宇治川山西 1889 摂津神戸

This 1889 postcard, sent locally in Kobe on August 5, is addressed to 前田吉彦先生 (Maeda Yoshihiko-sensei), with the familiar 六要堂 (Rokuyōdō) notation we’ve noted before. An intriguing feature is the unidentified character to the left of 生 (sensei), appearing almost as part of the kanji. Its purpose is unclear—possibly a personal mark or an obsolete abbreviation. The sender’s information, written right to left in the Meiji-era style, reads 宇治川山西 (Ujigawa Yamanishi), likely referencing the Uji River (or a local Kobe waterway) and possibly the surname Yamanishi, though this remains uncertain. The message appears to be a routine summer greeting, offering a glimpse into everyday social exchanges in late 19th-century Japan.