Nintendo Promotional Toys: Kanebo's Dash Rider (ダッシュライダー) from the 1970s

In the previous blog post we looked at Nintendo's business line of promotional playing cards, and zoomed in on a particular set from the 1960s as an example, for Japanese company Kanebo.

And although playing cards were the main promotional item Nintendo produced, they created other types as well, based on a number of their existing toys.

In today's post we will take a closer look at one of those promotional toys, made for that same company Kanebo. This promotion is from the 1970s, and was targeted at boys and men.

It promoted a product line of male grooming items, called Dandy Mark III.

At the time Kanebo was already sponsoring a racing team, so it made sense to look in that direction for this promotional item as well.

Kanebo commissioned Nintendo to produce a special variant of its recent Mach Rider (マッハライダー) racing toy, introduced by Nintendo in 1972 under license from American company Hasbro.

This Kanebo version was called Dash Rider (ダッシュライダー). It was likely given away in a prize draw or competition for the Kanebo Foods division, in some sort of cross-division promotion, whereby the Foods division contributed to the marketing of the (men's) cosmetics products.

The box art for Dash Rider was completely redrawn from the original, although it retained most of the general layout design of Mach Rider, except for the picture on the front.

Nintendo produced 1960s promotional card set

Playing cards make ideal promotional items. They are small, relatively inexpensive, and, when made with high-quality materials, can still project a sense of quality and sophistication.

Nintendo company brochure - mid 1950s

One side of each card can be used for almost any message a company wants to convey: a product, a brand, or an eye-catching image, all printed in full color. And because playing cards are meant to be used again and again, the recipient is exposed to that message repeatedly over a long period of time.

For many playing card manufacturers, custom promotional decks have been an important part of their business. Nintendo, too, offered this service for decades, as this company brochure from the 1950s makes clear:

"Nintendo’s PR playing cards are a new and highly effective way to promote your company or shop through the enjoyment of card games. By placing your company’s logo or products on the cards and presenting them as gifts to retailers and customers, you can create a clever and memorable form of advertising that helps support your company’s continued success. We encourage you to make full use of Nintendo’s PR playing cards."

In fact, Nintendo still offers this service today. If you go to their Japanese website, you can find a page that explains the multiple options you have to order custom Nintendo playing cards, with a minimum order size of 3,000 decks.

The text on the site mentions:

"Would you like to make your own playing cards? We can create original playing cards just for you, with card patterns, materials, and case designs tailored to your needs. They can be used for a wide range of purposes, such as as souvenirs, promotional items, and other novelty goods. As the first manufacturer of playing cards in Japan in 1902, we deliver high-quality products."

Nintendo Japan website 2026

In today’s post, we will take a closer look at a fine example of a promotional deck produced by Nintendo in the 1960s for a well-known Japanese company and brand: Kanebo (カネボウ). At the time, Kanebo was an industrial conglomerate that had begun in spinning, later expanded into chemicals, and by the postwar period had diversified into businesses including textiles, cosmetics, and food.

Nintendo Home Race (ホームレース, ca 1966)

A Long-Wanted Rarity, Finally Found

Some of Nintendo’s past toys and games are much rarer than others. There are the big hits from the 1960s (Ultra Hand, Ultra Machine) that were produced in the millions, plenty of which survive to this day. Then there are the solid sellers, which are also not that hard to find for a collector who knows where to look.

On the other end of the spectrum are games so rare you start doubting if they actually exist. The game that is the subject of this post is an example of this. It took me more than twenty years of searching before I could finally add it to the collection recently. Based on its absence from the display of games at the Nintendo Museum in Kyoto, it seems Nintendo does not even own a copy themselves anymore.

The three copies that appeared on Yahoo! Auctions Japan over the last 25 years

To my knowledge, only three copies of this game have appeared on Yahoo! Auctions Japan since 2000. I failed to grab one of the first two, but the third time, in December 2025, I was lucky.

Introducing Home Race

The game is called Home Race (ホームレース), and it dates from the mid-1960s. The front shows a series of tanks based on the American M4 Sherman. US military equipment was a popular theme for toys in Japan during and after the American occupation following World War II.

The game sold for 500 yen at the time.

The box has a hexagon outline that is not the most practical shape, but it does help make it stand out a little more on the toy shop shelf.

It shares this box type with a series of board games released by Nintendo around the second half of the 1960s.

Inside the box we find an instruction manual, a playfield, and game accessories.

The playfield measures 39 by 16 centimeters and is about 3 centimeters high.

Plastic poker chips are included for keeping score.

Nintendo Playing Cards catalogue from 2001

I regularly encounter people who are surprised to hear that Nintendo is still in the playing cards business today, although mainly in its home market of Japan. They know that the company started by making cards long ago, but assume this stopped after Nintendo joined the video game boom.

The Nintendo product catalogue from August 2001 shown here, which is fully dedicated to playing cards, illustrates how the company’s involvement in this area continued into the 21st century.

Nintendo Playing Cards brochure (2001) back and front

The booklet is called the Nintendo Trump Collection, where “trump” refers to the Japanese term for Western-style playing cards.

Inside the catalogue are ten pages, roughly A4 in size, printed in full colour on heavy paper stock.

The introduction text acknowledges that the cards are a “traditional” product:

As we move from the analog to the digital age, in a time when many good old things are being lost, playing cards continue to be loved by people even today.

Their appeal lies in the fact that, with a bit of ingenuity, they allow for countless different games, and every time you play, they offer new discoveries and fresh surprises.

[...] Playing cards are an eternal tool for communication, loved across generations.

The catalogue presents the full Nintendo range of card designs available at the time.

A Nintendo Pilgrimage [part 7 of 7]: My Unforgettable Week in Kyoto

A Short Stop in Osaka Before Heading Home

After the incredible days in Kyoto in the first week of October 2024—including two visits to the Nintendo Museum and many other memorable moments—we had one more day left before our flight home.

As the airport is a little way south of Osaka, we decided to spend that last day in Japan's second-biggest city.

While in Osaka, we had to visit Den-Den Town, of course—the electronics, games, and anime shopping area, similar in concept but smaller in scale than Tokyo's Akihabara.

Super Nintendo World

Another must-visit destination was Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Japan (USJ).

It was my second time at USJ, having also visited in 2023.

Once I made it into Super Nintendo World—which was crowded as always—darkness had already set in.

A Nintendo Pilgrimage [part 6 of 7]: My Unforgettable Week in Kyoto

Meeting and Honoring Two Cornerstones from Nintendo’s Past

Although our main objective in Kyoto was to attend the opening of the Nintendo Museum on Wednesday October 2nd, the entire week turned out to be filled with bonus moments.

On Tuesday, we had already enjoyed time at Nintendo’s former headquarters and the founding Yamauchi family residence, now transformed into the Marufukuro hotel.

Then on Thursday and Friday, we had the great privilege of meeting one of the key figures behind Nintendo’s rise and honoring another.

Two Legends from Nintendo's R&D Department

Before we get to those moments, here’s a brief detour for those less familiar with the people behind some of Nintendo’s most iconic products.

I recently came across the photo below, taken 36 years ago. It shows Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov and his business partner Henk Rogers during their first joint visit to Nintendo’s Kyoto offices.

Just a year earlier, Mr Rogers' company Bullet Proof Software had published a Nintendo Famicom version of Tetris, and he had now secured the deal that would allow Nintendo to publish the first handheld version of Tetris, on the brand-new Game Boy.

Kyoto 1989
(Source: Tetris Forever documentary, Digital Eclipse 2024)

In the photo, Rogers and Pajitnov are joined by four key Nintendo executives (from left to right): Genyo Takeda, Gunpei Yokoi, Hiroshi Imanishi, and Satoru Okada.

Gunpei Yokoi (横井 軍平), head of Nintendo Research & Development team 1 (R&D1), had been instrumental in shaping the company’s success since joining in 1965. His creations include the Ultra Hand (1966), Ultra Machine (1967), Love Tester (1969), Laser Clay (1973), Ten Billion (1980) and many others. Under his management the team also delivered the Game & Watch series (1980–1991) and the Game Boy (1989).

Satoru Okada (岡田 智), who joined Nintendo in 1969, served as Yokoi’s right-hand man for over twenty-five years. He was crucial in turning Yokoi’s ideas into fully realized products.

(Source: Tetris wikipedia page and Super Mario Land wikipedia page)

In 1989, Nintendo’s R&D1 team delivered both the Game Boy hardware and two of its early smash hits: Super Mario Land and Tetris, with Yokoi producing and Okada directing.

Satoru Okada – From Right-Hand Man to Leader

When Gunpei Yokoi left Nintendo in 1996 to start his own venture, Koto Laboratory, Satoru Okada stepped up to lead Nintendo’s hardware development team, now known as Nintendo Research & Engineering.

Under Okada’s leadership, the team launched the Game Boy Color (1998), Game Boy Advance (2001), and Nintendo DS (2004). After 43 years of service, Okada retired in 2012.

Nintendo R&D power duo: Satoru Okada and Gunpei Yokoi
(Source: 4gamer.net)

When I released my Before Mario book in 2014, I was deeply honored that Mr. Okada agreed to write the preface.

He also generously signed several copies.

The Nintendo Museum doesn’t name any of the individuals behind its many groundbreaking products. However, Satoru Okada’s contribution to the company's succession of ideas, as presented on a wall in the museum, is more than substantial.

A Wonderful Dinner in Kyoto

Back to 2024 and our Kyoto travel report. We could hardly believe it ourselves, but there we were, sitting down for dinner in downtown Kyoto with Okada-san, who had kindly accepted our invitation.

Over some delicious food, we enjoyed a lovely and interesting conversation about Nintendo’s history and Okada-san’s current activities in retirement.

A Nintendo Pilgrimage [part 5 of 7]: My Unforgettable Week in Kyoto

The Nintendo Museum - Final Hour of Our Visit

After immersing ourselves in the main exhibits of the Nintendo Museum (see previous parts of this trip report here and here), closing time approached—and one very important task remained: choosing what to buy at the museum store.

As we left the interactive area on the lower floor, we passed through a corridor lined with display windows containing historic Nintendo artifacts. These included console prototypes, old marketing materials, and photographs of game and card production processes over time.

Sadly, this area also has a strict "no photography" policy, so the few images shown here come from Nintendo’s official press kit.

The displays are organized in reverse chronology, moving further back in time as you walk. The final showcase is especially memorable: a large wooden cupboard with sliding doors and dozens of drawers labeled for different hanafuda card sets.

This cupboard originally stood in Nintendo’s former headquarters on Shōmen-dōri in Kyoto—now the Marufukuro hotel—making it a fitting conclusion to our journey through Nintendo’s history: back to where it started.

Mounted nearby is a framed piece of calligraphy that once hung in Nintendo main office at the time, and has now found a home in the museum. It features two of the three kanji from the company’s name—「任」and「天」—expressing the idea of trusting fate and “leaving luck to heaven.”

Exit Through the Gift Shop

And now, the moment of truth for our wallets. Stepping into the gift shop—cheekily called the "Bonus Stage"—we were immediately overwhelmed by the options.

A staggering 145 unique items were available (yes, I counted), all exclusive to the museum. Buying one of everything would set you back ¥335,885 (yes, I counted that too).

Since opening day, the selection has grown even further, with more items added in 2025.

Some products feature the Nintendo Museum logo—glasses, hats, cookies, and more.

A Nintendo Pilgrimage [part 4 of 7]: My Unforgettable Week in Kyoto

Touring the Nintendo Museum collection - Let’s Get (Inter)active

After finishing our exploration of first part of the Nintendo Museum, we headed downstairs to the lower level.

This section of the museum is dedicated to interactive exhibits—eight in total:

• Shigureden SP
• Ultra Machine SP
• Ultra Hand SP
• Love Tester SP
• Game & Watch SP
• Zapper & Scope SP
• Big Controller
• Nintendo Classics

Along with the workshops, this is where visitors can get hands-on with Nintendo’s past.

Most of these exhibits include the "SP" label, short for "Special," a nod to enhanced or modernized versions of classic items (much like the Game Boy Advance SP).

The lower level also includes a number of additional displays that complement the product showcase upstairs, adding context to the interactive experiences. Photography is allowed on this floor.

Shigureden SP

At the center of this area is Shigureden SP. The name refers to Shigureden, a museum opened in 2006 by then-Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi in Kyoto’s Arashiyama district, which was centered around Ogura Hyakunin Isshu cards. Like Hanafuda, these are traditional Japanese playing cards and among Nintendo’s oldest products.

The game’s objective is to match card pairs containing fragments of classical poetry faster than your opponent. A card is shown on your handheld screen, and you must find its match on a giant digital display embedded in the floor.

The setup resembles the original Shigureden installation (now closed), although in this version Nintendo DS consoles have been replaced by mobile devices.

Next to Shigureden SP is a large display dedicated to Nintendo’s rich legacy in playing cards.

The exhibit showcases a wide array of designs, shapes, and sizes produced over the decades. The cards are presented in chronological order, from left to right.

A Nintendo Pilgrimage [part 3 of 7]: My Unforgettable Week in Kyoto

Opening day at the Nintendo Museum

It is Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024. After months of waiting, and some very special moments the day before, we finally arrived at our main destination: the Nintendo Museum.

The museum is just a short walk from Ogura Station in the southern part of Kyoto. From above, it’s easy to spot thanks in a large part to the massive question block painted on its roof.

That question block perfectly captured our mindset that morning: full of curiosity about what awaited inside. Although the Nintendo Direct from August had revealed some details, and press coverage had surfaced a week ahead of the opening (a media event was hosted on September 23), we’d avoided spoilers appearing in our news and social media feeds, to keep the surprise intact.

As this was the very first day the museum was open to the public, there was extra buzz at the entrance, with media on-site to document the moment.

Some fans who had not secured tickets still came just to see the museum from outside. And take a selfie, of course.

We also took the photo opportunity at the museum sign, commemorating the day.

While waiting for our time slot, we ran into fellow Nintendo enthusiasts who recognized us from our books and online posts (including this blog).