TOKYO: A book with pages the size of the eye of a needle has been printed in Japan, the publishing company said Wednesday, with each tiny page showing a microscopic flower.

The 22-page micro-book, entitled "Shiki no Kusabana" (flowers of seasons), contains names and monochrome illustrations of Japanese flowers such as the cherry and the plum, it said, adding the 0.75 millimetre (0.03 inch) pages were impossible to read with the naked eye.

Toppan Printing said letters just 0.01 mm wide were created using the same technology as money printers use to prevent forgery. It has been making micro books since 1964.

Toppan said it would be applying to Guinness World Records to claim the title of world's smallest book, currently held by a 0.9 mm volume published in Russia.

The book is on display at Toppan's Printing Museum in Tokyo, and is on sale, together with a magnifying glass and a larger copy, for 29,400 yen ($307).