Falling into the Dragon's Mouth

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Falling into the Dragon's Mouth Page 11

by Holly Thompson


  which is right by Shunta’s

  unlocking my bike

  while he’s straddling his

  with the lightning bolts

  and darting flames

  then saying

  smoothly

  you know

  you should start a business

  custom painting bicycles

  and I’m surprised

  by my words

  and Shunta’s surprised

  by my words

  and I think

  for a moment

  he’s going to

  throw a punch

  like

  maybe he’s thinking

  what would you know

  about anything?

  but instead

  he shakes his head

  and holds up a hand

  the way you’re supposed to

  when you’re complimented

  denying it

  ducking a bit

  implying you’re no good

  but I know

  he knows

  he’s good

  I get on my bike

  and maybe because

  Yamada-sensei comes out

  to stand on the steps

  and says I’m doing well

  teaching the beginners

  and once my rib is

  fully healed I can

  take the test

  for my blue belt

  or maybe because

  as I start to ride off

  a fish jumps three times

  then twice more

  slapping the water

  leaving a trail of rings

  or maybe just because

  my little sister

  saved my life

  I shout to Shunta

  over my shoulder

  as I pedal away

  I’m good with numbers

  if you need an accountant

  or a boss, I think

  if painting bicycles should happen

  to turn into a business

  hah!

  and I ride on home

  here

  in the Dragon’s Mouth

  GLOSSARY

  Pronunciation Guide

  Japanese has only five basic vowel sounds, a, i, u, e, o: a as in “taco”; i as in “ski”; u as in “uber”; e as in “egg”; o as in “oat.” Vowels are short unless marked with a macron indicating a long sound. The r is slightly rolled. The g is hard as in “get.” Pronunciation of each syllable is quite even and unaccented.

  aikidō aikido; Japanese martial art of harmonizing life energy for self defense

  baka idiot, jerk, fool

  bōken adventure

  bōya boy

  bunchin paperweight

  chissoku choking, suffocation

  dagashi Japanese-style penny candy

  dango round dumpling made of mochi rice flour

  doro dango mud or dirt ball

  dōjō dojo; a school or practice hall for training in martial arts

  dōzo please come in

  genkan entryway

  gi uniform for aikido (or other martial arts) training

  gyōza Japanese-style pan-fried Chinese dumplings

  hāfu half, a term for biracial people in Japan

  hai yes

  han group or team

  hisha flying chariot in the game of shōgi

  hōjicha a kind of green tea that is roasted to a brown color

  irasshaimase shopkeeper’s welcome

  iyada no way, not a chance

  judō judo; a competitive Japanese martial art involving throws or takedowns

  juku cram school

  kanji Chinese characters used in Japanese writing

  kawaī cute

  ken right, authority

  kendō kendo; Japanese martial art that uses bamboo swords

  ki 氣 or 気 life force or life energy, a central focus of aikido

  koma playing pieces in the game of shōgi

  kun name suffix for a boy, as in Mori-kun

  mada not yet

  mikan Japanese mandarin orange

  mochi glutinous rice

  mugicha barley tea, often served chilled

  nage a throw in aikido

  nā a word/sentence ending for emphasis

  nō brain, mind

  oi hey!

  ōshō king in the game of shōgi

  ryū dragon

  ryūma dragon horse in the game of shōgi

  sābisu from the English word “service,” meaning on the house

  san name suffix, polite, as in Takemura-san

  sensei teacher, teacher of martial arts

  shōgi Japanese chess-like game

  Shōnan coastal region in Japan’s Kanagawa Prefecture along Sagami Bay

  sugoi or sugei (slang) cool, amazing, great, impressive, wow!

  tatami a mat made of woven straw that is stretched over a filling and used as flooring in a traditional Japanese house or room; each mat is a standard size, and room sizes are described in tatami units (a six-mat room, an eight-mat room, etc.)

  uchi a strike in aikido

  unchi poop

  uragiru to betray, to turn traitor

  yakitori grilled chicken on skewers

  CULTURAL GUIDE

  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 K
anagawa 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.

  RESOURCES

  Please note that some of the links referenced in this work are no longer active.

  Stop Bullying (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services website): stopbullying.gov

  Erik’s Cause (dialogue and resources to combat “the choking game”): erikscause.org

  Kids Web Japan (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan): web-japan.org/kidsweb/

  Ki Aikido Documentary (documentary produced in Brazil shared via London Ki Aikido): londonkiaikido.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/ki-aikido-documentary/

  Shinshin Toitsu Aikido (Ki Aikido information): shinshintoitsuaikido.org/english/

  Austin Ki Aikido Center (Ki Aikido sample class information): akac.org/your-first-class/

  Economics Education Web (lessons such as those taught in Jason’s English group): ecedweb.unomaha.edu/k-12/k-5concepts.cfm

  Holly Thompson’s website: hatbooks.com

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thank you to my editors at Henry Holt, Laura Godwin and Julia Sooy, and to my agent, Jamie Weiss Chilton of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Also, a huge shout-out to the many SCBWI Japan members who shared feedback as this novel evolved. Special thanks to my Kamakura readers: Kris Kosaka, Alexander O. Smith, Heather Willson, and my husband, Bob Pomeroy. And deepest thanks, admiration, and hugs to my own children and their friends, and to children everywhere who have attended schools as second-language speakers or outsiders and have strived to find and make peace.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Holly Thompson was raised in New England. She earned a BA in biology from Mount Holyoke College and an MA in English from New York University’s Creative Writing Program. A longtime resident of Japan, she teaches creative writing at Yokohama City University. Visit her at hatbooks.com or sign up for email updates here.

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  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Glossary

  Cultural Guide

  Resources

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2016 by Holly Thompson

  Henry Holt and Company, LLC

  Publishers since 1866

  Henry Holt® is a registered trademark of Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

  175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010

  mackids.com

  All rights reserved.

  The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

  Thompson, Holly.

  Falling into the dragon’s mouth / Holly Thompson.—First edition.

  pages cm

  Summary: “In this novel in verse, a resilient American boy deals with bullying and the challenges of being an outsider that come with living in a Japanese fishing village”—Provided by publisher.

  ISBN 978-1-62779-134-2 (hardback)—ISBN 978-1-62779-135-9 (e-book) [1. Novels in verse. 2. Americans—Japan—Fiction. 3. Bullying—Fiction. 4. Schools—Fiction. 5. Japan—Fiction.] I. Title.

  PZ7.5.T45Fal 2016 [Fic]—dc23 2015012291

  Our eBooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945 ext. 5442 or by e-mail at [email protected].

  First hardcover edition 2016

  eBook edition April 2016

  eISBN 9781627791359

 

 

 


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