Human beings invented the telescope with this the visible world expanded enormously, and it became possible to observe even heavenly bodies in the furthest reaches of the universe. No less significant was the microscope, invented by Zacharias Janssen and his son, an eyeglass merchant in 16th century Holland. The revelation of a miniature world observable through an optical instrument small enough to be placed on a desk caused great changes not only in human thinking but even to our view of the world, Robert Hooke, an experimental chemist in 17th century England, observed various forms of this miniature world through a microscope, and collected the results of his observations in a book, "Micrographia." The enlarged diagram of a flea that was included there was full of curiosities; according to the author, "the power and beauty of small creatures is far different from that of human beings." lt is for this reaon that the miniature world is an essential part of the "Micro (cosmo) graphia" that we have taken as our theme.