1964 Japanese Sumo Wrestling Post Cards - PC641

I am not a big sumo wrestling post card collector, but I feel like I am missing the boat every time I pick up a few random post card sets.  Post Cards provide a snapshot in time of what sumo wrestlers looked like at the time of the photograph.  Although not as visually appealing as some of the menko of the day, some post card designs are very nicely done and worthy of a second look anytime I am browsing card auctions.  Take this newly discovered PC-series set, PC641: 1964 Blue Background Postcards, for instance.  The colors, simplicity, and "crudeness" make this an easy pick up in my book especially since there are some rikishi that very rarely show u[p on cards.  Equally interesting is how rare 1960s Japanese cards are; from the mid- to late-1960s they are virtually non-existent, including Japanese baseball cards.  There was a cultural and economic tussle in the 1960s that encouraged kids, and the Japanese economy, to strive to be #1 and consequently a lot of the toys and games kids played with went to the wayside while they focused their attention on studying.  Similarly, the accessibility of television sets also pulled kids attention away from the games of old to the virtual diversions being broadcast out to the masses.  This set captures the top rikishi from the summer of 1964:

Yokozuna Taiho

Yokozuna Kashiwado

Yokozuna Tochinoumi

Ozeki Sadanoyama

Ozeki Kitabayama

Ozeki Yutakayama

  

1964 Morinaga Top Star Gum Color Stand-Ups (A641)

I don't want any more cards from this set.......says no sumo card collector ever.  The 1964 Morinaga Top Star Gun Color Stand-Up set is such a unique and a rare set for sumo collectors, that it is difficult to obtain in terms of availability and price....but a must have for any collection.  Most examples that I have seen have sold for around $100 per card making this 5-card set quite expensive.  Morinaga has been around since the late 1800s and has been making candy products since.  For those that love Hi-Chew (my hand is raised too), this is the same company.  Here is Mr. Morinaga with a couple of the logos that have been used over the years.

The current checklist for the sumo set is at 5 cards with the 3 Yokozuna (Taiho, Kashiwado, Tochinoumi) and 2 of the Ozeki (Sadanoyama, Yutakayama) from 1964.  Likely there are more cards in the set...possibly up to 10...or at least 7 to cover all the Yokozuna and Ozeki.  It is unknown how these were distributed, but the backs are meant to be punched out to form a stand that displays the cards on a desk or shelf.  There are baseball versions of these as well that are more common, but the sumo cards are very difficult to find.  At 5.5" x 3.5" in size, these bright blue bordered card with simple images make these very attractive.