shiroaiko

Hi Aidan, I would love to see yours too!

There is a report being titled "大阪府に於ける中小工業の整備：大阪府下中小企業整備実情調査報告" published by The Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in 1943 (Showa18). The report can be reached at https://dl.ndl.go.jp/ja/pid/1058348. The marble part is pp. 75-78. A reference to the July 1941 date is written there. The long title would be translated like this; " The Industrial Readjustment for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses in Osaka; The Fact-Finding Report on the Industrial Readjustment for Small and Medium-sized Businesses Under Osaka Prefecture". Although the title doesn't sound exciting, what it tells would be full of excitements to marble fans. It even talks about the number of marble rolls in Osaka (and Hyogo). Only 3 were in use during the wartime, with other 9 being kept in a storage for the future operation. Other 12 machines had been scrapped by the government. Japan had been suffered from shortages of metals. A joint company of Seike, Nakanishi and Yanagawa was the only one marble factory which was officially approved its operation then.

I'm sorry. The last 3 pictures are not fitting the context. I don't completely understand the photo uploading system here, being a new comer. Those 3 were excluded, since I thought the total file size exceeds the limit.

Sorry that I step in... the half & half marble in brown-amber and white marble is Seike's. Naoyuki SEIKE applied for Showa6-1756 Glass Crucible in Sep. 1930. The patent article can be seen at https://www.j-platpat.inpit.go.jp/c1801/PU/JP-S06-001756/22/ja It was an automatic marble making device which made dual color marbles. Although the crucible got only one air pressure bulb here, Seike soon made a change so that each color being separated in the crucible could be controlled by the air pressure system individually as it flows from the bottom outlet. (Showa6-3939 application date on Nov. 1930 https://www.j-platpat.inpit.go.jp/c1801/PU/JP-S06-003939/22/ja) These half & halves are sourced from UK and Japan. UK was the largest customer of prewar Seike marbles. He also exported many crease pontil transitionals. Below are half & halves and their variations. I hope this helps understand the early machinemades that he made. Mushrooms in puzzle boxes are also made by Seike (but I only have a few examples).

Opaque white ribbons tend to bleed on Figure8s... lower melting temperature...also white bits are included in the white. Most of Seike's color glass is original unlike other makers. I also love submerged ribbon types ziggyzora pointed out. .

That is special! Thank you!

I would say they are prewar marbles made by Naoyuki SEIKE. Naoyuki started his marble factory in Hanaten, Osaka, in 1924, inventing a unique marble machine (a flop). A few months later he finally managed to make a proper working machine and his first marbles were exported to the US and Canada. Machinemade production began after Showa 6-2564 patent (applied in Aug. 1930). Yet transitionals still needed to be produced, because he couldn't make machinemades which were looking alike transitionals. Showa15-8254 (applied on Nov. 1938) and Showa15-5933 (applied in Mar. 1939) were attempts to make spiral patterns on machinemades, which I doubt if they were successful. Ukichi ISOGAMI also tried to make spiral machinemades in Showa12-1333 patent (applied in Nov. 1935). No transitionals after the war because everyone went for exporting cat's eyes. Isogami's patents (Showa14-11324 & Showa14-6821) were no longer valid then.

Many thanks for the greetings in my language! 😃

The author Nobuo KUMAGAI was born in Osaka in 1948. As a child, he used to play with tin toys. Years later when he started his career in 1971, he opened a curio shop where people could buy tin toys. The shop was located in Umeda, Osaka, at the very heart of the city. His love of tin toys continued to grow and he published the first history book on the specific area in 1979. The book’s contribution to the world of the hobby was big; the number of fans greatly increased, and the hobby of tin toys gained social recognition. It was 1980 that he moved all of his tin toys to Shinsai-bashi, Osaka, where he opened another shop in his own building. The shop was known to be the first specialty shop for vintage tin toys in Osaka. Mr. Kumagai also opened a private museum/gallery in the same building where we can visit and enjoy his collection. This place is called "Osaka Tin Toy Institute". The first generation of matured collectors in tin toys appeared in the late 60s, he recalls. When he started his first shop in Umeda, the market was rather small. As time went by, the number of the fans was on the rise. Rare and old tin toys became out of reach due to the overpricing caused by the shortage. Mr. Kumagai and his peer enthusiasts wanted to share fun of the hobby more with younger generations. The first tin toy reproduction was done by BILIKEN SHOKAI in 1988. The 2nd was the project of Kumagai and Metal House (Katsumasa MIYAZAWA) which started to sell reproductions of the tin toy Golden Era and original toys such as C3PO, R2D2, Darth Vader (Star Wars Series) and Robby the Robot. Japan had 30 years of reproduction projects under the cooperations of various toy makers, factories and enthusiasts. Tin toy production was only possible by a network of factories such as component manufacturers, printing companies, mold makers, and the like. It operated as a system of divided labor. As the 21st century began, many businesses closed down due to retirements and a shortage of successors. Miyazawa made every effort to sustain the manufacturing environment for the production by acquiring equipment from businesses closing down, but the company finally ceased operations in 2017. This was the very end of the reproduction era. The 2023 book is a compilation of the researches the author undertook over 50 years. The book is fascinating...featuring more than 1000 of great photographs. For each photo, specification is provided with English subtitles. Sales of books for collectors abroad will be ordered via Mr. Takashi MORITA at Vintage Gate gallery. For international inquiries, please contact：[email protected] These photos are for marble forums from Mr. Kumagai. I was excited to see the planes...I just love old toys...They show the correspondence of "foreign" and "made in Japan". We don't know who first suggested the use of "foreign" to the Japanese makers. Also "foreign" was used for German products which were intended to be sold in UK, but not for Dutch produce since they were in the side of the Allies.

I'm finally done with my translation! We got 3 parts in the book which talk about the "foreign" issue. Because of the redundancy, 2 passages are selected for the translation. Quote #1 is on page 27, from Nobuo KUMAGAI's "Pictorial Guide to the Japanese Tin Toys --- The Japanese Tin Toys from 1880's to 2010's. " or 「日本のブリキ玩具図鑑」Sogensha, Osaka, Japan.（2023) 戦争の時代とブリキ玩具の製造禁止 Wartime and Production Ban of Tin Toys 1920年代まではブリキ玩具にとっておおむね幸せな時代が続いたが、 For the tin toy industry, the period until the 1920’s was generally a happy time, 以降は多難な時代となる。 while it faced full of challenges thereafter. 支那事変、満州事変と日本は戦争の時代に入り、 After the Sino-Japanese War and the Mukden Incident, Japan entered the period of wartime. ついには太平洋戦争が始まると、ブリキ玩具の製造は窮地に陥った。 With the onset of the Pacific War, tin toy production finally got into a dire situation. まず、1938（昭和13）年には国内向けの金属玩具の販売が禁止された。 First of all, in 1938 (Showa 13), selling metal toys for the domestic consumption was prohibited. 国内向けとあるように、 As indicated by “for domestic consumption,” 海外輸出用のブリキ玩具は引き続き製造された。 tin toys for export continued to be manufactured. 外貨獲得のためである。 This was for the purpose of earning foreign currency. ただし「MADE IN JAPAN」の表記は「FOREIGN」に改められた。 However, the labeling of “MADE IN JAPAN” was changed to “FOREIGN” . この時期のおもちゃには「MADE IN JAPAN」の表記が削り取られたり、 During this period, the inscriptions on the toys were scraped off ラッカーで塗りつぶされたりしているものもある。 or covered up with paint for some cases. Quote #2 is from page 78. ブリキ玩具の代用品　 Substitute for Tin Toys 日中戦争の長期化によって金属資源の不足が懸念されるようになると、 As concerns grew over the shortage of metal resources due to the prolonged Sino-Japanese War, 金属以外の材料の使用が推奨された。 the use of non-metal materials was encouraged. それでもブリキ玩具は作られていたが、 Despite this, tin toys were still being produced. 1938（昭和13）年にはブリキを含む金属玩具の国内向けの製造が禁止された。 In 1938 (Showa 13) the metal toy production for domestic market, including tin toys, was banned. もっとも、製造会社は事前にブリキを買い込んでおり、 However, most manufacturing companies had already stocked up on tinplate beforehand, 材料や生産計画を中止することは困難であったし、 making it difficult to halt materials and production plans. 外貨獲得のため海外向けの製品は引き続き作られていたこともあって、 Due to the need for foreign currency, toys for overseas markets continued to be produced. 実際にはブリキ玩具はしばらくの間市場に流通していたという。 As a result, tin toys were still circulating in the market for some time. なお、この頃には海外向け製品には、 Furthermore, during this period, for export products, 欧米の対日感情を考慮し、 the anti-Japanese sentiments in Europe and the United States was taken into the account, 「MADE IN JAPAN」の代わりに「FOREIGN」を使っていた。 and "FOREIGN" was used instead of "MADE IN JAPAN". しかし、1940年になると欧米で日本製玩具の輸入が相次いで禁止され、 However, in 1940 the importation of Japanese-made toys was increasingly prohibited in Europe and the United States. さらに1941年には国内金属製品の回収が始まり、 Moreover, in 1941, the domestic collection of metal products began. 金属玩具の販売ができなくなった。 Selling metal toys within the country was no longer possible. このため、ブリキの代わりに木材などを使ったブリキ玩具の代用品が作られるようになったのである。 Substitutes for tin toys, which were made from materials such as wood, were produced for this reason. I will explain Mr Kumagai's background in the next post.

You are a genius😃! It didn't come up to my mind!

I've got the permission! My translation would take some time, but look forward to it!

The book information: Nobuo KUMAGAI, "The Japanese Tin Toys from 1880's to 2010's" 熊谷信夫「日本のブリキ玩具図鑑」Sogen-sha, Osaka, 2023. The parts referring to "foreign" are p. 27 and 78. One good news is the passages show English words such as "Made in Japan" and "Foreign" and a photograph of tin toy with a "foreign" impression. This morning I sent an email asking Mr. Kumagai if I can get a permission for line-to-line translation and post it to marble forums. He answered me right away that he would ask the publisher. Japan is in the beginning of Golden Week, national holidays where people would take 7-10 days vacation. The answer would take time.

I recently read an article which I understand to be a translated version of the original. (「大阪貿易館 1956年 晩秋号」"Osaka Trade Agency, 1956 Late Autumn issue" pp.29-30. Nov. 1956) The title is the same but in Japanese. The translator's name isn't fully given. We only know the initial letter of the surname "河". If I add a few things to the summary, it would be the names of the factories. The second factory in Hong Kong was Yu Man Marble factory which started in June 1955, and the third one was World-Light Manufacturing Co. in August 1955. The largest Hong Kong Marble Glass Manufactory had 5 furnaces and 10 marble machines especially designed for marble produce, employing 120 full-time male workers and some part-time female workers for sorting and packing. The Japanese translation omits the part of clay marbles.

Just got a duplication from National Diet Library; a 1959 study of marbles in American market. It says Japan was able to provide marbles cheaper to the American market, compared to the factories which were located in the middle of the country. Transport of 100 kg marbles costed 6 dollars per 100 kilometers from WV to Los Angels, but 50 cents for the same distance from Kobe to North America.

Below is what I posted at All About Marbles. I hope it helps! (Sorry, I cannot change the font size!) On "foreign" wirepulls Post by shiroaiko » Wed Mar 06, 2024 11:52 am Recently I learned something big from a book specialized in old Japanese tin toys. The book says that “foreign” was used in stead of “made in Japan” after Showa13 (1938) on Japanese exports. According to the book, it was the time Japan started war/massacre against China which provoked the world’s antipathy against the country. The antipathy was reasonable. It was like nearly 200,000 Chinese citizens who lost their lives. Because Japan needed to earn foreign money, tin toy trade continued for years even during WW2. Although tin toy production for domestic market was banned in Showa13, production for export persisted for that reason. Tin toys being produced after 1938 were carved “foreign” to hide identity. In the cases “made in Japan” was already printed on toys, the letters were concealed under a paint or scraped off. Then “foreign" was put on afterwards. The similar situation would apply to Seike’s wirepulls, because the time was about the same. Seike’s wirepull patent was applied in November Showa11 (1936). It is possible to think Seike's wirepulls were also exported to the world as “foreign” marbles after the Nanjing massacre for a few years. Japan's marble export to the 3rd countries ( the countries which were out of Yen block economy, such as UK and the US) was known to end in July Showa16 (1941). So "foreign" means production between Showa 13-16 (1938-41).

Aichi Denkyu (lightbulb) Godo is the name of the company you were looking for! One of the mysteries solved! Thank you, Steph!🥰 It was also a manufacturer of various light bulbs including ones for Christmas. The company was founded in 1924, but they seem to make marbles after WW2. The trade mark for Japanese market was アヅマ (azuma) in a circle which corresponds the one for the foreign market (below is a clipping from "JIS Factory Directory for 1965" published in 1964). According to a 1958 directory, the company employed 220 workers and the major customers were the US, Holland, Italy, Canada and Salvador. The company seems to be closed in 1970's, but its brother company exists until now in Nagoya. There was another marble maker called Azuma Brothers Glass Co. (1954-1959?). Their marbles and ohajikis were sold under "Libbon-Earth Brand". So I wondered which company made the exported cat's eyes of Azuma boxes. To add, #67 of my Japanese marble maker's list is for Aichi Denkyu Godo. ↓ 67 愛知電球合同 ❶名古屋市中区東陽町11-39 河合秀 設立大正15年　従業員数220名　一般家庭球 蛍光灯 クリスマス用装飾球 一般小型球 赤外線電球 グラスマーブル その他一般照明球特殊電球の製造　仕向地　東南アジア 印度 タイ 北中南米 中近東 アフリカ 豪州/「全国輸出入業者総覧 : 製造業者・貿易商 第5版」1958. 第14版 1968. 第15版 1969. 第19版 1973. 第20版 1974. 第21版 1975. ❷主要輸出品 電球 グラスマーブル 主要国内販売品 電球 グラスマーブル 電気材料 主要仕向国 アメリカ オランダ イタリア カナダ サルバドル/「全国貿易業者名簿 昭和36年版」❸各種電球 グラスマーブル 硝子製品 設立大正13年3月15日　商標は円の中にアヅマ。/「JIS工場通覧 1965年版」1964 ❹アヅマランプ 一般照明用電球 赤外線電球 耐震電球 リフレクターランプ グラスマーブル/「名古屋商工名鑑 昭和40年版」❺社長 河合利周 製造 一般照明用電球 大型電球 小丸電球 赤外線電球 その他特殊電球 グラスマーブル/「電気年鑑 1971年版」1970. 1972年版 1971. ❻アヅマ電気（株）昭和45年4月　大株主愛知電球合同 代表取締役会長 河合利周 愛知電球合同の商標は円の中にカタカナでアヅマ。アメリカで報告されたビー玉パッケージには円の中にアルファベットでAZUMA。東兄弟の登録商標はLibbon Earth Brandで、地球にリボンがかかった印。

A group of blues in two shades. From left to right; 17.5mm, 16.5mm, 16.5mm, 14.5mm, 16.5mm, 17.5mm. Out of 6, 3 got visible cutlines. One got big eyelashes. The smallest is perfect with bubbles! The right amount of bubbles so that streaky vanes can be seen through.

Excited to know that your wife loves seashells🐚🪸I'm also in love with them from my childhood🥰 This is a link you can visit and see the ohajiki book I mentioned where Kisago shell ohajikis in an old package can be seen. I hope you and your wife find them interesting.

Elias! Yes! I know you well! Good to see someone I know...

The rest of the green + purple group (16.5mm, 17.5mm, 17.2mm). Two are regular stripeys. All has visible cut lines at the poles. The jelly vaned cat's eye has dark gray-brown tinted base. Talking about the tint, the green shooter also had strong blue? green? tint, as you noticed. Blue/white stripeys will be up tomorrow🦋✨

The shooter (25.5mm) got dark green bits in the vanes. The vanes are thin and not developed. A darker background for a better look of the vanes. On the opposite side are fractures caused from short annealing time. The players (16.5mm, 16.9mm, 17.0mm). The green stripeys got streaks in purple-brown shades. Similar kind of purple in these 3?

Some might wonder why shells are included in the lot. The snails were used as ohajiki (flat marbles) in older time, especially before the glass made counterpart was invented. A glass ohajiki boom in winter of 1902 was recorded in a magazine article. One ohajiki book says they were popular among girls throughout 1920s and 1930s. Shells were often dyed in bright colors like pink and purple and sold at shops in a netted cotton bag or a labeled paper box. All the cat's eyes in the lot. Most of them are Stripeys. 4 exceptions. Greens and a purple. The shooter measures 25.5mm, and the players range from 16.5 to 17.5mm. Pictures continue to the next post.

Thank you, I am so grateful for being here. We scarcely see old marbles in packages in the country. It is probably they meant for export, and marbles were often sold loose. One exception is Camel (Matsuno). They used the same paper boxes and plastic bags for both foreign and domestic markets.

I got the meaning! Thank you😃