I’m trying to track down a pre-WWII company in Japan. The company is “Strong & Company” in Kobe. This piece of a cardboard and cloth envelope was posted at the Sannomiya Post Office in Kobe in 1938, and addressed to EP Considine in Sydney Australia. Considine was an Australian agent for the Swedish company KF Erikssons (KFE) during the first half of the 20th century. Any information will be gratefully received. Cheers Tony
This is an assessment based on the address and historical context. "Strong & Company" is believed to have been one of the prominent foreign trading companies operating in pre-war Kobe, particularly in the foreign settlement area (around Sannomiya). It is highly likely that they were based in the former foreign settlement of Kobe, specifically in areas such as Kyomachi. This area was a business hub at the time, where major foreign trading companies such as Jardine Matheson & Co. were located. From the Meiji era to the early Showa period, foreign trading companies in Kobe were primarily engaged in trade activities such as exporting Japanese products (raw silk, tea, matches, etc.) and importing machinery, textiles, and chemicals. Strong & Company is also thought to have been involved in similar trade-related businesses. At that time, many foreign trading companies established themselves in Kobe and Yokohama, which were major ports in Japan, and played a crucial role in Japan's modernization and international trade.
