YUME FOR KIDS
Here are coming events, activities and festivals
we’ve designed especially for our youngest visitors
in person and online – and for everyone forever
young at heart.
Kamishibai Series - Virtual Events
The Art of Kamishibai, 紙芝居, "paper play", is a popular form of street theater and entertainment for the Japanese children begun in the 1920-30’s . Colorful drawn panels illustrates a story, to be read or acted out by a performer. Kamishibai men would routinely stop by various neighborhoods carrying their story cards and candy, and would announce their arrival to the children by loudly striking hyoshigi, or wooden clappers.
Often retellings of traditional histories or folktales, today’s cards are printed with scripts on the back to read from, creating the same dynamic visual effect as the street performances of decades past.
Tsuru no Ongaeshi - "The Grateful Crane"
A Japanese folktale
This kamishibai is the story of Tsuru no Ongaeshi, or “The Grateful Crane”. It’s about a crane who returns a favor to an old man.
Video courtesy the Japan Information and Culture Center (JICC), Embassy of Japan, Washington DC.
Rainen wa nanidoshi
“How the Years were named”
Video courtesy of RoHoEn - The Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix