Karuta sample poster (1902-1912)
This is a Nintendo poster illustrating the various types of karuta (a generic name that in Japan refers to various card games), distinguished by the regions of Japan where they were in use. It was distributed to retailers or resellers who had a special agreement for the sale of Nintendo products.
The poster measures 760 mm x 523 mm and is from the Meiji era, which ended on July 30, 1912. The presence of playing cards in the lower left corner dates it to after 1902, the date in which Nintendo supposedly began producing French-suited playing cards. Furthermore, the three award certificates visible in the center are all dated 1901. Therefore the poster can be dated approximately between 1902 and 1912, but it is not excluded that Nintendo continued to produce and distribute it in the following years.
Like many other advertising company samples of the time, it includes illustrations of honors and awards achieved by the company. These elements served to confer credibility and prestige to the products, showing the official recognition of quality. It was an effective way to attract the attention of consumers and demonstrate that the company was respected and established in its sector. It is also richly illustrated and with gold and silver reflections, to be used as a visual marketing tool in selected stores.
Below I have numbered the illustration in various sections and personally decoded the Japanese characters in the poster and provided an automatic translation. There may be errors.
There are two versions of this poster, which differ slightly in color: an evident example is the card in the lower left corner of section number 10, which in this photo has a blue frame, while in the other existing version it has no blue, but only silver.
1:
Text:
“Marufuku”
任天堂製かるた主要商標
各國向かるた種類見本
Translation:
“Marufuku”
Main trademarks of Nintendo karuta
Samples of karuta types for each country
2:
Text:
特約大販賣所
Translation:
Special Contract Wholesale Store
3:
Text:
任天堂后版部印刷
Translation:
Nintendo post-printing department
4:
Text:
勸業博覽會凖備共進會進歩賞金牌受領
内國製産品共進會有功賞銀牌受領
Translation:
Received the advancement prize medal from the National Trade Exhibition and Development Association
Received the silver medal from the Domestic Products Promotion Association
5:
Text:
五二會臨時品評會三等賞銅牌受領
大日本商工聯合品評會進歩賞銅牌受領
Translation:
Received bronze medal for third prize at the 52nd Annual Special Product Review
Received the bronze medal for the Progress Award from the Greater Japan Federation of Commerce and Industry Appraisal Association
6:
Text:
勸業博覽會凖備共進會凉伐賞之證
京都府
花加留多 山内房次郎
進步賞 審査部長正八位勲八等宮嵜豊治
金牌 審査長 平瀬亀之輔
右審杳一長之薦生口二依リ之ヲ授與ス
明治三十四年五月
會長從五位勲六等土居通夫
總裁從二位勲一等伯爵佐野常民
Translation:
Certification of the National Business Exhibition and Advancement Association Award
Kyoto Prefecture
Flower Karuta by Fusajiro Yamauchi
Shinpo Award: Chief Examiner, Toyoharu Miyazaki, 8th rank, Order of the Sacred Treasure, 8th Class
Gold medal Chief Examiner: Kamenosuke Hirase
I give you the recommendation of Nagayuki Ikuchi, the right judge
May 1901
President of the Association 5th Rank Order of the Order 6th Class Michio Doi
President of the Association 2nd Rank Order of the Order 1st Class Tsunetami Sano
7:
Text:
内國製産品共進會褒賞證
京都府
花かるた 山内房次郎
有功 銀牌
飯田新七
襾村総左工門
円羽圭介
金子錦二
従七位金子蕉壽
谷口香嬌
高絞突田杳一会員並河靖之
椎井小三郎
藪政七
藤江永孝
岸田豊久
大澤芳太郎
小山 實
審杳一長 岸田豊久
審杳一總長 從五位勲六寿 工學博士 田邊朔郎
右薦告二由リ茲二之ヲ授與ス
明治三十四年九月廿二日
内國製産品共進會會長西村治兵衙
總裁従四位勲三等高崎親章
Translation:
Domestic Products Co-Advancement Award
Kyoto Prefecture
Flower Karuta by Fusajiro Yamauchi
Silver medal of merit
Shinshichi Iida
Sosakomon Gate
Keisuke Ha
Nishikiji Kaneko
Junior 7th Rank Shōju Kaneko
Kago Taniguchi
Yasuyuki Namikawa, member of Takashibori Tsutta Junichi
Kosaburo Shiii
Masashichi Yabu
Fujie Eitaka
Toyohisa Kishida
Yoshitaro Osawa
Minoru Koyama
Chief Executive Officer Toyohisa Kishida
Chief Executive Officer 5th Order of the Order Rokuju Doctor of Engineering Sakuro Tanabe
Recommendation of the Two Yuri Certificates
September 22nd, 1901
President of the Association for the Promotion of Domestic Products Jihei Nishimura
3rd Class Takasaki Chikara Medal of the Order of the 4th Rank
8:
Text:
五二會臨時品評會褒賞證
京都府
花札骨牌 山内房次郎
三等賞铜牌
審査長工學博士中澤岩太
右鳫告三據リ之ヲ授臭ス
明治三十四年十一月一日
會 長 内貴甚三郎
名譽總裁従三位勲四等前田正名
Translation:
52nd Annual Special Product Review Award Certification
Kyoto Prefecture
Hanafuda bone tiles Fusajiro Yamauchi
Third prize bronze medal
Chief Examiner: Doctor of Engineering Iwata Nakazawa
Hereby awarded to the above-mentioned
November 1, 1901
Chairman Jinzaburo Uchitaka
Honorary President Masana Maeda Junior Third Rank Order Fourth Class
9 – 10 – 11:
12:
Text:
黑札見本 (津輕花) 四十八枚一組
使用地 津輕 陸前 陸中 羽後 地方
Translation:
Black cards sample (Tsugaru flower) – set of 48 cards
Places of use: Tsugaru, Rikuzen, Rikuchu, Ugo region
13:
Text:
備前花見本 四十八枚一組
使用地 備前國向
Translation:
Bizen Flower sample – set of 48 cards
Places of use: towards Bizen Province
14:
Text:
株札見本 四十枚一組
使用地 京都 大阪 神戶 丹波 丹後 但馬 播州 備前 紀州 伊賀 大和 河内 和泉 攝津
Translation:
Stock card sample – set of 40 cards
Places of use: Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Tanba, Tango, Tajima, Banshu, Bizen, Kishu, Iga, Yamato, Kawachi, Izumi, Settsu
15:
Text:
八々花見本 四十八枚一組
使用地 日本 内地 全國 臺灣 樺太 朝鮮 各地 外國 支那 各地
Translation:
Yayahana sample – set of 48 cards
Places of use: All over Japan, Taiwan, Sakhalin, Korea, China
16:
Text:
虫花見本 四十枚一組
使用地 京都 大阪 神戶 伏見 山城 等各 其附 近向
Translation:
Insect flower sample – set of 40 cards
Places of use: Kyoto, Osaka, Shinto, Fushimi, Yamashiro and other nearby areas
17:
Text:
大二見本 四十二枚一組
使用地 筑前 筑後 豊前 豊後 肥前 肥後 日向 大隅 下關 朝鮮 其他 各地
Translation:
Dai-ni sample – set of 42 cards
Places of use: Chikuzen, Chikugo, Buzen, Bungo, Hizen, Higo, Hyuga, Osumi, Shimotsuke, Korea and other areas
18:
Text:
越後花見本 四十八枚一組
使用地 直江津 新潟 長岡 高田 越後 全國向 魚津 富山 越中 全國 及備 前向
Translation:
Echigo Flower – set of 48 cards
Places of use: Naoetsu, Niigata, Nagaoka, Takada, Echigo Prefecture and its surroundings, Uozu, Toyama, the entire Etchu region, towards Bizen
19:
Text:
目札見本 (目かるた) 四十枚一組
使用地 譛岐 阿波 四國 地方
Translation:
Eye cards sample (eye cards) – set of 40 cards
Places of use: Eki, Awa, Shikoku region
20:
Text:
赤八見本 四十九枚一組
使用地 京都 大阪 神戶 丹波 丹後 但馬 大和 河内 和泉 攝津 播州 向
Translation:
Akahachi sample – set of 49 cards
Places of use: Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Tanba, Tango, Tajima, Yamato, Kawachi, Izumi, Settsu, towards Banshu
21:
Text:
黑馬見本 五十枚一組
使用地 駿河 靜岡 及 其附 近向 北海 道向
Translation:
Black horse sample – set of 50 cards
Places of use: Suruga, Shizuoka and its surroundings, towards Hokkaido and its surroundings
22:
Text:
小松見本 四十八枚一組
使用地 越前 敦賀 武生 福井 三國沸 紀州
Translation:
Komatsu sample – set of 48 cards
Places of use: Echizen, Tsuruga, Takefu, Fukui, Mikuni Futoshi, Kishu
23:
Text:
小丸見本 四十二枚一組
使用地 丹波 円後 但馬 備前 備中 備後 安藝 周防 長門 阿波 淡路 伊豫 讃岐 北海 道向
Translation:
Small round sample – set of 42 cards
Places of use: Tanba, Engo, Tajima, Bizen, Bitchu, Bingo, Aki, Suo, Nagato, Awa, Awaji, Iyo, Sanuki, towards Hokkaido
24:
Text:
福德見本 五十枚一組
使用地 富山 魚津 伏木 氷見 越中 全國 及 越前 加賀 能登 信濃 向
Translation:
Fukutoku sample – set of 50 cards
Places of use: Toyama, Uozu, Fushiki, Himi, the entire Etchu Province, Echizen, Kaga, Noto, towards Shinano
25:
Text:
伊勢見本 四十九枚一組
使用地 近江 美濃 伊賀 伊勢 志摩 尾張 向
Translation:
Ise sample – set of 49 cards
Places of use: Omi, Mino, Iga, Ise, Shima, towards Owari
26:
Text:
(百人一首)
Translation:
(Hyakunin Isshu)
27:
Text:
金青山見本 五十枚一組
使用地 敦賀 紀伊 伊勢 志摩 向
Translation:
Kinseizan sample – set of 50 cards
Places of use: Tsuruga, Kii, Ise, towards Shima
28:
Text:
北海花見本 四十八枚一組
使用地 北海 道東 海岸 西海 岸其 他全 道向
Translation:
Hokkaido Flower sample – set of 48 cards
Places of use: Hokkaido east coast, west coast and other areas throughout Hokkaido
29:
Text:
九度山見本 五十枚一組
使用地 伯耆 出雲 因幡 隱岐 向
Translation:
Kudoyama sample – set of 50 cards
Places of use: Hoki, Izumo, Inaba, towards Oki
30:
Text:
山形花見本 (奥州花) 四十八枚一組
使用地 羽前 羽後 磐城 岩代 奥州 地方
Translation:
Yamagata Flower sample (Oshu Flowers) – set of 48 cards
Places of use: Uzen, Ugo, Iwaki, Iwashiro, Oshu region
31:
Text:
三ツ扇見本 四十八枚一組
使用地 越後 若狹 遠江 越中 越前 北海 道向
Translation:
Mitsu-fan sample – set of 48 cards
Places of use: Echigo, Wakasa, Totomi, Etchu, Echizen, towards Hokkaido
32:
Text:
入の吉見本 五十枚一組
使用地 紀州 志摩 伊勢 向 外國 東西 濠州 各地 向
Translation:
Iri no Kichi sample – set of 50 cards
Places of use: Kishu, Shima, towards Ise, Foreign Countries, East and West Australia and other areas
33:
Text:
(トランプ)
Translation:
(playing cards)
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