The birthplace of Nintendo

gamesindustry.biz:

Geoffrey Bunting

Monday 2nd May 2022

Nintendo

Last month, the Marufukuru Hotel opened at 342 Kagiyacho in the Shimogyo-ku ward of Kyoto. Upon approach, guests might be surprised to find a small green plaque beside the entrance. Emblazoned with gold characters, the sign reads, "Playing Cards, Yamauchi Nintendo."

While not as iconic as Nintendo's beige-bricked square in south Kyoto, the building's importance should not be underestimated. Prior to its move to 342 Kagiyacho, the company operated out of a number of smaller, disparate sites. It was there that the process of consolidating Nintendo into Nintendo Co., Ltd began and, under the leadership of Hiroshi Yamauchi, pivoted to gaming and the success that has made it a global household name today.

The story of Nintendo does not begin in the 1980s with Hiroshi Yamauchi, but a century before. Nintendo Koppai was founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, an artisan of karuta: playing cards. Not as we know them in the West, however. Rather, Fusajiro made hanafuda or 'flower cards.' Dutch and Portuguese merchants introduced playing cards to Japan in the 1500s, but hanafuda trace their history back further to games played with painted shells. Hanafuda are smaller and thicker than typical Western cards. A deck comprises twelve suits, each designated by a flower, and they can be used for a variety of games.

'Playing Cards, Yamauchi Nintendo' - a monument to Nintendo's origins

Japan banned gambling in 1882 "in order to nurture a work ethic." Authorities, however, tolerated hanafuda as they lacked numbers or designations of value. In lieu of other betting opportunities like horse racing or dog tracks, yakuza set up high-stakes hanafuda parlours to entice the gamblers of Kyoto.

This drove many