Kamishibai is a form of Storytelling from Japan. Tara McGowan from Kamishibai for Kids explains: Kamishibai, (kah-mee-she-bye) or “paper-theater,” is said to have started in Japan in the late 1920s, but it is part of a long tradition of picture storytelling, beginning as early as the 9th or 10th centuries when priests used illustrated scrolls combined with narration to convey Buddhist doctrine to lay audiences. You can find more historical information here.

 

This form of storytelling is wonderful for all ages, and particularly effective with young children who need visual anchors as they are yet to establish vocabulary and associations between the meaning of words and visual imagery. Unlike reading a picture book - which of course is a wonderful thing to share with a child - Kamishibai storytelling renders a different experience. The Kamishibai storyteller faces the crowd front-on, henceforth the physical story in the form of illustrations becomes an extension of the teller, rather than being the object [the book] in-between the storyteller and the listener.  The Kamishibai storyteller not only tells but rather performs a story by incorporating intonation, gestures and often asks the audience to interact and participate.

​

Doshinsha, one of the biggest Kamishibai publishers in Japan mention on their website: "Kamishibai is full of happiness; a resonant feeling or kyokan is shared among all the audience during the performance. The word kyokan refers to people confirming the meaning of life together through sharing the same feeling about something. Creating kyokan is the most important and essential aspect of kamishibai." Japanese primate researcher Kawai Masao (in Sy Montgomery's Walking with the Great Apes: Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and Biruté Galdikas) described the feeling of kyokan (loosely translated as 'feel-one') as being necessary for proper science and discovering the truth. In other words, when relating this to storytelling, the deepest connections and learning is achieved when storyteller, story and story listener fuse together in a common experience.

​

Kamishibai Storytelling is enjoying a revival all around the world. Below you can find more information.

​

• Click here for a video by Jean-François Chéniery's video "Storytelling: Lessons from kamishibai".

• Click here for an article in The Conversation entitled "Kamishibai: how the magical art of Japanese storytelling is being revived and promoting bilingualism" by Géraldine D Enjelvin.

• Click here for a great Belgian website on Kamishibai "ABC  Kamishibai".

• Click here for a critical review of Tara McGowan's book Performing Kamishibai: An Emerging New Literacy for a Global Audience; the review mentions the benefits of Kamishibai for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

• Click here for Storyteller and Kamishibai researcher Tara McGowan's publications.

​