Disney's first animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (originally released in 1937), premiered in Japan in 1950. This release came shortly after the end of World War II, during a period when Japan was still under American occupation, and the Japanese public was eager for entertainment and exposure to international culture.
The success of Snow White in Japan paved the way for subsequent releases of the entire Disney catalogue in the country over the following decades.
In July of 1964, Disney's The Sword in the Stone was released in Japan, approximately seven months after its initial premiere in the United States.
The Japanese version of the film is titled The King's Sword (王様の剣).
The booklet shown here is a program that was likely handed out to moviegoers for free.
It measures 27.5 by 30 centimeters and has 28 pages, with eight pages printed in full color and the remaining pages in pink monochrome.
The booklet includes background information about the film, details of the production process, and information about the Disney company.
Additionally, the booklet contains numerous advertisements for Disney merchandise available in Japan, including one from a company very familiar to readers of this blog.
Since the 1950s, products featuring licensed Disney characters had significantly grown in popularity.
A wide range of products aimed at children featured characters such as Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Bambi, and others.
In fact, the booklet includes no fewer than 49 advertisements from Japanese companies selling Disney-licensed merchandise.
The range of advertised products was extensive, covering everything from chocolate to toothpaste.
One notable company that collaborated with Disney was Nintendo. Starting in 1959, Nintendo began selling playing cards featuring Disney characters.
Over the subsequent years, Nintendo expanded its Disney-themed offerings to include board games and other toys, notably a popular baseball game.
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| Two examples of Nintendo's Disney playing cards from 1964 promoted in the ad |
In 1964, playing cards remained a significant product category for Nintendo, prompting their inclusion in the booklet through an advertisement.
The Nintendo advertisement simply states, "Nintendo's Disney Playing Cards" (任天堂のディズニー トランプ).
Several examples of card designs are showcased, emphasizing Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.
Over the years, Nintendo produced dozens of different Disney-themed card designs, continuing well into the 1980s.
There is a second advertisement with a less obvious Nintendo connection.
It is by the company San'ō Shokuhin (サンオー食品), or "San-o Foods," a joint venture in which Nintendo played a significant role. At this time, Nintendo had not yet committed exclusively to toys and games, experimenting with various markets instead.
This advertisement promotes a Japanese condiment called furikake, specifically the "Disney Table Flicker" (ディズニーテーブルフリッカー).
According to the ad, San-o's Disney-themed furikake is the "King of Furikake!" (ふりかけの王さま!), a playful reference to The King's Sword.
The packaging prominently features cute Disney characters to attract children, while also highlighting added nutritional benefits like "Vitamin and Calcium" to appeal to parents.
As an aside: the San-o company was located in Uji near Kyoto, in the very building that now houses the Nintendo Museum.
Besides Disney characters, San-o also licensed Popeye for their furikake products.
All in all an interesting booklet, that provides a nice glimpse into Nintendo's license based sales focus and marketing in the early 1960s.
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