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
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
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
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First hardcover edition 2016
eBook edition April 2016
eISBN 9781627791359