September 23, 1889: Nintendo is founded.
When Fusajiro Yamauchi founded Nintendo Koppai (as it was called until 1933) in Kyoto, the company’s sole product was handmade Japanese-style playing cards, called hanafuda (flower cards). “Nintendo” (任天堂) means, very roughly, something like “leave luck to heaven”, referring to the hanafuda gambling games, which were popular with the yakuza. In 1902, Nintendo began manufacturing western-style playing cards for export. The company still sells hanafuda and kabufuda cards, including the Daitouryou (“president”) set, a replica of cards that were produced early in the company’s history. Pictured on these cards is a portrait of Napoleon; some speculate that Fusajiro Yamauchi mistook Napoleon for the president of France, or for George Washington.
In 1963, Nintendo Playing Card Co., Ltd. became Nintendo Co., Ltd., marking the start of a new era in the company’s history. It was in the 1960s that Nintendo began manufacturing non-card games, including the Ultra Machine, the Ultra Hand, the Love Tester, and other novelties, although it was somewhat difficult for the company to expand into and establish a firm footing in the toy industry. Throughout the 1970s, Nintendo worked to develop more complex games (like the Laser Clay Shooting System) and new technologies. These breakthroughs finally culminated in the games and consoles that were released in succession during the ’80s, including 1981’s Donkey Kong, which featured a carpenter named Jumpman, who later became an Italian plumber named Mario in a 1983 game. In 1983, the company also released a landmark console called the Nintendo Entertainment System, and the rest is history.