This postcard, postmarked July 4, 1891, was sent from the Higashi Kawasaki-chō district of Kobe to Maeda Yoshihiko, addressed via Rokuyōdō at 6-chōme, Shimoyamate-dōri. The sender was Kawasaki Zōsenjo—known in English as Kawasaki Shipyard—which at the time was still in its early decades of operation. Its presence in Kobe would eventually become central to Japan’s growing naval industry.
Stamped in red ink is the name and address of the company, along with a note advertising its services: shipbuilding machinery and other equipment, available either newly manufactured or repaired according to customer needs. This sort of messaging gives a glimpse into the commercial tone of the period, and how major industrial firms were beginning to establish both infrastructure and customer relationships across Japan.
The Kawasaki Shipyard would go on to play a major role in modern Japanese shipbuilding. In the decades that followed, it produced many important vessels for the Imperial Japanese Navy, including battleships like Ise and Haruna, aircraft carriers such as Akagi and Kaga, and a range of large submarines. But in 1891, this card shows a company still positioning itself as a capable and reliable supplier of marine machinery.
The handwritten message on the reverse is formal and somewhat abbreviated, written in a flowing style that makes full transcription difficult. However, it contains the usual expressions of courtesy and acknowledgment—phrases suggesting that the sender was replying to or thanking Maeda for a previous letter or assistance. It’s polite, reserved, and businesslike, in keeping with correspondence between professionals.
As with other cards addressed to Maeda, this one ties into a small but growing body of documents that help flesh out his network and standing in Meiji-era Kobe.
Red Stamp:
神戸市 東川崎町 (Kobe-shi, Higashi Kawasaki-chō)
造船機気其他諸器械 (Shipbuilding machinery and other equipment)
川崎造船所 (Kawasaki Shipyard)
新製〇繕 御好ニ応ズ (New and repaired items available to order)
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