History Literature / HowDoYouLive

Outside of Japan, the book is considered a work of children's literature. However, inside Japan, it's considered more of a work on ethics and an observation on what the struggle of being a human is like. During World War II, the book was nearly banned as a result of its views. After the war, the book was republished. In 2021, an English translation was released.

* TokyoIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse: Slightly averted: the story takes place just outside of Tokyo, in one of the suburbs.

Adapted as a manga in 2017 and inspired a 2023 feature length film by the director Creator/HayaoMiyazaki.

Adapted as a manga in 2017 and set to be a feature length film by the director Creator/HayaoMiyazaki.

* AsYouKnow As You Know: Said by the Uncle during several of his letters to Copper, usually in reference to one of Copper's many science books.
* CoolTeacher Cool Teacher: Copper's Uncle often teaches him about science, history, and life in his letters.

The book provides examples of these tropes:

* [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AllOfTheOtherReindeer All Of the Other Reindeer]]: Uragawa is a poor student at Copper's school who is bullied for his poor grades and because he smells of fried tofu
* [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AsYouKnow As You Know]]: Said by the Uncle during several of his letters to Copper, usually in reference to one of Copper's many science books.
* [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CoolTeacher Cool Teacher]]: Copper's Uncle often teaches him about science, history, and life in his letters.
* [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GangOfBullies Gang of Bullies]]: A group of older students takes it upon themselves to "improve school spirit" ...by targeting and beating up students they deem "traitors"
* [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/JapaneseSpirit Japanese Spirit]]: Taken to the extreme by some of the bullies, who say that anything not related to "school spirit" (such as reading novels) is "disrespecting Japan" and "an example of being a traitor to the country."
* [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MeasuringDay Measuring Day]]: Copper is the second shortest in the class, as evidenced by the fact that they do periodic lineups by height.
* [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MiddleSchoolIsMiserable Junior High School is Miserable]]: Whether it's bullies, exams, or just trying to figure out friendships, Copper has it tough!
* [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MonoNoAware Mono No Aware]]: As Copper's Uncle says, even the most distinguished and greatest humans are like drops of water in a great current.
* [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Ordinary Junior High School Student]]: Copper and his friends are in junior high school (中学校) and their day to day life often revolves around exams and bullies.
* [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SliceOfLife Slice of Life]]: Specifically life in Japan prior to World War II. Some of the behavior of the bullies mimics the nationalist fever going on at the time.
* [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TeensAreMonsters Teens are Monsters]]: Some of the bullies are only too happy to take some of the nationalist fever sweeping the nation and using it to target other students who aren't "properly behaving" (such as reading novels or accidentally running into a snowman).
* [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TokenAdult Token Adult]]: While the Uncle isn't the only adult character in the book, he is by far the most important.
* [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TokenRichStudent Token Rich Student]]: As a more "elite" school, Copper's school is full of these. Uragawa is pretty much one of the only students living in poverty.
* [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TokyoIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse Tokyo Is The Center of the Universe]]: Slightly averted: the story takes place just outside of Tokyo, in one of the suburbs.

Adapted as a manga in 2017 and set to be a feature length film by the director [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/HayaoMiyazaki Hayao Miyazaki]].

Outside of Japan, the book is considered a work of children's literature. However, inside Japan, it's considered more of a work on ethics and an observation on what the struggle of being a human is like. During World War II, the book was nearly banned as a result of its views. After the war, the book was republished.
In 2021, an English translation was released.

How Do You Live? (君たちはどう生きるか) is a 1937 novel written by Yoshino Genzaburou. Originally begun as a serial by Youzou Yamamoto (who was unable to complete it due to illness), Yoshino Genzaburou took over and finished the book.

[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AsYouKnow As You Know]]: Said by the Uncle during several of his letters to Copper, usually in reference to one of Copper's many science books.
[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/JapaneseSpirit Japanese Spirit]]: Taken to the extreme by some of the bullies, who say that anything not related to "school spirit" (such as reading novels) is "disrespecting Japan" and "an example of being a traitor to the country."
[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MeasuringDay Measuring Day]]: Copper is the second shortest in the class, as evidenced by the fact that they do periodic lineups by height.
[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Ordinary Junior High School Student]]: Copper and his friends are in junior high school (中学校) and their day to day life often revolves around exams and bullies.
[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SliceOfLife Slice of Life]]: Specifically life in Japan prior to World War II. Some of the behavior of the bullies mimics the nationalist fever going on at the time.
[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TokyoIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse Tokyo Is The Center of the Universe]]: Slightly averted: the story takes place just outside of Tokyo, in one of the suburbs.

Adapted as a manga in 2017 and set to be a feature length film by the director [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/HayaoMiyazaki Hayao Miyazaki]].