Kamishibai-shi

[Davey]

I've been reading a little about the Kamishibai-shi the last couple of weeks in the Kansai Time out magazine, and on the PingMag website.

I was wondering if any of you guy have ever seen a kamishibai-shi or heard something about it, and maybe you can tell me where I can find one in the Kansai (Kobe would be best) area.

So what is Kamishibai-shi? Here it comes

A storytelling man is a man who shows illustrations to a story in order, while narrating the story to the audience. He reads the dialogue and narration out loud, making him more a performer rather than just a storyteller. And sometimes the kamishibai-shi performs on the street, because originally kamishibai was a part of the old-style Japanese street musicians, Chindonya.
(quote from PingMag)

Please read this interesting article on PingMag to know more about it, and to see some wonderfull pictures!!!

Here are 3 pictures:

 

[misa.j]

The pictures in the link brings me back good old memories. I have been fortunate enough to see a real story teller at a townhall when I was very little, but "Kamishibai" was one of my favorite things my nursery school teachers did for us.

It's almost like a tv and a book combined but not quite either of them, music that goes with story is usually played along, which makes it exciting. I used to have my own and had my friends and family sit in front of me.

 

[nice gaijin]

I believe I actually saw one in the Yokohama Ramen museum last year. Can't remember what the story was, but it was entertaining.

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

10 year ago,I watched Kamishubai-ya in Tokyo.
When I worked in Uguisudani (neighborhood of Ueno),
Neighboring kindergarteners gathered in the park which I saw from a window of an office and watched kamishibai.
It was a season of a cherry blossom.
Kamishibai can be seen in Osaka City hirano district.
Place:Senkouji (a temple)
Address:4-12-21, Honcho, Hirano
Demonstration time:
The fourth Sunday of every month,Twice of 2:00 p.m. and 3:00.
おもろいで平野
裏返しのメディア論３・紙芝居からマルチメディアへ 〜うけつがれるべき表現と技〜

 

[epigene]

Ah, this reminds me of the old days when I was a little kid. The "kamishibai-ya-san" would come to the neighborhood every once in a while (couple of times a week?). The storytelling was basically an attraction devised to get the kids to buy the "dagashi." My mom didn't allow me to buy the sweets (saying they contain dangerous stuff--which was probably true, containing additives that would have been banned today), and the kamishibaiya didn't allow kids who don't buy to watch the storytelling.

It was only once in a while that I did get to watch it, when an "oneesan" (an older girl) in the neighborhood would take me to watch and buy the "dagashi" for me. (The reason being that ours was the only house in the neighborhood with a TV set, and Mom allowed all the kids in the area to visit our house to watch TV during the early evening hours. The girl was returning a favor to me.)

I vividly remember I thought it (the storytelling & the sweets I wasn't allow to eat) was "paradise"!!

 

[chickie]

I didn't know that we can see kamishibai-ya-san nowadays☝
I have never seen one myself, but I found out about kamishibai-shi when I was reading one of Chibimaruko-chan books in my childhood.

 

[caster51]

when I was a kid, my town kids called him katanuki-ya-san.

there was no TV games at that time..
Even some junior high school students in the vicinity also was getting together and enjoy themselves. (kakurenbo, kankeri, sankaku-yakyu...)
he came to a shrine where we played in the vicinity 2~3times in a week.
I always challenged it for 10yen.
When it was made to succeed, he gave the prize according to the rank.
A lot of cakes and the candies were gotten even if it failed.
then he started kamishibai ,funny songs and some quizes and gave us candy again.
I think that time was about 15~20min.
then he had gone to a next place

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

Every so often you can see a comedian employing kami-shibai in his act. I've seen it done before, although the most recent example I can think of was over 5 or 6 years ago. Sorry, I have no idea what the comedian(')s name(s) was/were.

 

[caster51]

kamishibaiya-san

 

[Davey]

Thanks for the Video Caster san, interesting to see it even though it is a short one.

Thanks for the links Hiroyuki Nagashima!!