Otafuku (お多福, lit. “much good fortune”) was one of Nintendo’s premier brand of hanafuda, kabufuda, mekurifuda, and other karuta decks.
The brand is named after Otafuku, a Japanese folk character depicted as a rotund woman who is good-natured and humorous.
It was the 3rd highest-ranking brand in Nintendo’s hanafuda lineup, behind Taisho and followed by Masamune until those brands were discontinued. Since then, it became the 2nd highest-ranking brand alongside Sanbazuru. The brand continued to be used until as late as 1990.
It was also one of Nintendo’s four oldest registered trademarks in the Japan Patent Office, registered in 1900. The other trademarks registered were Marufuku, Taisho, and Masamune.
Illustration of the label from the trademark submission in 1900.
¶ Gallery
| Label | Description |
|---|---|
 |
“RTL Otafuku”. Used until early 1960’s. Text is written right-to-left. Has been redrawn several times, but the general design remains the same. |
|
“LTR Otafuku”. Used from early 1960’s until 1990. Text adjusted so that it’s written left-to-right. |
 |
“Vertical Otafuku”. Used in wrapper labels in some decks in the 1980’s. Text adjusted so that it’s written vertically. Marufuku symbol is moved to bottom left, and added the word “Nintendo” below it, written in Japanese Nintendo logo font. |
 |
Known to be used in a giant box for 2 individually wooden-boxed decks carton box from around 1948-1951. |
¶ Brand Line Up (1983 Catalog)
¶ Hanafuda
| Grade | Brand Name | Price in JPY (per pair of decks) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Daitoryo | 1500 |
| 2. | Otafuku, Sanbazuru |
1200 |
| 3. | Tengu | 1000 |
| 4. | Asahi Sakura | 800 |
| 5. | Miyako No Hana | 600 |
¶ Brand Line Up (1971 Price List)
¶ Hanafuda
| Grade | Brand Name | Price in JPY (per pair of decks) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Daitoryo | 700 |
| 2. | Otafuku, Sanbazuru |
600 |
| 3. | Tengu | 500 |
| 4. | Miyako No Hana | 300 |
¶ Kabufuda
¶ Brand Line Up (1958 Price List)
¶ Hanafuda
| Grade | Brand Name | Price in JPY (per pair of decks) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Daitoryo | 500 |
| 2. | Otafuku | 390 |
| 3. | Heian | 350 |
| 4. | Kintengu | 335 |
| 5. | Tancho | 310 |
| 6. | Hatsuzakura, Miyako No Hana |
280 |
| 7. | Hakubai, Hana No Yama |
265 |
¶ Kabufuda
¶ Mushibana
¶ Brand Line Up (1930’s Catalog)
¶ Hanafuda
| Grade | Brand Name | Price in JPY (per pair of decks) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Daitoryo | 3.55 |
| 2. | Taisho | 3.45 |
| 3. | Otafuku | 3.30 |
| 4. | Masamune | 3.25 |
| 5. | Shiko jirushi | 3.20 |
| 6. | Ginsekai | 3.05 |
| 7. | Chujo | 2.78 |
| 8. | Asahi Sakura, Kintengu |
2.68 |
| 9. | Marufuku jirushi | 2.63 |
| 10. | Yaezakura, Kikusui, Gintengu |
2.58 |
| 11. | Konishiki jirushi | 2.38 |
| 12. | Kikumaku | 2.33 |
| 13. | Tokiwa | 2.23 |
| 14. | Hatsuzakura | 2.18 |
| 15. | Hyaku-en | 1.87 |
| 16. | Hi No De | 1.77 |
| 17. | Hana No Yama | 1.67 |
| 18. | Miyako No Hana | 1.57 |
¶ Mushibana
| Grade | Brand Name | Price in JPY (per pair of decks) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Daitoryo | 3.55 |
| 2. | Taisho | 3.45 |
| 3. | Otafuku | 3.30 |
| 4. | Masamune | 3.25 |
| 5. | Chujo | 2.78 |
| 6. | Eiyu | 2.68 |
| 7. | Kikumaku | 2.33 |
| 8. | Daikoku | 1.87 |
| 8. | Daifuku | 1.72 |
¶ Brand Line Up (1928 Catalog)
¶ Hanafuda
| Grade | Brand Name | Price in JPY (per pair of decks) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Daitoryo | 3.50 |
| 2. | Taisho | 3.40 |
| 3. | Otafuku | 3.25 |
| 4. | Masamune | 3.20 |
| 5. | Shiko jirushi | 3.15 |
| 6. | Ginsekai | 3.00 |
| 7. | Chujo | 2.75 |
| 8. | Asahi Sakura, Kintengu |
2.65 |
| 9. | Marufuku jirushi | 2.60 |
| 10. | Yaezakura, Kikusui, Gintengu |
2.55 |
| 11. | Konishiki jirushi | 2.35 |
| 12. | Kikumaku | 2.30 |
| 13. | Tokiwa | 2.20 |
| 14. | Hatsuzakura | 2.15 |
| 15. | Hyaku-en | 1.85 |
| 16. | Hi No De | 1.75 |
| 17. | Hana No Yama | 1.65 |
¶ Bibliography
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyottoko
- https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/845526 Tokyo Shoin (1905)