The Japan Foundation, Toronto and the Toronto Storytelling Festival present
The 27th Katari Japanese Storytelling Festival – Those Were the Days, My Friends.
Join us for an afternoon of Japanese folk tales, stories, songs and mime performances at the 27th annual Katari Storytelling Festival. This family-friendly event is presented in cooperation with the Toronto Storytelling Festival. The Katari Japanese Storytellers programme includes traditional and contemporary storytelling for all ages.
Audience: Family
Admission: Free (RSVP required)
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes
Programme:
Seiko Shirafuji and Eiko Giese : Tama-Sudare, traditional street performance
Koko Kikuchi : Oshira-sama, Japanese folktale
Yusuke Tanaka : Urashima Taro, the eternal time traveller
Noriko Yamamoto : Tea Ceremony, a mime performance
Seiko Shirafuji and Eiko Giese with Yusuke Tanaka on guitar : The Poems of Misuzu Kaneko, poem chanting and singing
Toshiki Mori : The Greatest Player, a contemporary story
***Please note that the Library will be open with special Saturday opening on March 14, 2020 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm to coincide with the event.
The gallery will be closed. Please feel free to arrive early and enjoy browsing the library before the event.
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2020 Storytellers
Koko Kikuchi
Born in Tohoku, the northeast of Japan, Koko has been involved in Katari since its inception. He specializes in the folktales of his native region of Iwate Prefecture.
Toshiki Mori
An actor, storyteller, singer and writer. Toshiki was born in Fukushima, Japan. He started his career as storyteller of Kamishibai in Toronto and has been actively performing in Montreal and at various schools, libraries and cultural events throughout Toronto.
Seiko Shirafuji
Born in Yamaguchi Prefecture, she is a singer and folk dancer and a retired medical doctor. Seiko has been performing in many community events and local festivals since 1995.
Yusuke Tanaka
A veteran translator, writer, director of the Katari Storytelling Festival since 1994. He has been telling stories of the Ainu people, and his own adaptations of Japanese folklore in many places including New York, Seoul, Kyoto, Tokyo and Sapporo.
Noriko Yamamoto
A professional dancer, mime, silent storyteller, and visual artist. Since moving to Toronto from Tokyo in 1994, Noriko has added Nia to her repertoire. She performs regularly at schools, libraries, festivals, and at various other events.
