"Kamishibai" Picture Shows Bring Stories from Disaster-Hit Noto

Kamakura, Kanagawa Pref., Jan. 1 (Jiji Press)--Natsuko Nakatani creates "kamishibai" picture shows that bring to life stories drawn from myths and the experiences of people in areas devastated by the major earthquake that struck Japan's Noto Peninsula on New Year's Day 2024.

"I want to record the emotional experiences of disaster victims and pass them on to the next generation," said Nakatani, born in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture.

Now based in the city of Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, Nakatani has been a kamishibai creator for about 15 years. She crafts shows inspired by Japanese myths and traditional tales, presenting them at festivals and nursery schools nationwide.

A month after the 7.6-magnitude Noto Peninsula earthquake, Nakatani visited Shika, a town in Ishikawa, where her parents' family homes are located.

"I was shocked to see the town collapsed as if trampled by a monster," she said. "I, who have roots in Noto, also have to do my best," she recalls.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]