See and Make: Kamishibai
N Horticultural Dr
Philadelphia, PA 19131
USA
Family See and Make Afternoons at Shofuso Japanese House and Garden: Drop by first Sundays (November through March) from 12:30pm to 2:30pm to try your hand at various arts from Japan. A variety of activities and demos will be on offer throughout the afternoon. Buy a ticket on-line or at the door. $9 per person, $7 members.
Learn more about kamishibai, an early 20th century style of traveling Japanese storytelling and precursor to manga and anime. Hear traditional stories of monsters and adventures, make your own mini kamishibai story cards and learns the basics of manga.
Kamishibai means paper drama and is a form of storytelling that originated in Buddhist temples in the 12th century. Monks would use picture scrolls to convey teachings. The art form evolved in the 1920’s with the kamishibai man who would ride from village to village on a bicycle equipped with a small stage. On arrival, the storyteller used two wooden clappers to announce his arrival. Once an audience assembled, the storyteller told several stories using a set of illustrated boards, inserted into the stage and withdrawn one by one as the story was told. The stories were often serials and new episodes were told on each visit to the village.