A Scanning Light Microscope (SLM) is used to illustrate 145 Neogene foraminiferal taxa described in the Japanese literature over the past 100 years. The SLM permits photography of specimens without coating, in contrast to some scanning electron microscopes, and provides in-focus (no depth-of-field problem) color photomicrographs of each specimen, which is essential to observing detail as would be seen with a dissecting microscope.

Some groups for which there is little taxonomic agreement, such as the unilocular forms and some miliolids, are not illustrated. Where the authors' views on the taxonomy diverge, the different opinions are discussed.

Three new species are described (by Takayanagi): Eggerella matsunoi, Haplophragmoides hatai, and Haplophragmoides nishikizawensis.

The main purpose of this work is to illustrate some common and not-so-common forms that are poorly known in the North American and European literature and whose names are sometimes used incorrectly. This should help authors worldwide compare their species with the Japanese types in order to reconcile regional taxonomic inconsistencies.