Cultural Snapshots

Kamishibai: Japan’s “Paper Theater” Storytelling

Culture

Japan’s kamishibai is a type of paper theater storytelling where narrators dramatize tales depicted on a series of picture cards. It was a popular form of street entertainment prior to television and is still enjoyed in libraries and educational settings.
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Creating Drama

Kamishibai is Japanese performative paper theater storytelling. The storyteller shows the audience a series of large picture cards telling a tale, dramatically narrating and representing the voices of the different characters. The way that performers reveal the next card can create suspense and surprise.

Before the spread of television in the mid-twentieth century, kamishibai was enjoyed as a form of street entertainment, with performers typically making money by selling cheap candy before each reading. It is still popular today in libraries and educational settings.

Kamishibai is often enjoyed by preschool children today. (© Pixta)
Kamishibai is often enjoyed by preschool children today. (© Pixta)

(Originally written in English. Banner photo © Pixta.)

performing arts