Nintendo originally made hanafuda (花札), traditional Japanese “flower cards.” These 48-card decks are divided into 12 suits representing the months of the year, with each suit featuring four cards illustrated with seasonal flowers, plants, birds, and animals rather than numbered ranks or Western suits.
Fusajiro Yamauchi founded the company in 1889 specifically to produce handmade hanafuda using mulberry bark, clay, and woodblock printing. The cards are smaller and thicker than a standard 52-card deck and were used for games such as Koi-Koi. They became especially popular in gambling circles.
Nintendo’s best-known hanafuda brand was Daitoryo (“President”), which featured a portrait of Napoleon on the packaging—an image that later appeared on some of their other products as well.
The company later expanded into other Japanese karuta styles (such as kabufuda) and, around 1902, began producing Western-style 52-card “trump” decks. Nintendo still manufactures hanafuda today, including traditional Daitoryo sets and Mario-themed versions.
Nintendo’s humble beginnings as a playing card company, founded today in 1889…137 years ago!