How Watada Printing Saved Nintendo: The Untold Story Behind Nintendo’s Enduring Partnership

Nintendo, a name synonymous with pioneering video games and beloved hardware like the Nintendo Switch and Famicom, boasts a history that extends over 130 years.

Founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi in Kyoto, Japan, Nintendo began its journey as a maker of traditional Japanese Hanafuda playing cards.

While its shift into video games is well-documented, the struggles and partnerships that shaped its early trajectory remain less known, especially the role played by the modest Kyoto-based printer, Watada Printing.

A Glimpse Into Nintendo’s Pre-Gaming Years For eight decades, Nintendo dominated Japan’s playing card market, introducing both traditional Hanafuda and western-style cards (referred to locally as “Trump” cards).

However, the post-World War II era brought shifting consumer trends that led to declining interest in card games.

Under Hiroshi Yamauchi’s leadership, the company sought new avenues by pivoting toward toys and, ultimately, video games.

Innovations such as Gunpei Yokoi’s Ultra Hand and Love Tester provided much-needed commercial success, paving the way for breakthroughs with arcade cabinets, the Game & Watch series, and the Family Computer—internationally known as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Watada Printing: A Century-Long Partnership Begins Established in 1899, Watada Printing began collaborating with Nintendo just three years after its founding, producing western-style playing cards.

Watada’s meticulous quality and reliability forged a relationship that withstood the test of time, including critical historical periods.

Notably, Watada assisted Nintendo in producing specialized card decks even during nationalistic eras, such as “Aikoku Hyakunin Isshu” during World War II. Rescuing Nintendo from Crisis In the years before Nintendo’s leap into electronic entertainment, the company faced daunting financial hardship and mounting debt.

According to former Nintendo employee Chokan Hashimoto, who manages the well-known 'secret 84 cafe' frequented by Nintendo staff, it was during this era that Nintendo turned to its loyal partner.

The company asked Watada if it could defer payments; despite being a small operation itself, Watada Printing agreed, providing Nintendo with vital relief during a precarious period—a gesture not easily forgotten. As Nintendo’s fortunes reversed with the runaway successes of the Famicom and Game & Watch, the need for large-scale printing, particularly for packaging and instruction manuals, was urgent.

Rather than select a larger, more capable firm, Nintendo honored its relationship by entrusting the high-demand work to Watada, even as the printer rapidly scaled up its capacity to meet worldwide demand. The Legacy Continues with Modern Nintendo Hardware Watada Printing’s growth paralleled Nintendo’s, leading it to become the largest printing company in Kyoto.

Today, Watada remains the primary supplier for nearly all of Nintendo’s Japanese market packaging, from Nintendo Switch retail boxes to Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) production, and even the printing of amiibo cards and official game booklets.

Watada’s client base also includes other gaming giants like Bandai Namco, SEGA, and Taito, but its most steadfast partnership continues to be with Nintendo. The Enduring Value of Loyalty Nintendo’s long-standing alliance with Watada Printing is a testament to the transformative power of corporate loyalty.

The decision to support a small printer that once enabled Nintendo to weather its darkest hour has not only fostered mutual growth but also helped shape the video game landscape we know today.

Without Watada’s support, Nintendo’s survival—and by extension, key milestones in the gaming industry—might have looked very different.

Nintendo Kyoto Watada Printing Fusajiro Yamauchi Hiroshi Yamauchi Gunpei Yokoi Famicom Family Computer Game & Watch amiibo Pokemon TCG Bandai Namco SEGA Taito