野田義夫 Noda Yoshio to F. M. トラウツ *

野田義夫 Noda Yoshio

This New Year's card, dated 1933, was sent by Yoshio Noda (1874-1950)  to F. M. Trautz. In it, Noda addresses Mrs. Trautz as 御奥方様. This is an unusually formal and respectful way to refer to someone's wife in Japanese—perhaps overly formal. 

I had to search extensively to locate this Noda because 'Noda Yoshio' is a common name. Fortunately, his return address, 大阪市天王寺区 (Osaka City, Tennoji Ward), provided me with a good starting point. This sort of detective work can be very time-consuming. However, that's what makes the entire research project enjoyable.

大阪市天王寺区　Osaka Tennojiku

上本町八丁目十二番地　Uehonmachi 8chome 12 banchi

野田義夫　（Noda Yoshio） 

Noda was an author and a lifelong educator, having served as a professor and principal at various schools, including 広島高等師範学校, 奈良女子高等師範学校, 大阪高等学校, 大阪高等女子職業学校, and several others.