{"id":548,"date":"2021-08-10T12:49:44","date_gmt":"2021-08-10T10:49:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ninmemori.es\/?p=548"},"modified":"2025-10-06T17:40:35","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T16:40:35","slug":"1974-1984-10-years-of-nintendo-leisure-system-at-the-japan-am-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ninmemori.es\/blog\/1974-1984-10-years-of-nintendo-leisure-system-at-the-japan-am-show\/","title":{"rendered":"1974-1984: 10 years of Nintendo Leisure System at the Japan AM Show"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The 13th Amusement Machine Show in Tokyo (1975)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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All these pictures and information are available because of the incredible preservation work of @onionsoftware<\/a> and his must-read Game Machine Archive<\/a> project! \u00a9\u30a2\u30df\u30e5\u30fc\u30ba\u30e1\u30f3\u30c8\u901a\u4fe1\u793e (ampress.co.jp<\/a> ~\u000eonionsoft.net<\/a>)<\/em><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
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The Amusement Machine Show<\/strong> is not as popular as TGS, E3 or SpaceWorld, but this annual exhibition is a big “little-known” part of the Nintendo\u2019s history. Sponsored by the Japan Amusement Association<\/em> at the beginning of the 1970s, the AM Show<\/strong> quickly became one of the most popular and innovative trade fair in Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the success of its electronic toys like the K\u00f4senj\u00fb SP series<\/strong> (\u5149\u7dda\u9283SP), the former playing cards manufacturer decided to enter the emerging business of entertainment. Circa 1973, while Yokoi Gunpei<\/strong> (\u6a2a\u4e95\u8ecd\u5e73), Uemura Masayuki<\/strong> (\u4e0a\u6751\u96c5\u4e4b) and the R&D team are working on a new simulation concept behind the scenes, Yamauchi Hiroshi<\/strong> (\u5c71\u5185\u6ea5) set up a new subsidiary based in Tokyo, Nintendo Leisure System<\/strong> (\u4efb\u5929\u5802\u30ec\u30b8\u30e3\u30fc\u30b7\u30b9\u30c6\u30e0) focused on developing equipments for a brand new industry: the Japanese Game Centers. To personify this new era, Mother Brain chose to promote his General Manager of Sales, Komai Tokuz\u014d<\/strong> (\u99d2\u4e95\u5fb3\u9020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After joining the company in 1951 and after several years of success, Komai Tokuz\u014d was finally promoted VP of Nintendo Leisure System.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The new Nintendo\u2019s branch was part of the Japan Game Machine Festival \u201974<\/em> held in Osaka few months later and Komai-san was even invited to the inauguration with the Executive Committee Chairman of the event, Hashimoto Takachika<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n