Fusajiro Yamauchi

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Fusajiro Yamauchi (山内 房治郎 Yamauchi Fusajirō, November 22, 1859 – January 1940) was the founder of the company that is now known as Nintendo Company Limited. Yamauchi lived in Kyoto, Japan, and had a daughter, Tei Yamauchi, who married Sekiryo Kaneda. Fusajiro has been related in one way or another to every Nintendo president except the current one (Satoru Iwata).

[edit] Business

Fusajiro Yamauchi began his business, under the name Nintendo Koppai, in 1889. The company made playing cards. Cards, known as hanafuda or daitoryo or president, were produced in decks of 48, and each card was hand made using bark from mulberry (or mitsu-mata) trees. Fusajiro sold the cards in two shops, one in Kyoto, and one in Osaka. Nintendo quickly grew, and eventually Fusajiro had to hire assistants to produce enough cards.

[edit] Retirement

In 1929, Fusajiro retired. His son-in-law, Sekiryo Yamauchi took over his company. Fusajiro died in 1940, during World War II; although his death was unrelated to the war, the specific cause of death is not publicly known, due to the limited communications during wartime.

[edit] Descendants

Fusajiro is the great-grandfather of former Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi.

v • d • e Nintendo presidents
Fusajiro Yamauchi (1889-1929) | Sekiryo Kaneda (1929-1949) | Hiroshi Yamauchi (1949-2002) | Satoru Iwata (2002-Present)