First edition but clearly a later issue, hors commerce, signed. 15 hand coloured woodblock printed vignettes, text also printed in woodblock. 310 by 167mm; case measuring 310 by 170mm. Fukuro-toji binding, original pale blue wrappers with teal woodblock printed title slip, original maroon gloth folding case with yellow woodblock printed title slip, some wear to binding, overall a good copy. Unpaginated, [1], [18], [1]pp. Tochigi (Ono-en ju), privately printed, Showa 19 [i.e. 1944], but a later issue, 1944.
A copy that is bibliographically a bit mysterious: Kawakami produced the very first edition of this title in a slightly wider format, with a different binding and case. While the colophon and plates of the present copy are the same, it is a later issue – this is not uncommon in Kawakami works, as he often used the same blocks to reprint his books, without correcting the date in the colophon. A similar edition with a near identical case and binding was published by Sekai Bunko in 1954, with the plates still hand-coloured by Kawakami. It is possible that the present copy was an artist proof, made before the production of the Sekai Bunko edition.
The book itself contains a highly nostalgic piece of writing; Kawakami reminisces on his childhood, sitting with his mother, grandmother and sister looking at the pictures projected from their magic lantern. He writes how, 40 years later, he lights the lantern again on a cold, moonlit night. He reflects on the transportive powers of the lantern, and he is immediately taken out of his loneliness into the memories of his childhood. It is particularly poignant that he created this book during WWII.
One copy of the first edition in OCLC, no copies of this later issue listed.
