Welcome to the fantasy world of light and shadow!
The exquisite dialogue between the narrator and Mr. Magic will draw everyone into the world of
shadow puppetry.
There are many fantasies of light and shadow in our daily life.
The shadow theater troupe «Kashinoki» has been creating shadow plays, music, and other works
for children. Since its establishment in 1982 as a general children’s theater company, the company
has regularly performed abroad under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and
continues to promote cultural exchange. Among them, the «Thumbelina» was particularly well
received that it has received support from the Danish Embassy in Japan.
In 1987, the group performed in Indonesia, attracting an audience of 12,000 people in a single day,
and the performance was broadcast throughout the former Soviet Union on Moscow Television in
1989. In the same year, 1989, the show was broadcast throughout the former Soviet Union on
Moscow Television. Many people may also remember that in 1989, the show was selected to
appear on NHK Television, and provided dreamlike stories for the television audience with
programs such as “Toy’s House” and “Hanashi-no-kuni.
We will continue to take on new challenges, focusing on children’s emotional education, by
producing more accessible and enjoyable productions.
«Thumbelina»Based on the novel by Andersen
~Synopsis~
Thumbelina is a little girl born from a tulip flower. One night, while sleeping in her bed of walnuts,
she was suddenly snatched away by a toad.
The toad is a cute little princess. The toad wanted the little Thumbelina to be his son-in-law.
The next morning, Thumbelina woke up on a leaf of luck floating in a pond…
※This work is supported by the Embassy of Denmark
«Hungry Punta»Original story by Hiroshi Takei
~Synopsis~
Punta the weasel is always hungry. One day, while walking around looking for food, he finds a
bird’s egg.
Punta decides to replace the eggs with bird meat. He then gathered some more eggs and started
to heat them up.
Finally, after much waiting, the egg hatched,
The chicks called Punta “Father” as they licked their tongues and brought him close to their
faces…
«Mommy's Birthday»Original story by Marjorie Flack
~Synopsis~
Today is Mom’s birthday. Danny wonders what to get his mother for her birthday,
What should he give his mother for her birthday? They all try their best to think of something.
But all of them are things that his mother already has.
So, finally, they decide to go and ask the forest bear.
But everyone is afraid of the bear, so they don’t want to go with Danny.
Danny is in trouble…
And what did the bear tell him…?
«Run, Melos!»Original story by Osamu Dazai
~Synopsis~
When Melos came to the town to buy a bride’s dress, he learned of the existence of Dionysus, the
king who has been killing many people. He is angered and rushes to the king’s castle, but is
quickly captured and sentenced to death by the king. He asks the king for three days’ grace for his
sister’s wedding, taking his best friend, Selinuntius, as a hostage.
The king is not pleased. The king accepted Melos’ request on the condition that he would kill the
hostage if he did not return on the third day.
Will Melos return to the town to save his friend…?
«Kenju Park Forest»Original story by Kenji Miyazawa
~Synopsis~
In a village, there is a young man named Kenju who is called a fool by the children.
One day, Kenju tells his family that he is going to grow cedar trees.
He worked so hard that he forgot to eat and sleep.
However, Heiji, the owner of the neighboring field, began to harass him.
In the harsh natural environment of the Tohoku region, Kenju, who is always criticized as a fool,
succeed in growing cedar trees in the harsh natural environment of Tohoku…?
«Red Candle and Mermaid»Original story by Mimei Ogawa
~Synopsis~
An old candlemaker and his wife live alone in a small fishing village in the north. One day, the old
woman finds a baby mermaid.
Since they had no children, they took good care of the baby and raised it to become a lovely
daughter. However, they were blinded by the money offered by the evil perfume maker and sold
her off.
The mermaid’s curse is an outrage at the weakness and stupidity of the human heart, which can
be transformed by the smallest of things. The mermaid’s curse eventually destroys the village…
Breathing life into words
The “storyteller” of shadow theater troupe «Kashinoki» is a single person who expresses everything. From men and women, young and old, animals to the rustle of a grove of trees. There is nothing that cannot be expressed through storytelling. Everything in the universe can be expressed. The words of the “narrator” enter the children’s ears and shake their bodies. It is as if the words have power. It is the language of real people.
The Hidden Power of the Japanese Language
The Hidden Power of the Japanese Language Our motto is to treat language with care. This is because the Japanese language is inherently beautiful and each word has deep meaning. Furthermore, since ancient times, Japanese people have believed that words have a soul. Each Japanese word has the power to make people happy.
Contact Form
※Email：hide_sanchos@yahoo.co.jp