Kamishibai Revisited

It was early Summer, and we were ready for a great artistic adventure. We thought it would be a wonderful task to recreate Kamishibai (kah-mee-she-bye) from a cardboard box. But, our design concept didn't go as planned.

What is Kamishibai?

An article by Tara McGowan outlined the rich history of Kamishibai (Japanese picture theatre). Trying to highlight them all in this short paper would be a disservice. However, this form of picture storytelling dates back to 10th century Japan, when illustrations were drawn on scrolls and the storytellers were Buddist priests and nuns (Kaminishi) (McGowan).

Over time, the storytelling method evolved and the art form reached its height during the 1930s (Schodt), capturing the imagination of children and adults when the country, and the world was going through a global depression (McGowan). It was a source of entertainment where storytellers took on various character roles with facial and vocal expressions (Schodt).

Unfortunately, the introduction of television led to the decline of Kamishibai. However, this Japanese art form “paved the way for modern-day comic books, and is the missing link in the development of modern manga” (Schodt). Furthermore, Kamishibai has become very popular outside of Japan. This popular “magic box” (“JICC Craft: DIY Kamishibai”) is a hit with children around the world. In fact, December 7th is known as World Kamishibai Day (“JICC Craft: DIY Kamishibai”). It was through this art form of “bringing people together” (“The History of Manga: All you need to know”), to celebrate shared experience, that we envisioned bringing this classic form of storytelling to our audience.

What happened?

We were inspired to take our love for storytelling and fusing it with a different medium. So, an attempt was made to create a Kamishibai theatre box, using cardboard. We soon discovered that our theatre box needed a lot of structural support to keep the sides from shifting inwards.

Where do we go from here?

We had to revisit the design plan for our Kamishibai theatre box. The one we originally had wasn’t holding up well - at all. The corners and the walls of the cardboard box kept folding inward at the different points. Even with adding strips of cardboard to support the corners, base, and top, the structure wasn’t holding up like we expected. Perhaps the box we used was fabricated with a thinner cardboard stock. We followed design instructions off YouTube; the informational video was really good (“JICC Craft: DIY Kamishibai”). It had instructions on the type of box, the height, the measurements, and how to create the slots that would support the picture frames as they slide in and out. Regardless, the material needed an upgrade.

We’re switching things up, and we think it’s going to be better. With the new upgraded design, structural support will already be in place at the onset; the material will still be cardboard, only stronger. And when it is all done, we’re going to infuse the design into a new project.

So, what is this new project? We’re not sure. One thing is certain, there will be a story: a fable, a fairytale, or a short creative fiction. We’re not sure when this project is going to come along. Stories come along when they’re ready to be heard. This could be a classic case of “wait and see.”

Overall, creating Kamishibai from a cardboard box is a fun project to do. It has brought people together. We’re learning the history, culture, and language of another country. The most important thing has been seeing how an art form transformed over time, and adapted to new environments. And now, it’s loved and celebrated all around the world.

It’s your turn. Go ahead and build your own Kamishibai from a material of your choice. Create your story with illustration and see where it takes you. In our opinion, it’s really a lot of fun with cardboard.

Works Cited

“JICC Craft: DIY Kamishibai.” YouTube, 1 June 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVuQWoavaBA. Accessed 18 April 2022.

“The History of Manga: All you need to know.” Neotakus Webzine, 13 September 2021, https://neotakus.com/the-history-of-manga/. Accessed 18 April 2022.

McGowan, Tara M. “The Many Faces of Kamishibai (Japanese Paper Theater): Past, Present, and Future | Japan Society.” About Japan: A Teacher's Resource, https://aboutjapan.japansociety.org/the-many-faces-of-kamishibai. Accessed 18 April 2022.

Schodt, Frederik L. “Manga Kamishibai (Hardcover) | ABRAMS.” Abrams Books, 1 September 2009, https://www.abramsbooks.com/product/manga-kamishibai_9780810953031/. Accessed 18 April 2022.