The humble origins of Nintendo

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The humble origins of Nintendo

Published: 23 Sep. 2025, 00:06

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Roh Jung-tae

The author is a writer and senior fellow at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.

On Sept. 23, 1889, in Kyoto, craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi opened a small family workshop. He produced traditional Japanese playing cards known as hanafuda. His cards, made with a thin layer of cement for durability, quickly became popular for their tactile feel. That marked the beginning of Nintendo, which would later capture the imagination of people worldwide.

Yamauchi had no sons. He arranged for a son-in-law to take over the business, but the man abandoned the family, leaving only a son behind. In 1949, that grandson, 21-year-old Hiroshi Yamauchi, inherited the company.

This file photo taken on September 13, 2015 shows Nintendo game creator Shigeru Miyamoto, right, reacting while standing with character ″Super Mario″ during a live performance of the most well-known Mario music to mark the game's 30th anniversary in Tokyo. September 13, 2025 marked the 40th anniversary of the release of the 'Super Mario Bros' video game by Japanese video game maker Nintendo. [AFP/YONHAP]

Hiroshi experimented with ventures far removed from card making, including a taxi business, instant foods and even a chain of love hotels. Each failed. He then resolved to return to what he considered the essence of the business — creating products that brought joy, especially to children. To spark new ideas, he held an in-house contest. One winning concept came from Gunpei Yokoi, who had been hired for factory maintenance. Promoted to lead research and development, Yokoi created the “Ultra Hand,” a toy that became a commercial success.

Another young recruit, Shigeru Miyamoto, entered the company under modest circumstances. Initially assigned routine tasks, he caught Yamauchi’s attention with his creative potential. With the president’s backing, Miyamoto went on to design games such as “Donkey Kong” and the “Super Mario” series, reshaping the industry. Through such bold decisions, Nintendo survived repeated challenges and grew into one of the world’s most influential gaming companies.

More than 130 years later, Nintendo remains both innovative and deeply tied to Japanese culture. Its global success highlights how a company can preserve its core mission while adapting to new eras. By recognizing and fostering the talent of its employees, the firm has sustained creativity across generations.

Nintendo’s trajectory offers lessons beyond Japan. The company’s leadership stayed true to its founding spirit of delighting people while refusing to stagnate. For Korea’s cultural industries seeking lasting global reach, Nintendo stands as a case study in balancing tradition, innovation and leadership that empowers talent.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.