I wrote this review back before the Ghost in the Shell movie released. I am not sure why I did not publish this review back then because I was very involved in the conversations about whitewashing in Hollywood as it pertains to APIDA people in the industry. I want to be clear that this is still going on and we are still seeing White actors being chose over APIDA actors. Years later, I present you with my review / reflection of Ghost in the Shell. I understand that Ghost in the Shell exists in many different mediums – graphic novel, animation, live action – this review is of one volume of the graphic novel. Enjoy!

With all of the casting controversy around the Ghost in the Shell movie and the continuation of whitewashing in Hollywood, I decided I wanted to engage with the original Japanese content. Plus, with the loss of culture myself and my quest to reclaim a little of what I lost, I thought this would be a good exercise. To be honest, I never really engaged with manga when I was growing up (there could be many reasons for this: identifying with Whiteness, trying to assimilate, etc.) and actually some of the first people who introduced manga to me were White. As I reflect, this was a common experience for me… meeting White folks who could ‘educate’ me more on my culture and history than my family or my experience. In my more current experience, I have found I enjoy stories like Death Note and I was looking forward to expanding my horizon. I went to my local library and found a copy of the Ghost in the Shell manga and I requested it through inter-library loan.

I found the experience with Ghost in the Shell to be quite disorienting. Masamune Shirow is such a detailed artist, many of the panels were almost distracting from the dialogue and general story line. As I continued to read, I got into the flow of Shirow’s style of storytelling, but it did take me a while. One thing I do want to note up front about his artwork is Shirow’s choice of how different robots are portrayed. Most of them (medical bots, service bots, etc.) are drawn as scantily clad women. This causes me to ask, who was the manga drawn for? I find this very unfortunate and it seeped into every part of the manga and made my overall experience reading Ghost in the Shell to be disappointing. I would have rated this higher if there was a better portrayal across gender identity.

The manga is organized into different chapters (or issues since this is a collection) and there was some story lines persisting between each chapter. But I found more meaning and enjoyment if I read them as a collection of vignettes with little connection besides the characters. The stories are a variety of “let’s stop the terrorist or robot uprising” trope. These tend to get old for me, but with Ghost in the Shell and the futurism and technology featured in the stories make a lot of the plot lines compelling until the final resolutions.

The manga follows a team comprised of humans and ghosts, including the main character Major Kusanagi and in each chapter/issue they are on a mission to take down criminals in a futuristic vision of Japan and Japanese culture. I see the importance of Ghost in the Shell to Japanese culture at the time that it was written. My favorite story brings up questions about future technology advances, sentient life, creating life, and what actually qualifies as life. Within all of these stories comes the idea of Ghosts which are…spirits, souls, consciousnesses?…  housed in robotic bodies (hence the name Ghost in the Shell). These Ghosts are robots but have a quality of life to them that pushes the question of ‘senientness’ and self-actualization of artificial intelligence. While the plots seem rather basic, the most enjoyment comes with the conversation as Japan is on the edge of a technological revolution. The story is distinctly Japanese and this is why when Scarlett Johansson was cast as  Major Kusanagi there was push back in the APIDA community – how can a distinctly Japanese story be told if the cast is whitewashed?

Ultimately, I do not think I will pursue consuming further media regarding Ghost in the Shell and I definitely will not be seeing the movie. A good experience, but do to some artistic choices, not one I would recommend to everyone. There are many fantastic graphic novels and manga out there -> go find them! If you have been wanting to get into Ghost in the Shell, this is honestly a hard place to start.

Final Rating: 2.7/5

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35870.Ghost_in_the_Shell

Folks who know me a bit know that my family was interned in the 1940s during WWII. This is a piece of family history that stays with me and I constantly reflect on its impact on my family and on me. I often talk about it in terms of my personal culture and in terms of the larger impact on racism. I continually come back to Japanese interment because the impact of that decision is generational. I feel residual impact and if I have children, they will also feel impact. This impact includes loss of culture, heritage and traditions, loss of family wealth, and I think one thing that I continue to fixate on, loss of language. While I consider it a personal goal to learn about internment and ways my family persisted, I think it is even more important for others to learn about it, the experiences of the Japanese people, and the politics used/abused to make it happen. Well, let’s move on to the actual content!

A Boy of Heart Mountain by Barbara Bazaldua

My grandmother was in the interment camp at Heart Mountain, Wyoming and I was able to visit the camp back in 2014 when I was driving from California to Massachusetts. I think Wyoming is a beautiful state to drive through but when I was in Heart Mountain, there is literally nothing around. When I was there, I purchased this book about the experience of a Japanese boy in the Heart Mountain camp. This book is simple and captures the dissonance between a child’s innocence and the hardship of living in the camp. As a part of my own journey towards understanding of my family’s history, this book is a treasure I will always own.

Citizen 13660 by Mine Okubo

I have boosted this graphic novel at any chance I can get. Mine Okubo writes and draws matter-of-fact-ly about her experiences in the internment camp. Her panels capture the pain, humiliation, resilience, and strength of the Japanese people in the camps. Two parts stood out to me: the first is about the close quarters and tiny things that I take for granted with my own space. The other were the scenes depicting the hypocrisy of honoring certain rights for citizens of the United States while keeping them in internment camps based on their cultural heritage. This will always be a sticking point for me when it came to enrolling Japanese men in the draft and pitching it as a civic duty.

Growing Up Nisei by David K. Yoo

My thoughtful and loving partner researched and gave this book for me as a gift. This is a non-fiction look into the Nisei or second generation of Japanese people in the United States and looks at where the Nisei fall in the US context. This is a much broader look at Japanese people in the United States, starting in 1924, but this book goes through the end of the 40s which will deal with the fallout of World War II and the internment camps. The Nisei generation born as United States citizens, have a unique experience with internment. I put this book on the list because I think it is important to understand the context of Japanese people in the US before the time of internment and get a sense of the experience of citizenship (maybe when other family members were not citizens) juxtaposed with the experience of internment.

Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston

Another entry into the non-fiction category is this memoir by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston. I find personal accounts of internment to be very compelling and humbling. Jeanne in her memoir shares her experience as a United States citizen and being uprooted as a child to live in the camps. This is a story of resiliency, family, and finding ways to live in the camp at Manzanar. While not stated explicitly, I think this book was written for or intended for a younger audience. Here is where I struggle with the book. It is often compared to memoirs of Holocaust survivors or The Diary of Ann Frank. Let’s be clear: While the interment of the Japanese was a terrible point in US history and infringed on the civil rights of Japanese people, I find it unhelpful and disrespectful to compare this event to the Holocaust.  Let’s acknowledge both happened and center the voices that share their lived experiences.

Bonus: Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki

While I have not read this children’s book, I have heard stories about the importance of baseball in the internment camps for children. My grandparents were in the camp as children and had to figure out how to be a kid while under such terrible circumstances. I look forward to reading Baseball Saved Us and learn more about my grandparents experiences in the camps.

I was really excited when I picked up this translation because it was a look into some of the historical accounts of my ethnic ancestry. To be honest, this is a very interesting position I find myself in because I am an United States citizen and have zero ties to the country of Japan. However, as I have been reading about history from an east Asian and Japanese perspective, while I may not always identify with the stories and experiences, it helps me learn and grow personally. Saijōki is one of those experiences.

I’ll be honest here that it was not an easy read. The Japanese it was originally written in is a dialect which is mostly lost and very difficult to translate. There definitely is details lost in the double translation (Old Japanese -> Modern Japanese -> English), but the essence of the writing was well preserved in my opinion. The translator included footnotes to help explain certain concepts in context of the time period which is very help for a reader unfamiliar with that piece of history. While not a type of book I would pick up regularly, I thought it was a very good translation with helpful footnotes.

These stories are accounts of Yoshiaki and his conquests. Quite violent stories in my opinion but it shed light on a lot of the ideals and values of the Mogami clan and how those values have influenced my own culture. The two that stand out to me the most is strategy and honor. Each account told of lengthy analysis on situations, open communication with advisers, and deciding on the most sound and effective plan. Further, all conquests were carried out with the code of honor. Many stories talked about loyalties, forging strong partnerships, and the practical benefits of forming such alliances. Consequently, the text is very dry (at least to me). I probably do not have a military tactical focused mindset, but my interest definitely waned with each section of the translation. While an interesting view into the Mogami clan, it took extra focus to get through some sections.

I go back and forth on whether or not I want to reread this translation. While I am sure, I will glean more from a second and third time, I am not sure the benefit from what I will glean. Since I do not aspire to be a scholar of this time period, my motivation is lacking here. Should you attempt to find and read these accounts of the Mogami clan? This book has a narrow audience. If you want to read first hand accounts of strategy and tactic meetings of this time period, then yes. But if you are looking for more of an overview of what was happening in Japan, I would have to recommend something else.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21802348-saij-ki

I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an open and honest review.

Neo-Mecha Mayhem by Priya Sridhar is set in an alternate futuristic Japan where the United States set up an ‘Americanized’ colony in Japan as a part of the treaty to end World War II. In this alternate future, there is a lot going on. Mechas inhabit a lot of the cities and seem to do similar things that humans do when growing up and living. This includes attending school and playing in the orchestra. The story is told from two perspectives: Kaori who is an adopted human in Neo-Mecha with a mysterious past and Neil who is heir to the corsair empire trying to deal with his PTSD and his very messed up family dynamics. I felt a bit lost in the beginning of the book because there was not a lot of information given about Neil’s past, the corsairs, or Honeypot – who is the main antagonist. This made me feel like the world-building around Neo-Mecha was arduous and it was not until I was well into the book did I feel comfortable with my knowledge of Neo-Mecha.

I think the writing style is fine but I had one major issue: the use of semi-colons. As I continued to read the novel, I got used the frequent use, but for the first 50 pages or so, I felt myself being drawn from the story because of the myriad of semi-colons. I am not trying to be a grammar snob here; however, I do think there is a time and a place to use semi-colons. And other than that, they should be used sparingly to promote the flow of the story. Since this is not a final copy of the story, I think it could be edited for a better overall flow.

Whether intended or unintended in the character development, Neil has socialized and/or internalized homophobia. From the commentary, it is obvious that Neil’s parents are anti-LGBTQ+. This easily could have been transferred to him while growing up and influence how he interacts with his siblings. Neil’s brother, Dorian, is openly identified as gay and there are points in the book where the reader gains insight into his relationships. Dorian is a part of a group called the Bondage Boys – I am not sure where the name originates or if it was intended to connect to his sexual orientation. The author explained that this was a shoutout to Dick Grayson, the first Robin, and how he would always become the Boy Hostage. The group seems to operate more on a political intrigue/influence level in and around Neo-Mecha. We meet one of the others in the group, Taro, who Dorian has a romantic/sexual relationship with. During some of those romance scenes, Neil has an adverse reaction, even a micro-reaction, of disgust. Now this could be because he doesn’t care for romance altogether, but Neil has his own romantic interest in Kaori. Neil’s sister, Nia, is less clear on her identity but there is an awkward passage in between the two of them about their romantic pursuits. Neil suggests that Nia would want to date a girl in almost a mocking way to which Nia responds with anger. Nia could identify under the LGBTQ+ umbrella, but regardless, the way Neil approached the issue was one lacking acceptance.

The ‘save the girl from the big bad’ trope was done well for what it is but was pretty predictable as the story unfolded. In spite of the trope, there were two aspects of the story that were very compelling. The first is the political climate of Neo-Mecha and Japan and their relationships with the United States. Along with the political tensions, Neil is a part of the corsair faction, reeling against the Japanese government. Politics seemed to be in the background of the story and I wished the plot was more integrated into the political struggle. There was not a lot of motive for Honeypot to do what he was doing, but I would be more intrigued if he was trying to gain political leverage, transform humans into mold creatures, and potentially take over Neo-Mecha. This intertwined with the political climate could make for more suspense and give the different factions more depth.

The second is the villain himself: Honeypot. I love this villain. We know pretty fast that Honeypot used to be a scientist and though some experiment, turned himself into a mold creature. This creature can infect humans with diseases, take on different forms, and probably much more that was not shared explicitly through this novel. While a scientist slicing their genes with other creatures is not new, splicing genes with mold is very refreshing in my opinion. Honeypot can create new strains of himself, mutate, and live virtually anywhere undetected. That is pretty awesome for a villain, especially when the protagonists have to problem solve how they are going to defeat him.

Overall, Neo-Mecha Mayhem was an enjoyable read. I look forward to see where Priya Sridhar takes this world she has built with future novels in Neo-Mecha. This book is set to release this year and more information will be on Goodreads and other sites soon.

Final Rating: 3.3/5

‘Ho ho,’ says the Keeper of the Beat.

When I set to embark on this journey in the beginning of April, I had no idea where this story would take me. I have read a handful a Murakami novels and I was familiar with his abstract, explicit, and almost dream-like way of presenting his stories. He uses many details and focuses heavily on character development, drawing out the nuanced personalities and histories of the characters and then transforming them throughout the many pages of the novel. It is impossible to talk about 1Q84 without giving away minor spoilers and I will do my best to gloss over the details. If you are thinking about picking up this large book, proceed with caution – you do not know what you are getting yourself into.

‘Ho ho,’ says the Keeper of the Beat.

1Q84 follows two main characters, Tengo and Aomame, for the entire 1200 pages, with alternating chapters. Their stories grow closer and more complex as the novel goes on, exploring their deep connection past and present. Tengo works at a cram school teaching math three times and week and writes in his spare time. Through his writing connections, he stumbles upon a compelling short novel by a seventeen year old girl named Fuka-Eri. The novel, while compelling, has no semblance of a writing style and Tengo’s editor Komatsu asks Tengo to rewrite the novel. Komatsu believes this novel will be a best seller and make his company a lot of money. With the green light from Fuka-Eri, Tengo undertakes the task of rewriting. However, little does he know that process will pull him into an alternate world, a town of cats, 1Q84.

Aomame’s story starts off a bit differently. She is pulled into the world but goes on her own will… kind of. After getting out of a cab in the middle of a highway, Aomame proceeds down an emergency stairwell and ladder, leading her out of 1984 and into 1Q84. As a character, Aomame is very calm and collected. She works as a fitness instructor and has an extensive knowledge of muscles and nerves. Oh and she is also a contracted assassin to kill men who abuse their wives in the most precise and sneaky way. While Tengo is writing an publishing a novel which will, unbeknownst to him, expose a religious organization and their supernatural beings, Aomame is slowly working herself closer and closer to that same religious organization. For both characters, I felt a very slow development as individuals as well as together as a pair (even though they are apart). Each independent experience has an unintended and unknown consequence for the other. I found those small consequences and sometimes large consequences compelled me to read more and more, yearning to know the outcome of the story. Many authors do this style of writing well, but I truly believe Murakami is a master.

I want to comment on Fuka-Eri a bit. She is describe as an odd teen with a distinct, no-nonsense speaking style – for example, she never uses question marks (raising of the voice pitch) as a part of her speech. There is a lot in the book talking about Fuka-Eri, but I want to focus on sexuality. Murakami is well-known for writing explicit sex scenes and in the case of Fuka-Eri, he stays (mostly) away from sex. I believe Fuka-Eri identifies on the asexual (ace) spectrum. Her guardian, Professor Ebisuno, describes her as ‘transcending sexual attraction’ while other characters simply comment she is disinterested in sex or does not feel any sexual attraction. I think the representation is okay here. There is no one who attributes the lack of sexual attraction to an oddity or something that is weird (although they comment on how odd she is in general). The fact just is and no one tries to change that. Fuka-Eri does find her in a situation that leads to sex, but not because of sexual attraction or forcible assault. Still, I sometimes find it odd when and where Murakami uses sex in his stories.

‘Ho ho,’ says the Keeper of the Beat.

The main thing I noticed with 1Q84 was the level of detail Murakami put into the creation of his alternate timeline or world. For both characters, it was not evident they left 1984 and crossed over into the Town of Cats, but the small details shifted. I was astounded that Murakami was able to thread these small details throughout the entire length of the novel, relying on these small changes to illustrate the subtle and powerful forces working in the world. It made me step back and think about the tiny details of my world I take for granted. If they shifted, would I notice? I have heard reviewers and folks call this a fantasy novel but I think this falls into the magical realism genre. 1Q84 is very realistic in terms of the world, the people, and even many of the actions the characters do. However, there are clear supernatural phenomenons that happen, such as the presence of the Little People, the premonition of Fuka-Eri and Leader, the creation and existence of air chrysalis, and of course the mere existence of the world 1Q84. But even then, the supernatural is well integrated into the ‘real word’ and as a reader, I felt it was believable.

Well, on that note, let’s talk about the Little People and Sakigake. Sakigake is the main antagonist organization in the novel. It started out as a farming commune but suddenly turned highly religious and considered by some to be a cult. The Little People are the ones driving Sakigake in what they do. They are the voices and the conscious of the religious organization and will use what they need to achieve their goals in 1Q84. This provides a backdrop as Tengo and Aomame traverse this new world separately, in parallel, with a common goal.

There are more questions posed than answered in 1Q84. For some, this may cause frustration. But I see it as the brilliance of an author writing contemporary magical realism. Murakami writes to stretch the imagination of the reader, focusing on themes such as love, family, belief, isolation, and accountability. In all honesty, 1Q84, the magical real world that mirrors our world was just a backdrop to pose large questions that we think about daily.

‘Ho ho,’ says the Keeper of the Beat.

For those of you who enjoy Murakami’s work, I would highly recommend 1Q84 to you. If you are thinking about starting a Murakami novel, I would recommend you start with a shorter one such as Kafka on the Shore. If you did not enjoy a previous Murakami novel, this will not change your mind and is definitely not worth the commitment or effort. However, as a Murakami fan, this was a must read for me and one I really enjoyed. If you are thinking about picking up 1Q84, I do want to leave you with some trigger warnings. The book deals with child abuse, sexual assault, religious organizations and cults, and murder. Please proceed with caution and take care of yourself. Ultimately, this is one of the pinnacles of Murakami literature and for me, worth the investment.

Final Rating: 5/5

‘Ho ho,’ says the Keeper of the Beat.

He went on to explain how strength training requires a lot of concentration and I was in luck because I had Zen on my side. He proceeded to explain some of the basic tenets of Zen and how it relates, making a lot of assumptions that I practice Zen or know certain concepts. In all honesty, I know nothing about Zen. Well okay, I know a little – Zen originated in China in relation to Buddhism and spread east to Japan. That’s it! So I stand there and listen and I try to formulate a response that will be educational but without shaming him. I think through a couple of options – Maybe I could say thank you for the tips and politely explain I do not practice Zen but I would imagine those practices would be useful in strength training. Maybe I could say Zen was an area I find interesting but it is not a part of my daily practices. Maybe I could inform him I am not a Buddhist. I finally chose to directly respond saying even though I am Japanese, I do not know much about Zen or other Buddhist practices and really have no interest in starting any practices. I was confident in the response I chose and then the conversation turned another direction…

The friendly gym-goer turns to me and says, “Karaoke – that’s you right?” I was shocked, stunned. The response I formed in my head to the Zen comments left instantly. My mind was whirling… He goes on to tell me he makes a living through music and the popularity of karaoke helped him stay employed. He thanked me for the invention of karaoke… What do I say to this well-intentioned individual? This is still an educational moment, but I was caught completely off guard. All I could do in the moment was nod along and say “I am not sure.” The is a classic example of microagressions I face day to day and many other people from marginalized communities also face microagressions through comments and actions.

For the most part microagressions are unintentional and subconscious or well intentioned. Why is this so bad? Well… a couple things. In this previous example, the gym-goer made a couple of assumptions based on my race and ethnicity. First, he assumed I had knowledge of and subscribed to Zen, a practice grown out of Eastern spirituality and ways of knowing. Second, he attributed commercialized entertainment (karaoke) to me, my ethnicity, and my race and by thanking me, forced me to represent an enitre culture. It may seem small, but as it builds and builds, the seemingly harmless comments reinforce stereotypes and ultimately the power structures and institutions which make these comments okay to say.

Okay, you stuck with me this long… so what does this have to do with board games? Microagressions can happen and do happen while playing games. One example comes to my mind and warrants a discussion.

When I was younger, I played a lot of Axis and Allies. I have very fond memories with friends and I even played the game solo on the computer. Besides the fun I had with my friends, clear memories of microagressions stick out in my mind. I always felt pressured or pushed to play the Japanese faction in Axis and Allies. Because of my race and ethnicity, it was assumed I had an affiliation with Japan. I wanted to shout… I AM AMERICAN. Why can’t I play the Allies? But most of the time, I settled to play the Japanese. This is a lingering symptom from World War II era interment camps, where Japanese American citizens were assumed to have allegiance to the Japanese emperor over the United States. Many of these Japanese Americans were citizens by birth and were the second or third generation in the States. The confusion here is nationality with race/ethnicity and assuming I have allegiance to another country besides the US based on race and ethnicity. I may cling onto my culture and even try to reclaim it, but this is different than naturalizing to become a Japanese citizen and declaring my allegiance to Japan. I see comments and assumptions in the same vein about me riddled throughout other war games, games with ninjas, and even light games such as Sushi Go!

We tend to get touchy when our games use themes of historical events we are not proud of – war, slavery, and other injustices. Although we personally might be against these ideas, our culture has a way of maintaining systems of power and oppression that were set up through these events and time periods. It is these systems that makes microagressions “okay” to say. The next time you pick up one of these games, maybe Freedom: The Underground Railroad by Academy Games, think of your subconscious tendencies and biases and try catch yourself before you speak. We all make mistakes and we all have a lot to learn. Where we start is awareness. Have you experienced microagressions in games? Have you, although well intentioned, said or did something that was a microagression?

Ninjas have been a relatively popular theme in board gaming. Some of those board games include…

• Smash Up (Ninja Faction)
• Ninja Dice
• Ninjato
• Ninja vs. ninja
• Ninja Burger

I do like the ninja theme and have games that include ninjas in them. What occurred to me recently is the mythological lore of the Western ninja and how that has evolved from a culturally significant piece of Japan’s history. The Western ninja is almost like a super hero – insanely fast, unbelievably sneaky, a master a martial arts, pretty much possessing skills that are humanly impossible. Like many culturally appropriated ideas / styles / practices / etc., the ninja has been transformed with some remnants of its original significance. My post today will explore the cultural origins of ninjas and discuss the use of ninjas in board gaming.

The ninja surfaced in feudal Japan during the Sengoku period of unrest (15^th-17^th century), but possibly could have existed as early as the 12^th century. These mercenaries were trained in covert operations, espionage, infiltration, and assassination. Commoners or samurai were also used as spies, but the distinction here is that ninjas were professionally trained. To put it into simpler terms, ninjas were simply a group of professional spies, much like we would find in today’s world. When Japan was unified in the 17^th century, the ninja became obsolete.

While much documentation about ninjas does not exist, there are references to ninjas in a few historical texts. However, Japan and the rest of the world created folktales about the ninja which evolved into what we know and love today.

• Ninjas possess invisibility.
• Ninjas can walk across water.
• Ninjas move faster than we can see.
• We can even coined the phrase “ninja-ed” to imply we did something difficult with precision and speed.

So what does this have to do with board games?

I see two distinct paths for the ninja in board games. The first one embraces the folklore and mythology, such as Smash Up, and plays on the fun and somewhat ridiculous powers of the “ninja.” For example, in Smash Up, the ninja faction has cards which can come in at the last seconds and swoop up (ninja) a win! I guess you didn’t see that coming Wizard Zombies! The second path these games can take is the historical one. Games have been created about the unification of Japan or have a more historical flavor, which can include a more accurate portrayal of ninjas.

To me, this runs the fine line of appropriation versus the use of folklore. For example, the Greek religious system was a real system of belief in the world… but a very very long time ago. While some may still subscribe to these beliefs, for the most part, the Greek religious system has turn into myth, which we gladly use today for the basis of movies and games. The same thing has happened to the ninja. For some reason, I think the ninja is linked to more modern microaggressions and stereotypes about API persons. Nest weeks post will dive into that more. Although the mythology probably will never be fully separated from reality, ninjas provide an interesting look into the feudal history of Japan and the folklore that came out of it.

My quest to reclaim my culture did not start until later in my life as a young adult. I have always been interested in the pursuit, but as I got older I found I did not have time or did not make time to immerse myself in tradition, language, and community. I met my amazing life partner in 2010 and she has supported me and my quest for my culture. As we grew together, we decided that culture, from both of us, has to be an integral part of our lives and our potential future family. Wow! What a huge revelation and a huge relief to me. I have always grappled with the question… What does it mean to raise multiracial children? Or more specifically… What does it mean to raise multiracial Japanese children (another post…) I guess I need to start with defining what aspects of my culture are important to me.

The big first push was finding and reading books and novels written by Japanese authors. One of the most frustrating experiences I have had at a book store is looking for books about Japan and only finding ones written by White authors. Slowly I began to find books fitting my criteria… a book here on Japanese history found at a used bookstore, originally from a Japanese museum… a novel there by a Japanese internment camp resident… As time went on, the popularity of Haruki Murakami grew until I could find any one of his books at every popular chain bookstore. Other Japanese authors started cracking through to US distribution. But I wonder what the impact of international authors had on domestic Asian American authors. After finding access points, I have made intentional efforts to read Asian and Asian American authors as well as authors of color more frequently. And review those books, novels, and short stories. Actually, I consider it my duty as a person committed to social justice. By reviewing and recommending literature written by the marginalized, I work within the realm of social justice as a consumer. The more consumers demand literature from diverse authors; the institution of publishing will have to change to meet the new demand.

I have done much since beginning to read more culturally appropriate books. In future posts about reclaiming culture, I will talk about language, traditions, travel, food, mentors, and more. Have you taken steps to reclaim your culture? Is there something you wish you would pursue? Where would you start? Join the conversation!

Designer: Nan Rangsima, Tobias Schweiger, and Phil Walker-Harding

Publisher: Gamewright

Players: 2-5

Weight: Super Light

Play Time: 15 minutes

Type: Card Drafting, Set Collection

Sushi Go! is a very quick and easy card drafting game. On a turn, players will select one card simultaneously, collecting delicious looking Japanese foods in order to score points. Players will then pass their remaining hand of cards to the person next to them. This will continue until all cards are played face up. The game lasts over three rounds and the player with the most points at the end wins!

Why review Sushi Go!?

Part of my ethnicity and culture is Japanese culture. As I plan to have a family some day, my partner and I have discussed the culture and values we want to have and the environment we want our children to grow up in. I plan on playing games with my children from a very young age… if they end up gamers, great! If not, I will be happy just to be able to share one of my hobbies with them. I have noticed culturally appropriate games seem to be in the minority (no pun intended). As I look for new games to try or add to my collections, I first investigate themes that will celebrate our culture and allow our children to grow up around our cultures traditions: one being food! This game features sushi (maki and nigiri), sashimi, wasabi, tempura, dumplings, ohashi (chopsticks), and pudding.

Overall Rating 8/10

This game will be in my collection for the foreseeable future. Sushi Go! Is a cute, fun, and fast filler game and I have been using it as an introduction to the drafting mechanism for more complicated games. In addition, this game fits into my much needed category of culturally appropriate games for my family.

Component Quality 2/2

I love games that come in tins. They might not be the most accessible or best packaging, but my attention is always grabbed in board game stores by tins. The cards are very high quality and the artwork is fantastic. I have seen the different Sushi Go! artwork based on region and I love them all. The artists did an excellent job and I have gotten many people to play this game on the artwork alone.

Theme 2/2

The theme is exactly why I purchased this game. There are games and toys out there about cooking and food – but many have food representative of American culture. Whenever I find a game accurately representing one of my cultures, it is almost an instant buy. Theme and social justice play a huge role in what games I will be interested in. Don’t worry – I also love strong gameplay mechanisms. When I think about cultivating a multicultural family, Sushi Go’s theme is exactly what I am looking for.

Mechanics 1/2

Okay, I will be the first to admit, there is nothing particularly special about the game mechanics of Sushi Go. The game features a drafting mechanism and different combinations of cards score you points at the end. In a two player / three player game, a “memory mechanic” is lightly present – a player might score more points if they remember what cards are in each hand. Even with the memory aspect, the overall player interaction is low. An opposing player may select a card on purpose in order to block another player from scoring points, especially if the player may score sashimi (worth 10 pts.)! However, if you do not pay attention to what others are doing, there is no real loss in the gameplay. The tin says this game is for players age 8 and up. A younger child may be able to grasp the mechanism of selecting one card per turn, but they may not fully understand the scoring and may need a little guidance. I believe this game could be played as a family with young children. While the mechanics are simple and the scoring is straightforward, the gameplay is solid and engaging. A huge part of the charm is the clean design.

Engagement 1/2

Sushi Go! can overstay it’s welcome if played too many times in a row. One quick three round game as a filler keeps the game engaging. There are promos available to add cards and scoring mechanisms (soy sauce!), but I think Sushi Go! Is a great game right out of the tin,

Fun 2/2

I have a lot of fun when I play this game. It is simple, quick, and celebrates a piece my cultural heritage. I automatically have more fun playing a board game when I can personally connect to a theme.

See more at http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/133473/sushi-go