This paper suggests virtual types for Java, a language mechanism which subsumes parameterized classes, while also integrating more naturally with Java's object model. The same basic mechanism is also known as virtual patterns in Beta and as generics in Ada95. We discuss various issues in the Java type system, issues with inheritance and genericity in general, and give a specific suggestion as to how virtual types should be integrated into Java. Finally we describe how to make an efficient implementation of virtual types based only upon the existing Java virtual machine.