From 永田信吉 (泊居郡 樺太) to F. M. Trautz **

From 永田信吉 (泊居郡 樺太) to F. M. Trautz 

This card bears the postmark of 泊居 (Tomarioru) dated January 2, 1933, and was sent from 永田信吉 (Nagata Nobukichi) to ドクトル エフ・エム・トラウツ様 (Doctor F. M. Trautz). 泊居郡 (Tomarioru District) 名寄村 (Nayori Village) was located on the island of Karafuto. Nagata was likely an educator.

Nagata wrote a note in Romaji: 'okuni e okaeri natta / yoni kikimashita node / goburai o itashimashita / okusamanimo yoroshiku' (お国へお帰りなったように聞きました ので ご無礼 をいたしました、 奥様にも よろしく).

As the context of this note is unknown, its translation is based on a presumed context, 'I heard that you have returned to your home country, so I apologize for not contacting you sooner. Please give my regards to your wife as well.'

Romaji, which refers to the Romanization of the Japanese language, has a history that dates back to the 16th century when Jesuit missionaries devised a system to transcribe Japanese words using the Latin alphabet. However, the widespread use of Romaji as a method for writing Japanese text, particularly for non-Japanese speakers, began to gain popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as Japan opened up to the West. 

泊居 (Tomarioru) is framed in red above