Octavo. (26)pp. Each page is entirely cut from a wood block, with English text above and a colored image below. Displayed and explained are facial expressions, many of which are humorous but certainly familiar: "man with irritation in ear," "old woman eating sour thing," and "child pursued by a dog" are all in their own way universal experiences. And yet the spelling of the captions is unique, to say the least, and likely part of the gag. Words are misspelled or run together, so that "Ah! I struck my head!" becomes "Ahj istrnk my head." The expressions are rendered in a classic Japanese style, nodding to the traditional mores that endured even in the 1890s, when Japan was undergoing a period of rapid modernization and rising nationalistic sentiments. Some of this incursion of modernity appears here: the pages are interleaved with contemporary newspaper sheets. Stab-bound with red embossed wrappers. Edges rubbed, some soiling to covers, including pale stain at front panel. Flyleaves at both front and back shabby. Very good.