160903-0045 - Kamishibai Story Teller

Japanese children watch a kamishibai performance, ca. 1950 (Showa 25).

The kamishibai storytelling method originated in Japanese Buddhist temples in the 12th century and enjoyed a revival from the 1920s through the 1950s because it gave unemployed men the opportunity to earn a small income.

Kamishibai storytellers travelled on a bicycle equipped with a small stage and earned their money from selling candy.