Onward playing cards
Advertising pack for Japanese fashion and lifestyle business featuring different national and regional costumes.
Each card features a different national costume or a costume typical of a region or activity within a particular country. There is added decoration in two corners of each court card and a decorative oval frame on each of the Aces. The indices on the court cards are in French and English. All the card titles are in Japanese and English (with some dubious spellings). On the backs the “Onward” logo is repeated many times in white on black.
Above: Onward playing cards made by Nintendo PC Co. Ltd, Kyoto, Japan, 1965. 52 cards + 2 Jokers in plastic box with cardboard sleeve. Size: 57 x 87 mm. Copyright owned by Onward Kashiyama Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.
By Roddy Somerville
Member since May 31, 2022
Roddy started collecting stamps on his 8th birthday. In 1977 he joined the newly formed playing-card department at Stanley Gibbons in London before setting up his own business in Edinburgh four years later. His collecting interests include playing cards, postcards, stamps (especially playing cards on stamps) and sugar wrappers. He is a Past President of the Scottish Philatelic Society, a former Chairman of the IPCS, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and Curator of the WCMPC’s collection of playing cards. He lives near Toulouse in France.
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