Kojima Nobuo's The American School - A Review

The brief story, "The American College" by Kojima Nobuo provides a somewhat humorous outlook on the fictional (however probable) account of numerous Japanese English teachers who have been forced to pay a visit to a newly founded American College in Japan quickly right after the finish of Globe War II. The plot centers about 4 principal characters- Isa is the protagonist who has been forced to teach English just since he knows a couple of words and phrases yet hates the language since he can't pronounce it effectively. Shibamoto is head of the Japanese procession going to the College (although we do not know significantly around him as the narrator seldom provides us his point of view). Yamada is an overachieving suck-up who speaks English nicely sufficient to carry on with the American troops and hence thinks himself far better than Isa (putting him in the position of the antagonist), and Michiko is the only female in the group, who interestingly sufficient speaks English far better than Yamada. As their procession moves along to the American College, the reader has the chance to see each Japanese and American cultural qualities; by the interaction involving United States troops driving by in their jeeps and the native people today walking along, as nicely as the behavior of American young children at the College.

One particular instance of this would be how the Americans seem to be brash and impatient in contrast with the Japanese and their strategies. For Example, Yamada has an encounter with an American soldier in a jeep who, when he finds that Yamada's leader is operating late for his appointment with the U.S. officials, throws his hands in the air and drives off saying sarcastically, "I am definitely pretty sorry to have kept you waiting". This rushed, "will have to-be-on-time" attitude, verses the extra simple-going nature of the Japanese appears to epitomize, if you will, a cultural distinction amongst the west and the east.

An additional example displaying variations in cultural qualities happens later. Isa and Michiko are inside the College waiting in line for a tour when Michiko sees two students holding hands in "mutual infatuation". Michiko says, "Look at these two over there- how disgusting!" which shows that either Michiko has by no means noticed two amorous people today hold hands prior to, or that holding hands publicly was not some thing usually accepted in Japanese culture throughout that time. Kojima Nobuo typically hints at such cultural rifts and does not typically come outright with assertions to lampoon either culture. In this way, he shows tact in assuming that the reader is intelligent sufficient to make his or her personal assumptions and judgments. When Michiko falls in her higher heels and the Principle sees what has occurred, we know that he is the epitome of a smug, arrogant American as he says, "Ah yes. The old kamikaze spirit."

In conclusion, "The American College" is a brief nicely-written, at times satirical story that assists A single ponder a couple of of the a number of variations in cultural qualities amongst Japan and the United States in the course of the finish of the Second Globe War.