The Fascinating History and Art of Kamishibai Storytelling
Kamishibai
Kamishibai
(kah-mee-she-bye) or “paper-theater,” is
said to have started in Japan in the late 1920s;
however, it is actually part of a long tradition of
picture storytelling. Beginning as early as the 9
th
or
10
th
centuries, Buddhist priests used illustrated
scrolls combined with narration to teach Buddhist
beliefs to people. But then
storytellers used this
method of “paper theater”
to tell secular stories on
street corners.
Throughout the Edo period (1603-
1867) and on into the Meiji period
(1868-1912), a variety of street
performance styles evolved, using
pictures and narration.
Kamishibai is, if anything, poor-man’s theater,
and it flourished during a time when Japan
experienced extreme financial hardship. In
the 1930s, Japan suffered from an economic
depression that sent many people onto the
streets looking for a way to live from one day
to the next, and kamishibai
offered an opportunity for
artists and storytellers to
make a meager living.
During and after World War II, kamishibai became
an ever more integral part of the society as a form
of entertainment that could be transported easily
even into bomb-shelters and devastated
neighborhoods. At this time, it was entertainment
as much for adults as for children.
By the 1950s and the advent of television,
kamishibai had become so popular that
television was initially referred to as
denki
kamishibai
, or “electric kamishibai.” But as
Japan became increasingly affluent,
kamishibai became associated with poverty
and backwardness.
Eventually kamishibai as a
street-performance art all
but disappeared.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6URceEr_zc
Most Kamishibai stories consist of 12 to 16
sturdy cards, beautifully illustrated cards. On
the back is the text. The way of telling story is
unique. A story teller reads text on the back of
a card and he/she pulls from the front of the
stack and slides it to the stack, so that a new
illustration is revealed to
audiences and provides
the matching story text
on the back of the last
card to them.
Kamishibai, also known as paper theater, originated in Japan in the late 1920s but has roots in ancient Buddhist storytelling traditions. It flourished during times of financial hardship and became a popular form of entertainment even during and after World War II. The unique storytelling method involved illustrations on cards with text on the back, making it a captivating experience for audiences of all ages.
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Presentation Transcript
Kamishibai (kah-mee-she-bye) or paper-theater, is said to have started in Japan in the late 1920s; however, it is actually part of a long tradition of picture storytelling. Beginning as early as the 9th or 10th centuries, Buddhist priests used illustrated scrolls combined with narration to teach Buddhist beliefs to people. But then storytellers used this method of paper theater to tell secular stories on street corners.
Throughout the Edo period (1603- 1867) and on into the Meiji period (1868-1912), a variety of street performance styles evolved, using pictures and narration.
Kamishibai is, if anything, poor-mans theater, and it flourished during a time when Japan experienced extreme financial hardship. In the 1930s, Japan suffered from an economic depression that sent many people onto the streets looking for a way to live from one day to the next, and kamishibai offered an opportunity for artists and storytellers to make a meager living.
During and after World War II, kamishibai became an ever more integral part of the society as a form of entertainment that could be transported easily even into bomb-shelters and devastated neighborhoods. At this time, it was entertainment as much for adults as for children.
By the 1950s and the advent of television, kamishibai had become so popular that television was initially referred to as denki kamishibai, or electric kamishibai. But as Japan became increasingly affluent, kamishibai became associated with poverty and backwardness. Eventually kamishibai as a street-performance art all but disappeared.
Most Kamishibai stories consist of 12 to 16 sturdy cards, beautifully illustrated cards. On the back is the text. The way of telling story is unique. A story teller reads text on the back of a card and he/she pulls from the front of the stack and slides it to the stack, so that a new illustration is revealed to audiences and provides the matching story text on the back of the last card to them.
