Nintendo began in Japan in 1889 making handmade playing cards.
Craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi founded the business in Kyoto on September 23, 1889. It originally produced hanafuda, traditional Japanese playing cards whose designs represent flowers, plants, animals, and other images rather than the suits and numbers used in standard Western decks.
The early company was known as Nintendo Koppai, and its first business had no connection to video games. Hanafuda cards became popular in Japan, and Nintendo later expanded its card operations, including the production of Western-style playing cards and plastic cards.
Nintendo moved into toys and electronic entertainment during the twentieth century before becoming a major video-game company. Its arcade success with Donkey Kong in 1981 and the international release of the Nintendo Entertainment System helped establish the modern Nintendo brand. A common mix-up is assuming Nintendo was founded as a game developer; its roots are in Kyoto’s playing-card trade.