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Kataribe Storytellers: How Can Firsthand Experiences of War and Disaster be Passed on to Future Generations?

Kataribe Storytellers: How Can Firsthand Experiences of War and Disaster be Passed on to Future Generations?
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Author(s): Akiko Ogawa (Ritsumeikan University, Japan)
Copyright: 2025
Pages: 20
Source title: Impacts of Museums on Global Communication
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Maiko Sawada (Sophia University, Japan)and Frederic Andres (National Insitute of Informatics, Japan)
DOI: 10.4018/979-8-3693-2129-4.ch005

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Abstract

This chapter examines Japan's unique Kataribe (Storytellers) approach to transmitting firsthand experiences of war and disasters. Historically, Kataribe referred to folklore storytellers, but now includes narrators of modern traumas like war, crime, and natural disasters. Kataribe storytelling, often in museums and local archives, emphasizes personal narratives, contrasting with the more factual Western practices. A key example is in Hiroshima, where school excursions involve listening to atomic bomb survivors' testimonies, a model initiated by a survivor teacher. This emotionally connects students with wartime experiences and fosters involvement. However, as time passes, conveying these experiences become harder due to the lack of shared background, and the authenticity of legacy successors, who are not direct survivors, is questioned. We explore how listeners use their imagination in response to storytellers and the role of faculty and museum staff in maintaining involvement. It concludes with a discussion on media use and the significance of listeners as expressive agents.

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