Support for text datatype in java/jdbc

We are developing a web application (like everyone else) on Solaris 2.6/x86 using IDS 7.30 (unlike everybody else) and java with jdbc. Now we're running into the nitty-gritty of implementation details -- like how to support text datatypes. Is there a special java/jdbc method or type for use of Informix's text datatype? There are severe SQL limitations in using this type, some of which are overcome in esql/c with its loc_t variable type. Is there something analagous to this in java/jdbc? Or, if somebody else has already tread this rut, would you care to share your wheel so we don't have to re-invent it?