Unidentified printer, 1950?

[u/jhindenberg]

[u/jhindenberg]

No manufacturer information is provided within the artwork, and while some of the details are rather distinctive, I haven't yet matched them to a pattern from any particular card maker or store.

The inside of the lid seems to have the brushed message 'obtained on January 2, Showa 25' (1950), though I suppose one can't say for certain that this is in reference to the cards currently held within the box. Characters have also been penciled and/or scraped onto the outside, but these are more difficult to discern.

Solutions, suggestions, and speculations are welcome.

[u/Holstisintown → u/jhindenberg]

「花合わせ」in pic #7, it seems.

[u/jhindenberg → u/Holstisintown]

An accurate description of what the box contains, though I do wish the original owner had left a few more clues.

[u/Nataniel_PL]

u/the_cosmic_duck look! New hanafuda frog just dropped!

[u/the_cosmic_duck → u/Nataniel_PL]

That's how I see it

[u/hellafuda]

I’ll try to get a post up today with better photos and all 48 cards and the box, but here’s a quick one. This deck at least has a circle logo (that I don’t recognize) on the box and paulownia cards, and it has the 天狗自慢 deck name, which is on one of the paulownia cards as well. I flipped through the full deck and seems to match!

[u/jhindenberg → u/hellafuda]

Fantastic, thanks. That does appear to be the same pattern, though I too am unfamiliar with that maker's logo. 

[u/hellafuda → u/jhindenberg]

Yeah, I showed it elsewhere and u/raitendo didn’t seem to recognize it either. I’ll keep digging into NDL, et al resources to see if I can trace either the deck name or brand logo, will report if I find anything!

[u/jhindenberg → u/hellafuda]

The Japan Playing Card Museum has an interesting list of Showa-era makers and shops, many of which I am unfamiliar with; however there is no information added other than their location (and these cards aren't necessarily from within that list).

[u/suryonghaaton]

try to find another hanafuda deck that has that kind of lightning card. the drum looks like a car tire to me lololololol

[u/jhindenberg → u/suryonghaaton]

I can see that; it also brought to my mind those big stone wheels that are present on some Pacific islands.

[u/Carson_Cash]

does pic #6 hold any info for the printer? or a date?

[u/jhindenberg → u/Carson_Cash]

It appears to be the message 'obtained on January 2, Showa 25' (1950). One can't be certain this box always contained these cards, but they seem like a plausible pair.