Kamishibai (Japanese 紙芝居, literally “paper theatre”) is a Japanese form of storytelling: a story is told with large picture cards in a small wooden theatre – the whole group looks at the same pictures together.
Kamishibai originated in Japan, where travelling storytellers used it from the 1920s onwards, moving from street to street with a small theatre mounted on a bicycle.
In Germany, Kamishibai has been widespread since the 1990s, especially in nurseries, primary schools and libraries – as a storytelling theatre with picture cards in A3 or A4 format.
The picture cards sit in a small theatre with a stage. The storyteller pulls the cards out one by one and shows the pictures to the group, while the text is printed on the back.
This creates a shared view of the same story: everyone looks in the same direction, listens and talks about what they have seen.
Kamishibai supports language, concentration and shared experiences. The clear form – one picture at a time – gives children structure and invites them to join in and tell stories themselves.
At the same time, the paper theatre is simple to use: it needs no power and no setup, and works in the group room just as well as outdoors.
Children today grow up with screens. The question is not whether, but how digital media are used in pedagogical work.
The strength of Kamishibai – looking and telling together – can be combined with digital content: photos, children's own pictures, videos, board stories and learning games.
The eKami brings the idea of Kamishibai into the digital world: a high-quality touchscreen sits in a wooden frame with blackboard wings – like a small stage that opens up.
This turns the classic paper theatre into a mobile media centre: experience stories, create your own content, present and document – in nurseries, after-school clubs, primary schools and libraries.
And if you like, you can use the eKami in the classic way: the screen can be removed, and the frame becomes a theatre for picture cards and puppets.