Kamishibai or "paper drama" is a form of storytelling that began in Japan. A storyteller would ride around to villages on a bicycle equipped with a small stage. On arrival, he would set up his stage, call the children and sell candy. Children who bought candy from the storyteller got the best seats in front of the stage. Once an audience assembled, the storyteller told several stories using a set of illustrated boards, inserted into the stage and withdrawn one by one as the story was told. The stories were often serials and new episodes were told on each visit to the village.
Hyoshiga are wooden clappers. They were used to call children to the storytelling area. When the Kamishibai man would arrive in a neighborhood, he would set up his stage and then start clapping the Hyoshiga. He would start out slow and then get faster and faster.
An old Kamishibai man who goes for one last storytelling journey.
dschroeder@spartan.org
An excerpt from a Kamishibai story told in Japanese by a experienced storyteller. Even though it is in a different language, you can tell what is happening through his excellent theatrics and emotions!
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Click on the picture to learn the steps to creating a great Kamishibai story.
Hint: Type in Kamishibai or Japan.
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