Vincent von Kaenel

Kamishibai storytelling

Kamishibai wooden stage

The kamishibai is a wooden stage in which the storyteller slides picture cards. The kamishibai stands on a table behind which the teller stays and narrates the story (reading the text printed on the back of the cards) while the audience looks at the pictures. The picture size is about 15 by 10½ inches.

The kamishibai used to be street storytelling in Japan from around 1920 to 1950. With the coming of TV it disappeared from the streets. The storyteller would bike from place to place, carrying a little wooden stage mounted on his bike. He would gather a small crowd and start selling candies, then tell his stories, sliding the picture cards into the stage one by one and putting them in the back — often stopping at a key moment so the audience would come back the next day to enjoy the end of the story. In Japanese, “kami” means paper and “shibai” drama.

I'm not providing candies, but I'm willing to share some of these traditional stories from Japan! I own a wooden kamishibai and a choice of stories. First I'll introduce the children to the history of the kamishibai with a quick oral presentation, and then through the book Kamishibai Man by Allen Say — about an old man who comes back to his kamishibai stories after years of not telling them, due to the success of television. Then I'll use my kamishibai to tell a story. Depending on the children's age, I'll choose something accordingly from my collection: traditional Japanese stories, but also more modern stories that I can tell in English, Spanish or French.

By the end, the kids will have enjoyed learning about another way of telling stories, and another kind of story. I'm happy to answer any questions they might have about the kamishibai — they can see the “behind the scenes” as I show them the back of the stage and the cards.

I have 15 years of experience as an elementary school teacher.

Kamishibai storytelling is enjoyed by a maximum of 40 people (one single class is the ideal group size). One full session usually takes about 30–45 minutes.

You can reach me by email.

Some traditional titles