Takaraonsen Takarazuka 宝塚宝温泉 and arcade machines in Japan before WW1

This article gathers a few of the earliest references to coin amusement machines in Japan.  We introduce evidence that coin amusement machines were advertised to Japan as early as 1907.

This is from the wonderful book ミニドライブ大百科 (Mini-Drive Encyclopedia).  It features a wonderful postcard from Takarazuka Takaraonsen.  The text claims that coin amusement machines were being imported in the 1910s.  I do not know the year of the postcard.  It would be easy to assume it was from the 1910s but one can easily be off by a decade when trying to assess century-old postcards without any date information on them.  If there is a way to verify the dates of the postcard, please get in touch!  Maybe one can be found with a postmark.   I am told by Sugiyama-san that this postcard is believed to be from 1913.

from ミニドライブ大百科 (Mini-Drive Encyclopedia)

There is now evidence that coin machines were being imported as early as 1907.  These two advertisements appear in the Sun Trade Journal, a publication from Tokyo that was also distributed to parts of the USA.  While this indicates Mills and Watling advertised to a Japanese audience, it is not solid proof that those machines were in Japan.  

1907-06-01 The Sun Trade Journal

Transcription:

合眾國イリノイス州シカゴ

ミルスノベルチー會社

此の関に示す自働計力器械に當社にて製造せられ最も流行 せるものなり、穴口へ一の貨幣を入る、時に袋に引きさ れ得べく之をこぶしにて打つ時に器械に附着せる計力器に 其の力の量を表にして袋にカットに示す位地に復して再び 貨幣を穴に入る、に非ずば使用する他にず

○代償は岡ひ合されたし英獨佛四の四國語何れにてもよし

English text + Machine translation:

Mills Novelty Company.

Chicago, Ill., U.S.A.

Manufacturers of every variety of slot machines.

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Mills Novelty Company

The automatic counting instrument shown here is one of the most popular and manufactured by our company, and when a coin is inserted into the opening, it is sometimes drawn into a bag and then attached to the instrument when struck with a fist. There is no other way to use it than to put the coin into the hole again by putting the amount of force on the meter and returning it to the position shown on the cut in the bag.

○The compensation was paid, so it doesn't matter if it's in English or in four languages.

F.C. 222

Source:

1907-06-01 The Sun Trade Journal

This is a classic Mills Bag Puncher machine

Mills Punching Bag Machine
1906 Mills Novelty catalogue

Mills Bag Punching Machine
1903 Mills Novelty catalogue

2024-10-04: 

Here is another photograph of the bag punching machine in Japan at Takarazuka Shin Onsen:

caption: 28年頃、宝塚新温泉・遊戯場のようす (Takarazuka Shin Onsen amusement park around 1928)
via

And another machine, this one by Watling:

1908-09-01 The Sun Trade Journal

Transcription:

ワトリング製造會社

⚪︎當會社ハ鑄造工作機械ノ最モ上等ナルモノヲ製造仕候

⚪︎ 當會社ノ電信略號

English parts plus machine translation:

Watling Manufacturing Co. Inc

153-59 W. Jackson Boulevard, CHICAGO, ILLS., U.S.A.

Watling Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

⚪︎ Our company manufactures foundry machinery and the highest quality equipment

⚪︎ Our club’s telegraphic address

"Watlingite-Chicago."  F.C. 247.

Source:

1908-09-01 The Sun Trade Journal

The machine pictured appears to be a 1902 Watling floor scale, except with an ornate cast portion in the center.

1902 Guess Your Weight wood floor scale by Watling

This cast in the center matches what we see on early 1900s slot machines that have a music player inside them.

Here is one example of a machine with such a cast:

1899 Double Dewey by Mills - via Morphy

1899 Double Dewey by Mills - via Morphy
this cast matches the Watling scale's center cast

Here is a proper view of the Takarazuka onsen postcard:

Takaraonsen Takarazuka 宝塚宝温泉娯楽機械 (Takarazuka Takara Onsen Entertainment Machine)
presumed 1913

What machines can we see here?

1904 Mdme. Neville Palmist by Mills - collection of Bob Yorburg

The one in Japan does not have any marquee or hand sign.  We can tell it has the 3D owl at the front, though.  Another copy of this machine is on the Morphy site, but that one has a flat lower graphic.

these same machines are also found on the facing wall

1904 The Cathedral stereo viewer by Mills via Morphy (see also)

1904 Cail-O-Scope by Caille Bros - via Morphy

1900 Illusion by Mills [John Papa recreation: not an original copy] - via Morphy

There is at least one more machine to identify, with copies on both sides, though all we can see is the rough shape.

It either has a ledge, or is a smaller machine sitting on a stand.

Another postcard from the onsen, this one shows the teeter-totters:

If you have any materials related to Japan and arcades (invoices, import/export slips, price lists, advertisements, regional flyers,) especially if before 1970, especially if before WW2, and ESPECIALLY if before WW1, please get in touch!  Email me thetastates@gmail.com

~1969 Pony Derby - ニューポニーダービー (New Pony Derby) by さとみ (Satomi — Sammy)

Name: Pony Derby - ニューポニーダービー (New Pony Derby)
Year: ~1969
Company: さとみ (Satomi — Sammy)

flyer

The backglass says Pony Derby, but most written references call this New Pony Derby, presumably to differentiate it from the first version in 1965.  The text below says there are five coin holes, though I can't see them very well.  Player(s) bet with 1-5 coins, and winning dispenses one of the 5 prizes, which I assume were always cigarettes.

1969 machine directory entry

There is another version of this same model: Pony Derby - ニューポニーダービー (New Pony Derby) by 昭和娯楽物産 (Showa entertainment products) & 日本遊園設備 (Japanese amusement park equipment).  Please reference that article for a look at the cigarette prizes.

That version existed at the same time, and I am unsure if there are significant differences.

from an article on Satomi history

At a Satomi display from 1976 we can see the upper wall is decorated with images of past machines, and we can clearly see New Pony Derby, with a line running down the center of the cabinet:

Game Machine 1976-11-10

The version by Showa Entertainment Products does NOT have the line in the cabinet, and has a slightly different backglass.  For reference:

Pony Derby - ニューポニーダービー (New Pony Derby) by 昭和娯楽物産 (Showa entertainment products) & 日本遊園設備 (Japan amusement park equipment)
slightly different backglass, cabinet, payout cup, and front panel....

By 1966 Keeney began using wider payout slots that are quite similar to the payout slot we see on New Pony Derby.  That is to say, I can't disqualify a connection to Keeney for this machine.  The continued influence would be understandable, as Satomi was yet making machines from scratch, but repurposing imported parts.

1966? Super Blue Spot by Keeney

Keeney also made a wide slot that took their prior payout cup and made it wider:

1966? Mountain Climber by Keeney

1976 Computer Pachinko - コンピュータパチンコ by さとみ (Satomi — Sammy)

Name: Computer Pachinko - コンピュータパチンコ
Year: 1976
Company: さとみ (Satomi — Sammy)

Pachinko machines are only allowed a year of service after their inspection approval.  Most pachinko machines will have tags that show the approval expiry date.  I believe Computer Pachinko was a novel way to recycle the older pachinko machines.  A coin mech and button gets added on the left, and the display counters get added to then upper-right, and the pachinko machine is built into a custom cabinet.

It makes me wonder how many of the prior pachinko-style arcade games might have involved recycling old pachinko parts.

Game Machine 1976-11-01

This mentions that Computer Pachinko was made for overseas, but we also do see it sparingly in Japan.

Coin Journal 1977-02
being sold by UPL (Universal Play Land)

The schematics for Computer Pachinko were scanned by Pachitalk user Jaelus.

They are now available on the Internet Archive as PDF, and below as images.

Computer Pachinko schematics page 1

Computer Pachinko schematics page 2

Computer Pachinko schematics page 3

Computer Pachinko schematics page 4

Computer Pachinko in the USA:

1976-06 Replay magazine

USA flyers of Computer Pachinko being sold by Amutech Ltd. from California, USA.

The schematics above were found with a different machine... Computerized Pachinko.  Some companies in the USA took Satomi's lead (and apparently their schematics?) and started selling their own models of coin-op pachinko machines, and used a similar name, Computerized Pachinko.

Container shipping had been increasing in usage, with the price of shipping containers falling, and the 1970s were when machines that had expired past their 1 year parlor license were sold en masse to companies in the USA.  (Prior to the containers of machines in the 1970s, most pachinko in the USA was, seemingly, from soldiers bringing them home from bases around Japan.  They certainly made a novel souvenir, and were probably quite cheap since they couldn't be used any more.)

Here is one Computerized Pachinko:

Computerized Pachinko by Marvena International, California

Computerized Pachinko by Marvena International, California

This next one looks similar to the one above, but has a dummy "0" in the score to avoid paying for an extra display.  The one in the pachitalk thread seems to be the same model.

Computerized Pachinko by Marvena International, California

Computerized Pachinko by Marvena International, California - inside

considering this expires July 31, 1976 it is probably first generation of Computerized Pachinko.

Pics of the one from the pachitalk thread:

Computerized Pachinko by Marvena International, California

Computerized Pachinko by Marvena International, California

Computerized Pachinko by Marvena International, California

The above machines have boards with the "Sammy" brand visible on them, so either the parts came from a Computerized Pachinko, or Satomi sold the parts as a kit.  The Satomi boards are notable for the sub-board that lets you select the replay value between 80-120.

Another model variant, Coin Operated Pachinko, by a company out of Florida.  This does not use the Satomi boards, but it keeps the coin mech style of the Computerized Pachinko.

Coin Operated Pachinko by Performance Enterprises, Florida

Coin Operated Pachinko by Performance Enterprises, Florida - back

Another one, this one has the coin slot built into the machine on the bottom left.  The circuit board is similar to the one above, and not from Satomi.  These are  probably later models, as they've seemingly developed their own board.

The title is slightly different, Electric Computerized Pachinko.

Electric Computerized Pachinko front

Electric Computerized Pachinko inside