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.
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.
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
This is a classic Mills Bag Puncher machine
Here is another photograph of the bag punching machine in Japan at Takarazuka Shin Onsen:
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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:
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.
The machine pictured appears to be a 1902 Watling floor scale, except with an ornate cast portion in the center.
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| 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:
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| 1899 Double Dewey by Mills - via Morphy |
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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:
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Takaraonsen Takarazuka 宝塚宝温泉娯楽機械 (Takarazuka Takara Onsen Entertainment Machine)
presumed 1913 |
What machines can we see here?
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.
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| these same machines are also found on the facing wall |
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| 1904 Cail-O-Scope by Caille Bros - via Morphy |
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| 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
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