We're pretty sure everyone's familiar with "Nintendo," the gaming giant behind countless iconic IPs. Last year, they even opened the Nintendo Museum in Kyoto, chronicling decades of the company's rich history.
Recently, a Japanese X (formerly Twitter) user shared a hilarious Nintendo anecdote. While visiting their parents' home, their mom and sister invited them to "play Nintendo." Expecting some video game action, the user was surprised when their family pulled out an "ancient traditional game" instead. This unexpected reveal reminded everyone of Nintendo's original business, sparking a huge buzz online.
The user's accompanying photo showed a super old-looking box of "Hyakunin Isshu" karuta cards. The box was clearly well-loved and worn, but right there in the corner, "Nintendo" was unmistakably printed.
"Hyakunin Isshu" (ひゃくにんいっしゅ) is a traditional Japanese card game featuring classic waka poems. The most famous version, "Ogura Hyakunin Isshu," compiles 100 waka poems from 100 poets spanning the Heian to Kamakura periods. The game uses "yomifuda" (reading cards with the full poem) and "torifuda" (grabbing cards with only the latter half of the poem). A reader recites a poem, and players must quickly identify and snatch the corresponding torifuda card, making it a game that tests both reflexes and memory. 
Turns out, this "gaming console titan"—famous worldwide for the Famicom, Mario, Zelda, and more—actually started out making "Hanafuda" playing cards! And even today, Nintendo still produces traditional tabletop games like Hanafuda, regular playing cards, and karuta.
The user, kako, recalled that when she and her sister first saw the Hyakunin Isshu box as kids, they exclaimed, "It says Nintendo on it!" Their parents laughed and replied, "That's the Nintendo you play! It's the same company!" For their family, it's been a cherished "family game" passed down through generations. It's probably a shared memory for many kids out there (lol).
Kako shared that Nintendo has pretty much been a constant companion throughout her life: from Hyakunin Isshu to the Famicom, Super Famicom, Game Boy, NDS, and Switch – Nintendo's presence has been felt across every generation. "I'll keep cherishing Nintendo in the future too!" she declared.
While times have changed and game formats have evolved, Nintendo's original mission to "make people happy through play" has never wavered. This post truly highlights Nintendo's timeless charm and warmth, resonating across generations.
via： Ｘ貼文