This unique book looks to Japanese woodblock prints for record of the toys and games of old Japan.  A visual feast, it presents over 170 colour illustrations of plaything, games and pastimes, depicted both in photographs and in prints by such masters as Hokusai, Utamaro, and Kunisada.  All print makers are identified, and all toys and games are explained in informative short essays that shed light not only on objects and activities but also on Japanese popular culture, history, and religion.  With its wealth of visual and textual information, Playthings and Pastimes in Japanese Prints is a delightful book to browse through as well as an important resource for collectors and students of Japanese art in life.