A mystery inside the covers

We’ve seen waste paper hidden inside book covers.

It can reveal clues about the history of books and publishing. But sometimes, what we find raises more questions than it answers.

In this video, I’ll show you one remarkable example from a Japanese book published in 1707.

What was found inside its covers — and why was it there? Let’s take a closer look.

Book featured in the video

• Shikidō sange otoko 色道懺悔男. 1707, private collection