Kamishibai
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Kamishibai (紙芝居), literally "paper drama", is a form of storytelling that evolved from a Japanese street-storytelling tradition practiced in the 1920's through the 1950's. The gaito kamishibaiya, or kamishibai storyteller, rode from village to village on a bicycle equipped with a small stage. On arrival, the storyteller used two wooden clappers, called hyoshigi, to announce his arrival. Children who bought candy from the storyteller got the best seats in front of the stage. 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audience assembled, the storyteller told several stories using a set of illustrated boards, inserted into the stage and withdrawn one by one as the story was told.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.
The development of Kamishibai can be tied to the global depression of the late 1920's when it offered a means by which an unemployed man could earn a small income. The tradition was largely supplanted by the advent of television in the late 1950's but has recently enjoyed a revival in Japanese libraries and elementary schools.