Netsuke - classic belt decorations for men - are rooted in a historical, mythological and artistic tradition in Japanese culture. Woodcarvers and their pupils, even counterfeiters, continued the work of their role models, in copies or variants of what came before them, and even created major works of art with the smallest of dimensions. Since the opening up of Japan in 1853, the miniature works have gained appreciation, and enthusiasts of them are found all over the world. Today netsuke are still being created in a great variety of motifs. The current publication presents one hundred netsuke from a private collection. For the very first time, it endeavours to juxtapose them with comparative images from collections and literature in order to locate them within this genre and to convey something of their diversity and expressiveness.