Japan. She did not speak Japanese and didn’t follow a Japanese religion like Buddhism or Shinto so didn’t believe that she could be threatening in any way. She even had a brother serving in the US army and she had also done everything the government had ordered her to. Her case eventually was heard by the U. S. Supreme Court, where she won.

Jim Akutso, who repeatedly tried to sign up for the Army but was refused because of flat feet. After he was imprisoned in a detention camp he was found out he’d been drafted, but now he refused. His reasoning was that if his country wasn’t willing to let him live freely, then he wasn’t going to fight to protest the freedoms he didn’t even have. He was convicted of dodging the draft and moved from the camp to a regular prison where he was given a sentence that extended past the end of the war.

Twenty yesr old Hiroshi Kashiwagi was waiting for his younger brother to graduate from high school so they could go to college together. Hiroshi was helping his parents on their fruit farm when the internment order came. He immediately registered for the draft but was soon dismayed to find out that the army changed his classification to IV-C, the category for enemy aliens. When army recruiters arrived at the Tule Lake Camp with a questionnaire to be completed, Hiroshi refused to agree to be drafted because of one question that required him to foreswear allegiance to Japan. He never had any allegiance to Japan and believed that to agree made him a criminal. He could be deported though for not completing the form. Hiroshi organized several resistance efforts at Tule Lake.

The graphic novel format helped to tell this story in an engaging and easy to read way. It immediately drew me into the dilemmas that these three characters faced. Chapters alternated between each of the characters and the illustration style was different for each of them, which helped me to follow the subplots easier. 

We Hereby Refuse is essential reading. Each of us should be familiar with this part of American history. 5 out of 5 stars. 

We Are Not Strangers

 

We Are Not Strangers was inspired by a true story. The plot of this graphic novel follows a Jewish immigrant’s efforts to help his Japanese neighbors while they are interned during World War II. I had never before heard about anyone ever trying to help the Japanese and am amazed, and thrilled, that someone was brave enough to help out. Author Josh Tuininga is the real life Marco Calvo in the story and his grandfather, nicknamed Papoo, is the hero.

The publisher's summary:

Marco Calvo always knew his grandfather, affectionately called Papoo, was a good man. After all, he was named for him. A first-generation Jewish immigrant, Papoo was hardworking, smart, and caring. When Papoo peacefully passes away, Marco expects the funeral to be simple. However, he is caught off guard by something unusual. Among his close family and friends are mourners he doesn’t recognize—Japanese American families—and no one is quite sure who they are or why they are at the service. How did these strangers know his grandfather so well?

Set in the multicultural Central District of Seattle during World War II and inspired by author Josh Tuininga’s family experiences, We Are Not Strangers explores a unique situation of Japanese and Jewish Americans living side by side in a country at war. Following Papoo’s perspective, we learn of his life as a Sephardic Jewish immigrant and his friendship with Sam Akiyama, a Japanese man whose life is upended by Executive Order 9066, which authorized the incarceration of nearly all Japanese Americans and residents of Japanese ancestry. Determined to keep Sam’s business afloat while he and his family are unjustly imprisoned, he and Papoo create a plan that will change the Akiyama’s lives forever.

The book is a page turner. It is well written, researched, and illustrated. The story opens with Papoo's 1987 funer­al in the Sephardic Bikur Holim Syn­a­gogue, where his grand­son is sur­prised by the pres­ence of sev­er­al Japan­ese Amer­i­can guests. Sub­se­quent chap­ters each begin with dates rang­ing from 1938 to 1945. Read­ers who are unfa­mil­iar with the dis­tinc­tive his­to­ry of Sephardic immi­grants to Amer­i­ca will learn how they were mar­gin­al­ized. Mar­co even­tu­al­ly devel­ops a suc­cess­ful busi­ness career while Sam Akiya­ma opens a fish mar­ket. Both have had to deal with prej­u­dice. Although Mar­co and his fam­i­ly are out­siders in terms of their reli­gion, cul­ture, and lan­guage, they are safe. The Akiya­ma fam­i­ly, on the oth­er hand, is forced to leave their home, busi­ness, and com­mu­ni­ty because of unfound­ed fears about Japan­ese Amer­i­can disloyalty. At the same time, the Cal­vo fam­i­ly is ter­ri­fied about the fate of Europe’s Jews, which ulti­mate­ly con­tributes to Marco’s con­vic­tion that he must help oth­ers fac­ing oppres­sion.

Archival family photos helped Tuininga draw the faces for his characters and visits to Seattle were crucial in re-creating the locations that he drew. A few key scenes between Papoo and his friend Sam Akiyama take place at the waterfront, where the two men companionably fish by the pier. It’s a nod to the real-life Marco Calvo, who owned the Ferry Dock Tavern in the Colman Dock ferry terminal building (a business also depicted in the book).

5 out of 5 stars.

A History of Modern Manga

A History of Modern Manga details the 71 year history of manga in Japan. Thanks to its double page spreads, it can be read in three different ways. If you read only the even numbered pages, you can follow the evolution of manga over seven decades. If you read only the odd numbered pages, you will find portraits of more than seventy artists who have made their mark on the history of Japanese comics. A third way to read this book is the traditional way where you can immerse yourself in the socioeconomic and cultural context of every year from 1952 through 2022. 

How did manga emerge? Amid reconstruction after World War II, Japan saw the emergence of modern manga, which quickly became a favorite pastime of its citizens. Over the decades, the art form bore witness to the anxieties and dreams of several generations of Japanese citizens, reflecting both dark and joyful experiences. Manga is also linked to the social, economic, political, and cultural evolution of Japan. Essential to the daily lives of its inhabitants and to its economy, manga is one of the drivers of the international development of one of the world’s largest economies. 

After I attempted to read the book in the traditional way, page by page, I got bogged down in all of the details, remembering nothing. I went back to the beginning and read the book via its even numbered pages and later via its odd numbered pages. This is really the only way to absorb all of the information in the book. 

I found the Glossary at the beginning of the book helpful. Thirty words are translated from Japanese into English. A few of them are josei, manga for adult women, and shojo, manga for female teens aged twelve to eighteen. A partial history of Japan follows the Glossary before delving into the subject matter of the book.

The book is hardcover with color on each page. It would make a lovely coffee table book that guests in your home will want to take a look at every time they visit. I enjoyed reading it but note that it is probably best to read it in small doses because of it's comprehensive nature. 

5 out of 5 stars.

Open Borders

Open Borders the Science and Ethics of Immigration was written by Bryan Caplan, an economics professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. In his first graphic novel, he makes a bold case for unrestricted immigration providing the reader with plenty of information on the topic.

The publisher's summary:

American policy-makers have long been locked in a heated battle over whether, how many, and what kind of immigrants to allow to live and work in the country. Those in favor of welcoming more immigrants often cite humanitarian reasons, while those in favor of more restrictive laws argue the need to protect native citizens.

But economist Bryan Caplan adds a new, compelling perspective to the immigration debate: He argues that opening all borders could eliminate absolute poverty worldwide and usher in a booming worldwide economy―greatly benefiting humanity.

With a clear and conversational tone, exhaustive research, and vibrant illustrations by Zach Weinersmith, Open Borders makes the case for unrestricted immigration easy to follow and hard to deny.

The book was entertaining and informative. Before reading this novel I had no idea that there was an economic factor to immigration. The author writes to the layperson so you don't need to know much about economics in order to understand what he is saying. What Caplan says about the economics is that people who emigrate will get jobs and pay taxes. Their children will be well educated and contribute to society. He believes that this is a win win for everyone even if it costs you something up front when they first arrive. 

Some of the author's arguments seemed preachy. In the middle of my read, I realized that he has footnotes at the back of the book for every argument that he makes.  However, there is no notation on the page advising that these notes exist or where he obtained his facts.  I ended up re-reading the book in order to get his, and my own, facts straight. His data comes from good sources and his arguments for open borders are compelling. Caplan mainly argues that low-skilled immigrants should be allowed unrestricted entry into the U. S. 

5 out of 5 stars.

Where the Body Was

I was excited when I found out Net Galley would provide me with a copy of this comic. Author Ed Brubaker writes awesome stories and this one is no different. The story takes place in Summer 1984 in an abandoned boarding house on Pelican Road that junkies have taken over. 

The story opens with an introduction to the boarding house. We meet the couple who were the original owners as well as their neighbors. After they pass on the boarding house falls into disrepair and junkies and other criminals move in. A girl who thinks she is a superhero, wearing a mask and a cape, has a crush on Palmer who is doing drugs with a woman he is sleeping with, Toni. In order to get cash for their fix, the couple burglarize homes. She threatens him with going to the cops if he doesn’t stop. Palmer tells everyone that he is a cop and flashes a badge at anyone whose behavior he does not like. Despite this, I found him to be a sympathetic character. Another character that I liked was Ranko. He is a homeless man who sees everything happens on the street even though no one sees him.

There were alot of characters introduced in the beginning and I didn't even try to remember who was who. I knew I would get them straight during my read which I did. Each of these characters get to narrate their own chapters and the reader begins to see the well crafted plot through their eyes. The body was not introduced in the book until the halfway point. 

Normally I would complain about this but the story was so absorbing that I didn't even notice its absence. 

Where the Body Was is an entertaining mystery that satisfies. Comic fans will want to read this one. 5 out of 5 stars.

Cool Japan Guide

I picked up this graphic novel guide to Japan last month because I will be traveling there in March. It is, as the title suggests, very cool. When you first open the book you are introduced to our guides, Abby Denton and her husband Matt. In each chapter they offer some Japanese words that would be helpful to know, as well as information on hotels, food, Japan apps, festivals, night spots, touristy places, other travel resources and they explain the bath and toilet differences between Japan and the U. S. Unless you see a sign that says "western toilet," you will either get a squatting toilet or a fancy one that cleans and dries too. As the book's back blurb states, this is the first travel guide to be written from a cartoonist's perspective. 

The book looks like a children's comic, but it isn't that at all. I found it easy to read and insightful. Because of the comic strip format, I will most likely remember many of the tips that are shared inside its pages. Another reason that I liked the large format for the comic strips is that my middle aged eyesight needs bigger drawings and dialogue boxes in order to read comfortably. I have often picked up the book to dream about what I can do during my travels. The answers to my ongoing questions about my trip are easily found within its pages and I just love this guidebook.

5 out of 5 stars.