Kamishibai
Encyclopedia
Kamishibai literally "paper drama", is a form of storytelling
that originated in Japan
ese Buddhist temples in the 12th century, where monks used emakimono
(picture scrolls) to convey stories with moral lessons to a mostly illiterate audience.
, to announce his arrival. 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audience assembled, the storyteller told several stories using a set of illustrated boards, inserted into the stage and withdrawn one by one as the story was told.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.
The revival of kamishibai can be tied to the global depression
of the late 1920s when it offered a means by which an unemployed man could earn a small income. The tradition was largely supplanted by the advent of television in the late 1950s but has recently enjoyed a revival in Japanese libraries and elementary schools. Some Americans have translated traditional kamishibai into English and offer them as part of a "Balanced Literacy
" teaching philosophy.
It is now possible to find Street Kamishibai activity also outside of Japan. Artists are presently active in Italy, while in New Zealand, Tanya Batt, a local storyteller/children's author and cycling enthusiast, used it to combine two of her passions and built a replicated kamishibai 'Spoke N' Word' theatre for use by her local community trust.
, kamishibai boards are used as a visual control for performing audits within a manufacturing process. A series of cards are placed on a board and selected at random or according to schedule by supervisors and managers of the area. This ensures safety and cleanliness of the workplace is maintained and that quality checks are being performed.
. Stephen P. Lepisto and Jennifer Diane Reitz
of Accursed Toys created a computerized version of the art form.
Storytelling
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
that originated in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese Buddhist temples in the 12th century, where monks used emakimono
Emakimono
, often simply called , is a horizontal, illustrated narrative form created during the 11th to 16th centuries in Japan. Emakimono combines both text and pictures, and is drawn, painted, or stamped on a handscroll...
(picture scrolls) to convey stories with moral lessons to a mostly illiterate audience.
History
Kamishibai endured as a storytelling method for centuries, but is perhaps best known for its revival in the 1920s through the 1950s. The gaito kamishibaiya, or kamishibai storyteller, rode from village to village on a bicycle equipped with a small stage. On arrival, the storyteller used two wooden clappers, called hyoshigiHyoshigi
The is a simple Japanese musical instrument, consisting of two pieces of hardwood or bamboo that are connected by a thin ornamental rope. Hyoshigi are used in traditional theaters in Japan to announce the beginning of a performance. The clappers are played together or on the floor to create a...
, to announce his arrival. 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.
The revival of kamishibai can be tied to the global depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of the late 1920s when it offered a means by which an unemployed man could earn a small income. The tradition was largely supplanted by the advent of television in the late 1950s but has recently enjoyed a revival in Japanese libraries and elementary schools. Some Americans have translated traditional kamishibai into English and offer them as part of a "Balanced Literacy
Balanced Literacy
Balanced Literacy is a curricular methodology that integrates various modalities of literacy instruction. Assessment-based planning is at the core of this model. The balanced literacy approach is characterized by explicit skill instruction and the use of authentic texts...
" teaching philosophy.
It is now possible to find Street Kamishibai activity also outside of Japan. Artists are presently active in Italy, while in New Zealand, Tanya Batt, a local storyteller/children's author and cycling enthusiast, used it to combine two of her passions and built a replicated kamishibai 'Spoke N' Word' theatre for use by her local community trust.
As management tool
As part of the Toyota production systemToyota Production System
The Toyota Production System is an integrated socio-technical system, developed by Toyota, that comprises its management philosophy and practices. The TPS organizes manufacturing and logistics for the automobile manufacturer, including interaction with suppliers and customers...
, kamishibai boards are used as a visual control for performing audits within a manufacturing process. A series of cards are placed on a board and selected at random or according to schedule by supervisors and managers of the area. This ensures safety and cleanliness of the workplace is maintained and that quality checks are being performed.
On the web
Kamishibai also exists in an electronic format for use on a computerComputer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
. Stephen P. Lepisto and Jennifer Diane Reitz
Jennifer Diane Reitz
Jennifer Diane Reitz is an American writer, webcomic author, and computer programmer, known for creating webcomics such as Unicorn Jelly, Pastel Defender Heliotrope and To Save Her, and computer games such as Boppin...
of Accursed Toys created a computerized version of the art form.
Kamishibai performers
Kamishibai storytelling is currently being conducted as part of an ongoing campaign to promote world peace. 24 year old Maki Saji (a buddist nun)created a Kamishibai based on the story on one of the many children,Sadako Sasaki,who suffered as a result of the atomic bomb raid on Hiroshima in 1945. Saji has presented Kamishibai quite extensively around the world, this year marks her thirteenth year of delivering her stories. She has now presented over 250 performances. In May 2010 she was a delegate at a Meeting of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons at the UN in New York, where she performed to promote a world in harmony and free of Nuclear Arms.External links
- Otakuworld kamishibai program
- Atelier Kamishibai Artist Community
- Official Kamishibai Artist Forums
- ZiRKUSOFiA Cuentos y Talleres de Kamishibai.
- Doshin-sha kamishibai books (Japanese)
- Kamishibai for Kids (English)
- Storycard Theater
- Kreashibai website and shop (German)
- Review of Manga Kamishibai: The Art of Japanese Paper Theater on PopMatters.com