1980 Arm Wrestling - アーム・レスリング by 池本車体 (Ikemoto Shatai)

 

Name: Arm Wrestling - アーム・レスリング

Year: 1980 

Company:  池本車体 (Ikemoto Shatai)

Arm Wrestling was released in 1980. it is the only machine that I have listed for 池本車体 (Ikemoto Shatai).

 

Game Machine 1980-08-01

Game Machine 1980-08-01
TAN 91-22280

This game appears to have been exported heavily, and I do not know what happened to the company.

USA ad

The following two flyers were provided by Mike Minchew, and are available for download and high rise from the Internet archive.

North America export flyer

English, German, & Spanish export flyer

English instructions:

 this image shows the original coin door.

 

t should probably be noted that this game appears similar to one total released in 1979.

1979 腕相撲 (Arm Wrestling) by トーゴ (Togo)

 

There are drawings of a "Western Look" version, presumably for Americans, but I do not know if it was ever produced.

Vending International Corporation, San Juan Capistrano, California

~1937 驢馬嘶かせ (donkey braying) by 日本娯楽機製作所 (Japan Amusement Machine Manufacturing)

Name: 驢馬嘶かせ (donkey braying)

Year: ~1937

Company: 日本娯楽機製作所 (Japan Amusement Machine Manufacturing)

This machine appears to be a copy of the famous machine Donkey Bray by Exhibit Supply. I do not think this is an imported machine, but a mostly-faithful copy..

1928 Test Your Strength and make Donkey Bray by Exhibit Supply

plaque for an Exhibit Supply Donkey Bray machine

The Japanese machine seems very similar to the Exhibit Supply machine.  It is hard to see the details of the donkey face in the black and white reproduction, but it appears to be quite accurate to the original.  But many other things are different.

Analyzing from top-to-bottom: On the Japanese version the top circle is slightly larger, the donkey head sits near the bottom instead of the center, the plaque is replaced with a placard/instructions holder, the dial type + background + casing is different, there is no slogan text, the entire base and pull mech casing is different, and even the pull bar is different with the Japanese version having a center bar extending through it.

full entry from the ~1937 catalogue

Transcription:

一錢入れて前のハンを両手で引上ぐれば力程度を正面のゲージに押はし最高點に達したる時は驢馬が泣きます

Machine translation:

If you put a drop in and pull up the handle in front with both hands, the force will be pushed to the gauge in front, and when it reaches the highest point, the donkey will cry.

dial from an Exhibit Supply Donkey Bray machine

~1937 カ量計 (Physical strength meter) by 日本娯楽機製作所 (Japan Amusement Machine Manufacturing)

Name: カ量計 (Physical strength meter)

Year: ~1937

Company: 日本娯楽機製作所 (Japan Amusement Machine Manufacturing)

We cannot see the full marquee on the machine, but it probably says something like "体力ためし" (strength test).  If you look close at the marquee it does not seem like it is attached.  Could it have been added to the picture later?  The perspective seems incorrect:

this does not seem like the proper perspective for a marquee attached to the machine.
How much of this picture is accurate, and how much is a modified illustration?

This machine looks uncannily familiar to a number of other punching bag machines, but I do not believe it is an import.  The parts could have been imported, but many of the external details are very similar to other models without matching any of them precisely.

the machine as it appears in the ~1937 catalogue

Transcription:

是れは拳で打っ力を試す機械であります。錢入口へ一錢入れて「バツク」を引下げ之を上部の臺裏目常に力一杯叩き付けますと中央の計量機の針が腕力量を直ちに表示します力自慢の連中が我がちに競ふて試みる間に意外の利益があります

Machine Translation: 

This is a machine that tests your striking power with your fist. Put a coin into the inlet, pull down the bag, and hit the back of the top with all your might, and the needle on the central weighing machine will immediately display your physical strength. There are unexpected benefits between

This machine best resembles one specific model, The Mills Bag Punching Machine aka Deliver The Punch, by Mills Novelty from around 1903.

The Mills Bag Punching Machine aka Deliver The Punch, by Mills Novelty from around 1903

The Japanese machine showcases the same iconic curves at the top of the machine, though the Japanese machine's top is thicker.  The metal cage around the bag looks entirely unique on the Japanese version, and the punching bag pulls down much farther.  

The Japanese version has space for a large graphic and no other punching bag machine from that era had devoted that much space for an illustration.  The graphic itself looks somewhat familiar to the graphic seen on the Mills' dial:

detail of The Mills Bag Punching Machine

The dial on the Mills' machine is much higher.  On the Japanese version the dial does not look nearly as intricate.  The upper coin slot on the Mills' has migrated to beneath the dial on the Japanese version.

The cabinet-style panelling of the Mills machine is emulated very well on the Japanese machine.  

The Japanese model's support rods are curved, unlike any other prior model I have found, and as well the base is entirely unique.  It feels much more subtle when compared to the large curves of the Mills machine:

detail of The Mills Bag Punching Machine

Another classic machine from that era, when we contrast this next machine against the Japanese machine, it really highlights how much closer in details the Mills Novelty version is.

1910 Punch-A-Bag by International Mutoscope Reel Co

~1937 Liberty Bell Striker - 打力計 (beat force meter) [import, 1905] by International Mutoscope Reel Co

Name: Liberty Bell Striker - 打力計 (beat force meter)

Year: imported ~1937, originally 1905

Company: International Mutoscope Reel Co

 

This is how it appears in the ~1937 catalogue:

This machine appears to be an umodified import.

You can easily see the rod beneath the strikepad in the above picture.  Here is a closeup of that part of the mechanism:

I am unsure if this machine was made for an extended period of time.  At 32 years, it is certainly the oldest machine I have seen in a game machine catalogue

~1937 Knockout Punch Tester - 腕力計 [import] by Exhibit Supply

Name: Knockout Punch Tester - 腕力計 [import]
Year: imported by ~1937, existed at least in 1931
Company: Exhibit Supply

~1937 日本娯楽商報 catalogue entry

Transcription:

本機は一錢投入してパツクを引上げ横に殴り付けるこ目盛により力量,示します

Machine translation:

This machine shows your ability by inserting a coin, pulling up the bag, and hitting it sideways.

The photo used in the catalogue appears to be the exact same image used below in this 1931 Exhibit Supply catalogue.

1931 Exhibit Supply catalogue

I have been unable to track down other ephemera related to this machine, but we at least know it existed in 1931.

I found USA classified ads in 1936 and 1943 each selling a copy of this machine, but that's it so far.

1933 Grip Test - 握力計 (grip force meter) [import, 1927] by Jentzsch & Meerz [presumed]

Name: Grip Test - 握力計 (grip force meter)

Year: imported 1933, originally 1927

Company: Jentzsch & Meerz [presumed]

The above photo shows the Grip Test as it appears in the ~1937 日本娯楽商報 catalogue.

~1937 日本娯楽商報 catalogue entry

Transcription:

錢入口へ一錢入れて片手でハンドルを力一バイ握るさ共力量を正面のゲージに現はし同時に五色の豆電球がつきます
附屬鐵鑄物臺御入用なれば別に贰拾圓申受けます

Machine translation:

When you put a coin into the coin slot and squeeze the handle firmly with one hand, the amount of force you put in is displayed on the gauge in front of you, and at the same time a five-colored miniature light bulb lights up.
If you need the attached iron plate, we will accept a separate purchase order.

The first iteration of this design was 1904, with the Grip Test Lung Test by Caille in USA.

1904 Caille Grip Test Lung test

center dial says "GRIP TEST LUNG TEST"
1904 Caille Grip Test Lung test

Then there was a Grip Test released in 1910, as most lung machines were destroyed thanks to Tuberculosis.

1910 Grip Test by Caille

This machine is closer in design than what we see in the Japanese catalogue, but the coin slot plate at the top is still different.

Later Caille versions (I'm told) would have the circular panels on the left and the right, replacing those vertical rectangles.

There is one version that matches the Japanese catalogue precisely:

Globus grip tester Jentzsch & Meerz, 1927

What we see in the catalogue has all of the metal accents found in the German version above, except with the graphics used by Caille on the USA side.

Unless further examples come forward, I feel we have to assume this is the Jentzsch & Meerz version imported into Japan, with the English labels.

The only thing the Japanese model has that I have not seen on any other is a metal badge on the left:

 

This image was printed in 1933:

1933-03-22 アサヒグラフ「春のどか尖端ゲーム」
1933-03-22 Asahi Graph "Spring Peaceful Cutting-Edge Game"
via Nakaco (archive)

beside the arm wrestling machine we can see the side of a Grip Test machine, thus confirming it was in Japan as early as 1933.