[絵本役割] 明治18年4月刊
This is a Meiji-era Japanese picture book (ehon) compiled by Saitō Chōhachi and published in Tokyo in 1887, apparently aimed at general readers. Its woodblock-style pages show crowded scenes of samurai and townspeople in dense black-and-white line work, with vertical Japanese captions and kanji-like inscriptions set beside the figures. A designer might take the tight, busy compositions, the bold patterned kimono and armour textures, and the framed panel layouts divided into scenes.
![Picture 1 of 14 from [絵本役割] 明治18年4月刊 (1887), leaf 2](https://img.insideoutlibrary.com/img/200/ndl-858133-2-1.webp)
![Picture 2 of 14 from [絵本役割] 明治18年4月刊 (1887), leaf 2](https://img.insideoutlibrary.com/img/200/ndl-858133-2-2.webp)
![Picture 3 of 14 from [絵本役割] 明治18年4月刊 (1887), leaf 3](https://img.insideoutlibrary.com/img/200/ndl-858133-3-1.webp)
![Picture 4 of 14 from [絵本役割] 明治18年4月刊 (1887), leaf 3](https://img.insideoutlibrary.com/img/200/ndl-858133-3-2.webp)
![Picture 5 of 14 from [絵本役割] 明治18年4月刊 (1887), leaf 3](https://img.insideoutlibrary.com/img/200/ndl-858133-3-3.webp)
![Picture 6 of 14 from [絵本役割] 明治18年4月刊 (1887), leaf 4](https://img.insideoutlibrary.com/img/200/ndl-858133-4-1.webp)
![Picture 7 of 14 from [絵本役割] 明治18年4月刊 (1887), leaf 4](https://img.insideoutlibrary.com/img/200/ndl-858133-4-2.webp)
![Picture 8 of 14 from [絵本役割] 明治18年4月刊 (1887), leaf 4](https://img.insideoutlibrary.com/img/200/ndl-858133-4-3.webp)
![Picture 9 of 14 from [絵本役割] 明治18年4月刊 (1887), leaf 5](https://img.insideoutlibrary.com/img/200/ndl-858133-5-1.webp)
![Picture 10 of 14 from [絵本役割] 明治18年4月刊 (1887), leaf 5](https://img.insideoutlibrary.com/img/200/ndl-858133-5-2.webp)
![Picture 11 of 14 from [絵本役割] 明治18年4月刊 (1887), leaf 5](https://img.insideoutlibrary.com/img/200/ndl-858133-5-3.webp)
![Picture 12 of 14 from [絵本役割] 明治18年4月刊 (1887), leaf 6](https://img.insideoutlibrary.com/img/200/ndl-858133-6-1.webp)
![Picture 13 of 14 from [絵本役割] 明治18年4月刊 (1887), leaf 6](https://img.insideoutlibrary.com/img/200/ndl-858133-6-2.webp)
![Picture 14 of 14 from [絵本役割] 明治18年4月刊 (1887), leaf 6](https://img.insideoutlibrary.com/img/200/ndl-858133-6-3.webp)