Found...Japanese postcards

[rrobertscv]

I am helping a friend sell between 800-1000 postcards, coins and glassware. In the process, I came across these photos and thought some of you might like to see them. There are some WWI postcards, a photo of a Japanese soldier from WWII, and some postcards of some type of destruction in Japan. Can anyone tell me anything about this Japanese soldier, by the uniform he is wearing. Also, can anyone translate the Japanese writing on the bottom of the postcards? Do these type postcards and photos have much value? I also found, what I think is a WWI 2nd class Iron Cross, I can add it to this post tonight if anyone is interested.
http://postcards2.homestead.com/index.html

I posted this on a Japanese language forum, and received this reply:

http://www.tanken.com/muroto.html
It must be a photo of the Muroto Typhoon. It landed the Muroto cape in Shikoku Island and hit
Osaka City on 21st September 1934. 3,036 people died and many were injured. My 88 year old mother witnessed it. She says that swmall boats
were blown and are on the railways.It must be most desastrous typhoon in the 20th century. <!-- / message -->

[Eric Doody]

The Japanese text inside the parenthesis, on each of the Japanese postcards translates to "Osaka-Kyoto Area [i.e., the prefectures of Hyogo, Kyoto, Osaka, Mie, Nara, Shiga, and Wakayama] Typhoon Flood Damage." The subject postcards are not dated from what I can see.

Insofar as the Japanese soldier in the photograph...the photo is of an Army enlisted man. The soldier is wearing a Type 90 (i.e., Model 1930) winter service uniform with Type 98 (i.e., Model 1938) collar insignia for a private first class. Above the soldier's right breast pocket is a Type 98 (i.e., Model 1938) infantry (?) branch of service insignia. Below the soldier's left breast pocket appears to be a name and/or unit identification tag. (I do not recognize the badge above the soldier's left breast pocket.) The soldier is also wearing a winter service field cap; a rubberized canvas Type 30 (i.e., Model 1897) service belt; and a Type 30 (i.e., Model 1897) hooked guard bayonet with metal scabbard and leather frog. My guess is that the photograph may have been taken in Japan, China, Korea, or Manchuria during the late 1930/early 1940 timeframe.

Hope this helps.