March 31, 2021
Greetings
March 31st, 2021.
Today, I, Ikkyu,
leave Yassan-ichiza's Kamishibai
and leave the world of Kamishibai.
I'm a too lucky and blessed one
to meet Yassan-ichiza's Kamishibai,
and to live as a Kamishibai performer of
Yassan-ichiza's Kamishibai.
If I never knew Yassan-ichiza's Kamishibai,
I would never live as a professional Kamishibai performer.
I know it for sure.
I got thank everybody of the group billions of trillions of times
for accepting such a young person like me,
concerning about me till the end
and bringing me up as a professional Kamishibai performer.
I made you in lots of troubles so many times.
I sometimes, or plenty of times, made you irritated of me.
Yet, you never gave up of me, who is selfish, egoistic and noisy,
with your patience, kind and strict words.
Then I ended up like this.
Your effort made me as I am today.
Thank you so much.
With your love and lessons to me, I move on to the next stage.
and I'm really looking forward to you all going beyond.
Until today, thank you so much for everything!
Since March 19th, the day I declared my leaving,
I got so many heart warming messages
and all made me cry with happiness.
I realized again that
I was blessed to meet such wonderful people.
What a lucky one I am.
I must be the most lucky person on this planet.
I got so much energy from all of you.
It's so sad that my Kamishibai life comes to an end,
but I'm so excited to moving on to the next stage, as well.
From my bottom of my heart,
I'd like to show my deepest appreciation for your support.
Kamishibai can make the world peaceful!
Most people say it's just a dream which never gonna realise.
I couldn't get the Nobel Peace Prize.
Yet, any people from any nationality, language, background, gender, disability and age came and got together and laughed out loud all at once.
It was the WORLD PEACE I've been seeking.
Therefore, making the world peaceful with Kamishibai
is possible! It came true!
It's so hard to say good bye to Yassan-ichiza's Kamishibai and Kamishibai world which I love so much,
and I'm still sad and start feeling odd.
However, I chose leave, not a temporary closure,
because I'm going to take care of something I treasure the most.
I got lots of "I miss you" and "please come back again."
Nobody knows what's coming next in own life.
I always believe in the day
that we'll meet again,
and wishing your future full of laughter...
Here comes the time.
Yassan-ichiza'sKamishibai Ikkyu,
wonderful Kamishibai life,
here's the end of the story.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

= THE END =
🐰 2011・2012 🐲
Please Enjoy!
Annual Morita Cup & Mainichi Daily News Cup
Pair Presentation Contest on Japanese Culture
This challenge is the start of everything.
After a pair presentation assignment during a lecture,
a professor told us to stay in the classroom for a word.
Walking toward him with anxiety... and we got "well done!"
and he let us know of an annual Pair Presentation Contest to try on.
Then we decided to entry and try.
We spent 2 years as a pair presentation partner
and worked on one theme "Kamishibai".
On October 23rd, 2011, we met Yassan, who I call master today,
at the Kyoto International Manga Museum.
As we told him about the contest,
he gave us time to talk with us and it was a spark
and we were so inspired by him.
I found out the diary of the day, and my vocabulary😂
His words motivated us,
but we failed at the final judge and lost the chance to introduce Kamishibai.
Well, life shouldn't be easy like that.
A year later, we touched the news of Yassan's death.
But both of us wanted to tell what he told us.
So we visited the Kyoto International Manga Museum again
on November 5th, 2012.
Then we met Danmaru, who I call the leader today.
As we (well mostly my partner) told him what Yassan told us a year ago,
he accepted our words with saying
"it must be a challenging homework from the master".
With a super great support, we faced to the contest.
To the final judge, here we go!
The contest was on December 15th!!
We were focused on introducing Kamishibai
rather than getting a good result,
and as a result... we won the 1st prize!!
Gosh, can't stop crying. I was actually crying a lot.
After the contest, my partner started to study abroad.
As for me,
here's the start of the famous story of mine.
We got sooooo much support of Yassan and all member of Yassan-ichiza's Kamishibai.
I'd like to show my great appreciation again.
Without the presentation partner,
those 9 years became completely different.
It's my lifetime treasure to get to know her, and I thank her a lot.
I also have to say thanks to the professor
who gave us a word after the lecture.
Ta ta!
Another important thing is that, it was necessary to choose+study at the university to have an encounter with her.
I got to thank my parents and teachers to let me choose this university.
When, where, and what makes the life change?
Nobody knows.
Yet, any action/word can make a change if you believe so.
Since I believe in it,
even I still hate welcome the day to leave Kamishibai tomorrow,
I'm keep excited moving on
to the next chapter of my lifetime story.
🐍 2013 🐍
Please Enjoy!
The very beginning with full of hope.
Here's the start of my story of success.
I was just so excited of everything.
Studied from senior apprentices with my 5 senses or 6
at the Kiyomizu-dera temple and the manga museum to start-up.
In the beginning, I couldn't understand why I was just watching and restricted from performing,
but now I completely understand it why.
Still, I also knew I was treated so specially beside other apprentices.
Even I was the freshman of the group,
I got so many big chances.
"Just try!"
This gave me lots of courage to act like a Kamishibai performer.
(I should say "act like" because I was not good enough then.)
Named "IKKYU" on May 3rd by our group leader.
To tell the truth,
since I was at the timing to think of job hunting,
I had a superiority complex kind of feeling as I got this name and felt I got a job to live.
(well, I finally make this opened.)
Kamishibai on the Christmas day at "Shou-gakkou" is still a fresh memory.
(I got to apologise I used your perfect movie you made!)
Throw the interview of free magazine "moco.",
I talked and face to Kamishibai carreer a lot.
The interviewer gave me a wonderful phrase
"the circle of whahaha!(sorry, I'm not good enough to translate this)",
and this opportunity let me clarify my main theme
"Make the world peaceful through Kamishibai".
I was lucky to have a chance of
"PacKira Kamishibai(Kamishibai making workshop)"
at one uni's festival.
I was so nervous,
and I also felt bad to put senior apprentices aside and do it.
Yet, every whahaha! made me relieved.
Invited to TEDx, which is well-known around the world,
as a speaker... was not realised,
but told to attend the speakers' audition.
Then, surprisingly, I was adopted!
TEDxYouth@ Kyoto.
It's still my honor to be on a speakers list with such great people.
The curator who was taking care of me gave me advices a lot.
I'd like to say proudly that the message I told on the stage
"make the world peaceful through Kamishibai" came true!
I made it through my 9 years of carreer!
Thanks to TEDxYouthKyoto !
Another thing I got to write about is that
I failed at the audition of the manga museum.
Still now, I know that was too impossible challenge.
This day became a great power to move forward to grow up.
I can certainly see in every cut of the year
that I was supported by sooooooo many people.
And all the time, smiles were there.
Blooming smiles made me the happiest person.
Here the end of my story of beginning.