Taiwan under Japanese rule
Encyclopedia
Between 1895 and 1945, Taiwan
was a dependency
of the Empire of Japan
. The expansion into Taiwan was a part of Imperial Japan's general policy of southward expansion during the late 19th century.
As Taiwan was Japan's first overseas colony, Japanese intentions were to turn the island into a showpiece "model colony". As a result, much effort was made to improve the island's economy
, industry
, public works
and to change its culture
.
The relative failures of immediate post–World War II
rule by the Kuomintang
led to a certain degree of nostalgia amongst the older generation of Taiwanese who experienced both. This has affected, to some degree, issues such as national identity
, ethnic identity and the Taiwan independence movement. Partly as a result, the people of Taiwan in general feel much less antipathy towards the legacy of Japanese rule than other countries in Asia.
undertook a policy of overseas expansion and extending Japanese influence southward. Several attempts to invade Taiwan were unsuccessful, mainly due to disease and armed resistance by aborigines on the island. In 1609, the Tokugawa Shogunate
sent Harunobu Arima on an exploratory mission of the island. In 1616, Murayama Toan
led an unsuccessful invasion of the island.
In November 1871, 69 people on board a vessel from the Kingdom of Ryukyu
were forced to land near the southern tip of Taiwan by strong winds. They had a conflict with local Paiwan aborigines and many were killed in the process. In October 1872, Japan sought compensation from the Qing Dynasty of China, claiming the Kingdom of Ryukyu was part of Japan. In May 1873, Japanese diplomats arrived in Beijing
and put forward their claims, but the Qing government immediately rejected Japanese demands on the ground that the Kingdom of Ryukyu at that time was an independent state and had nothing to do with Japan. The Japanese refused to leave and asked if the Chinese government would punish those "barbarians in Taiwan".
The Qing authorities explained that there were two kinds of aborigines on Taiwan: those directly governed by the Qing, and those unnaturalized "raw barbarians... beyond the reach of Chinese culture. Thus could not be directly regulated." They indirectly hinted that foreigners traveling in those areas settled by indigenous people must exercise caution. The Qing Dynasty made it clear to the Japanese that Taiwan was definitely within Qing jurisdiction, even though part of that island's aboriginal population was not yet under the influence of Chinese culture. The Qing also pointed to similar cases all over the world where an aboriginal population within a national boundary was not under the influence of the dominant culture of that country.
The Japanese nevertheless launched an expedition
with a force of 3,000 soldiers in April 1874. In May 1874, the Qing Dynasty began to send in troops to reinforce the island. By the end of the year, the government of Japan decided to withdraw its forces after realizing Japan was still not ready for a war with China.
The number of casualties for the Paiwan was about 30, and that for the Japanese was 543 (12 Japanese soldiers were killed in battle and 531 by disease).
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By the 1890s, about 45 percent of Taiwan was administered under standard Chinese administration while the remaining lightly populated regions of the interior were under aboriginal control. The First Sino-Japanese War
broke out between Qing Dynasty
China
and Japan
in 1894 following a dispute over the sovereignty of Korea
. Following its defeat, China ceded the islands of Taiwan and Penghu
to Japan
in the Treaty of Shimonoseki
, signed on April 17, 1895. According to the terms of the treaty, Taiwan, Penghu, and regions between 119˚E-120˚E and 13˚N-14˚N were to be ceded to Japan in perpetuity. Both governments were to send representatives to Taiwan immediately after signing to begin the transition process, which was to be completed in no more than two months. Because Taiwan was ceded by treaty, the period that followed is referred to by some as the "colonial period", while others who focus on the fact that it was the culmination of a war refer to it as the "occupation period". The cession ceremony took place on-board a Japanese vessel because the Chinese delegate feared reprisal from the residents of Taiwan.
Though the terms dictated by Japan were harsh, it is reported that Qing China's leading statesman Li Hongzhang
sought infamously to assuage Empress Dowager Cixi
with: "birds do not sing and flowers are not fragrant on the island of Taiwan. The men and women are inofficious and are not passionate either." The loss of Taiwan would become a rallying point for the Chinese nationalist
movement in the years that followed. Arriving in Taiwan, the new Japanese colonial government gave inhabitants two years to choose whether to accept their new status as Japanese subjects, or leave Taiwan.
The "early years" of Japanese administration on Taiwan typically refers to the period between the Japanese forces' first landing in May 1895 and the Ta-pa-ni Incident
of 1915, which marked the high point of armed resistance. During this period, popular resistance to Japanese rule was high, and the world questioned whether a non-Western nation such as Japan could effectively govern a colony of its own. An 1897 session of the Japanese Diet debated whether to sell Taiwan to France
. During these years, the post of Governor-General of Taiwan
was held by a military general, as the emphasis was on suppression of the insurgency.
In 1898, the Meiji government of Japan appointed Count Kodama Gentarō as the fourth Governor-General, with the talented civilian politician Gotō Shinpei as his Chief of Home Affairs, establishing the carrot and stick
approach towards governance that would continue for several years. This marked the beginning of a colonial government (formally known as the Office of the Governor-General) dominated by Japanese, but subject to Japanese law.
Japan's approach to ruling Taiwan could be roughly divided into two views. The first, supported by Gotō, held that from a biological perspective, the natives could not be completely assimilated. Thus, Japan would have to follow the British approach, and Taiwan would never be governed exactly the same way as the Home Islands
but would be governed under a whole new set of laws. The opposing viewpoint was held by future Prime Minister
Hara Takashi
, who believed that the Taiwanese and Koreans were similar enough to the Japanese to be fully absorbed into Japanese society, and was thus in favor of using the same legal and governmental approaches on the colonies as those used in the Home Islands.
Colonial policy towards Taiwan mostly followed the approach championed by Gotō during his tenure as Chief of Home Affairs between March 1898 and November 1906, and this approach continued to be in effect until Hara Takashi
became Prime Minister in 1918. During this period, the colonial government was authorized to pass special laws and edicts, while wielding complete executive, legislative, and military power. With this absolute power, the colonial government moved to maintain social stability, while suppressing dissent.
, and the Marco Polo Bridge Incident
of 1937, which began Japan's involvement in what would become World War II
. World events during this period, such as World War I
, would drastically alter the perception of colonialism
in the Western world, and give rise to growing waves of nationalism
amongst colonial natives, as well as the ideas of self determination. As a result, colonial governments throughout the world began to make greater concessions to natives, and colonial governance was gradually liberalized. Xie Jishi
became a first Manchurian
Foreign Minister
.
The political climate in Japan was also undergoing changes during this time. In the mid-1910s the Japanese government had gradually democratized in what is known as the Taishō period
(1912-1925), where power was concentrated in the elected lower house of the Imperial Diet, whose electorate has expanded to include all adult males by 1925. In 1919, Den Kenjirō
was appointed to be the first civilian Governor-General of Taiwan. Prior to his departure for Taiwan, he conferred with Prime Minister Hara Takashi
, where both men agreed to pursue a policy of "Dōka" (同化, Tónghùa in Hanyu Pinyin, literally "assimilation"), where Taiwan would be viewed as an extension of the Home Islands, and the Taiwanese would be educated to understand their role and responsibilities as Japanese subjects. The new policy was formally announced in October 1919.
This policy was continued by the Colonial Government for the next 20 years. In the process, local governance was instituted, as well as an elected advisory committee which included locals (though strictly in an advisory capacity), and the establishment of a public school system. Caning
was forbidden as a criminal punishment, and the use of the Japanese language
was rewarded. This contrasted sharply with the mostly hands off approach taken by previous administrations towards local affairs, where the only government concerns were "railways, vaccinations, and running water
".
Taiwanese also had seats in House of Peers
. Koo Hsien-jung
was nominated by Emperor in 1934.
Democracy was introduced in response to Taiwanese public opinion, Local assemblies were established in 1935.
The final period of Japanese rule in Taiwan began with the eruption of the Second Sino-Japanese War
in 1937 and ended along with the Second World War in 1945. With the rise of militarism in Japan in the mid to late 1930s, the office of Governor-General was again held by military officers, and Japan sought to utilize resources and material from Taiwan for use in the war effort. To this end, the cooperation of the Taiwanese would be essential, and the Taiwanese would have to be fully assimilated as members of Japanese society. As a result, earlier social movements were banned and the Colonial Government devoted its full efforts to the "Kōminka movement" (皇民化運動, kōminka undō), aimed at fully Japanizing Taiwanese society. Between 1936 and 1940, the Kōminka movement sought to build "Japanese spirit" (大和魂, Yamatodamashī
) and Japanese identity amongst the populace, while the later years from 1941 to 1945 focused on encouraging Taiwanese to participate in the war effort.
As part of the movement, the Colonial Government began to strongly encourage locals to speak the Japanese language
, wear Japanese clothing
, live in Japanese-style houses, and convert to Shintoism. In 1940, laws were also passed advocating the adoption of Japanese names. With the expansion of the Pacific War
, the government also began encouraging Taiwanese to volunteer for the Imperial Japanese Army
and Navy
in 1942, and finally ordered a full scale draft in 1945. In the meantime, laws were made to grant Taiwanese membership in the Japanese Diet, which theoretically would qualify a Taiwanese to become the premier of Japan eventually.
As a result of the war, Taiwan suffered many losses including Taiwanese youths
killed while serving in the Japanese armed forces, as well as severe economic repercussions from Allied bombing raids. By the end of the war in 1945, industrial and agricultural output had dropped far below prewar levels, with agricultural output 49% of 1937 levels and industrial output down by 33%. Coal production dropped from 200,000 metric tons to 15,000 metric tons, and electricity production fell from 320 kilowatts to 30 kilowatts. Taiwanese were also recruited as comfort women same as Japanese women during war.
appointed by Tokyo
. Power was highly centralized with the Governor-General wielding surpreme executive, legislative, and judicial power, effectively making the government a dictatorship.
In the 50 years of Japanese rule from 1895 to 1945, Tokyo dispatched nineteen Governors-General to Taiwan. On average, a Governor-General served about 2.5 years. The entire colonial period can be further divided into three periods based on the background of the Governor-General: the Early Military period, the Civilian period, and the Later Military period.
Governors-General from the Early Military period included Kabayama Sukenori, Katsura Tarō
, Nogi Maresuke, Kodama Gentarō, Sakuma Samata
, Ando Sadami
, and Akashi Motojiro
. Two of the pre-1919 Governors-General, Nogi Maresuke and Kodama Gentarō, would become famous in the Russo-Japanese War
. Andō Sadami and Akashi Motojirō are generally acknowledged to have done the most for Taiwanese interests during their tenures, with Akashi Motojirō actually requesting in his will that he be buried in Taiwan, which he indeed was.
The Civilian period occurred at roughly the same time as the Taishō democracy
in Japan, Governors-General from this period were mostly nominated by the Japanese Diet and included Den Kenjirō
, Uchida Kakichi
, Izawa Takio, Kamiyama Mitsunoshin, Kawamura Takeji, Ishizuka Eizō, Ōta Masahiro, Minami Hiroshi, and Nakagawa Kenzō. During their tenures, the Colonial Government devoted most of its resources to economic and social development rather than military suppression.
The Governors-General of the Later Military period focused primarily on supporting the Japanese war effort and included Kobayashi Seizo, Kiyoshi Hasegawa, and Rikichi Ando
.
Besides the Governor-General and the Chief of Home Affairs, the Office of the Governor-General was a strictly hierarchical bureaucracy including departments of law enforcement, agriculture, finance, education, mining, external affairs, and judicial affairs. Other governmental bodies included courts, corrections, orphanages, police academies, transportation, port authority, monopoly bureau, schools of all levels, an agricultural and forestry research station, and the Taihoku Imperial University (National Taiwan University
today).
Administratively, Taiwan was divided into prefectures for local governance. In 1926, the prefectures were:
; guerilla warfare following the collapse of the Republic; and a final stage between the Beipu Uprising
of 1907, and the Tapani Incident of 1915. Afterwards, armed resistance was mostly replaced by peaceful forms of cultural and political activism, with the notable exception of the Wushe Incident
in 1930 which resulted in the massacre of Atayal tribespeople.
The decision by the Qing Chinese government to cede Taiwan to Japan with the Treaty of Shimonoseki
caused a massive uproar in Taiwan. On May 25, 1895, a group of pro-Qing officials and local gentry declared independence from China, proclaiming a new Republic of Formosa
with the goal of keeping Taiwan under Qing rule, choosing then Qing governor Tang Ching-sung
as their reluctant president. Japanese forces landed
in Keelung
on May 29, taking the city on June 3. President Tang and his Vice-President Chiu Feng-jia
fled the island for mainland China the following day. In late June, remaining supporters of the new Republic gathered in Tainan, selecting Liu Yung-fu
as the second president. The local Taiwanese Han militia units were mobilized to counter the Japanese occupation. After a series of bloody battles between Japanese and Republic forces which resulted in horrendous Taiwanese casualties, the Japanese successfully seized Tainan by late October. Shortly afterwards, President Liu fled Taiwan for mainland China bringing the 184 day history of the Republic to a close.
The third and final stage of armed resistance began with the Beipu Uprising in 1907. Between this and the 1915 Tapani Incident, there were thirteen smaller armed uprisings. In many cases, conspirators were discovered and arrested before planned uprisings could even take place. Of the thirteen uprisings, eleven occurred after the 1911 Revolution in China, to which four were directly linked. Conspirators in four of the uprisings demanded reunification with China, while conspirators in six planned to install themselves as independent rulers of Taiwan, and conspirators in one could not decide which goal to pursue. The objectives of the conspirators in the remaining two are unclear. It has been speculated the increase in uprisings demanding independence rather than reunification was the result of the collapse of the Qing Dynasty government in China, depriving locals of the figure or government with which they were originally accustomed to identifying.
, which occurred in the mostly aboriginal region of Musha (霧社, Pinyin: Wushe) in Taichū Prefecture (located in modern day Nantou County
). On October 27, 1930, following escalation of an incident in which a Japanese police officer insulted a tribesman, over 300 Atayal aborigines under Chief Mono Rudao attacked Japanese residents in the area. In the ensuing violence, 134 Japanese nationals and two ethnic Han Taiwanese were killed, and 215 Japanese nationals injured. Many of the victims were attending an athletic festival at Musyaji Elementary School. In response, the Colonial Government ordered a military crackdown. In the two months that followed, most of the insurgents were either killed or committed suicide, along with their family members or fellow tribesmen. Several members of the government resigned over the incident, which proved to be the most violent of the uprisings during Japanese rule.
One of the most notable features of Japanese rule in Taiwan was the "top-down" nature of social change. While local activism certainly played a role, most of the social, economic, and cultural changes during this period were driven by technocrats
in the colonial government. With the Colonial Government as the primary driving force, as well as new immigrants from the Japanese Home Islands
, Taiwanese society was sharply divided between the rulers and the ruled.
Under the constant control of the colonial government, aside from a few small incidents during the earlier years of Japanese rule, Taiwanese society was mostly very stable. While the tactics of repression used by the Colonial Government were often very heavy handed, locals who cooperated with the economic and educational policies of the Governor-General saw a significant improvement in their standard of living. As a result, the population and living standards of Taiwan during the 50 years of Japanese rule displayed significant growth.
. From 1900 - 1920, Taiwan's economy was dominated by the sugar
industry, while from 1920 - 1930, rice
was the primary export. During these two periods, the primary economic policy of the Colonial Government was "industry for Japan, agriculture for Taiwan". After 1930, due to war needs the Colonial Government began to pursue a policy of industrialization. Under the 7th governor, Akashi Motojiro, a vast swamp in central Taiwan was transformed into a huge dam in order to build a hydraulic power plant for industrialization. The dam and its surrounding area, widely known as Sun Moon Lake
(Nichigetsutan) today, has become a must-see for foreign tourists visiting Taiwan.
Although the main focus of each of these periods differed, the primary goal throughout the entire time was increasing Taiwan's productivity to satisfy demand within Japan, a goal which was successfully achieved. As part of this process, new ideas, concepts, and values were introduced to the Taiwanese; also, several public works projects, such as railways, public education, and telecommunications, were implemented. As the economy grew, society stabilized, politics was gradually liberalized, and popular support for the colonial government began to increase. Taiwan thus served as a showcase for Japan's propaganda on the colonial efforts throughout Asia, as displayed during the 1935 Taiwan Exposition.
Shortly after the cession of Taiwan to Japanese rule in September 1895, an Osaka
bank
opened a small office in Kirun (Keelung
). By June of the following year the Governor-General had granted permission for the bank to establish the first Western-style banking system in Taiwan.
In March 1897, the Japanese Diet passed the "Taiwan Bank Act", establishing the Bank of Taiwan
, which began operations in 1899. In addition to normal banking duties, the Bank would also be responsible for minting the currency
used in Taiwan throughout Japanese rule.
To maintain fiscal stability, the Colonial Government proceeded to charter several other banks, credit unions, and other financial organizations which helped to keep inflation
in check.
became an important mechanism for facilitating both control and intercultural dialogue. While secondary education
institutions were restricted mostly to Japanese nationals, the impact of compulsory primary education
on the Taiwanese was immense.
On July 14, 1895, Isawa Shūji was appointed as the first Education Minister, and proposed that the Colonial Government implement a policy of compulsory primary education for children (a policy that had not even been implemented in Japan at the time). The Colonial Government established the first Western-style primary school in Taipei (the modern day Shilin Elementary School) as an experiment. Satisfied with the results, the government ordered the establishment of fourteen language schools in 1896, which were later upgraded to become public schools. During this period, schools were segregated by ethnicity. Kōgakkō (公學校, Public Schools) were established for Taiwanese children, while shōgakkō (小學校, Elementary Schools) were restricted to the children of Japanese nationals. Schools for aborigines were also established in aboriginal areas. Criteria were established for teacher selection, and several teacher training schools such as Taihoku Normal School
were founded. Secondary and post-secondary educational institutions, such as Taihoku Imperial University were also established, but access was restricted primarily to Japanese nationals. The emphasis for locals was placed on vocational education
, to help increase productivity.
The education system was finally desegregated in March 1941, when all schools (except for a few aboriginal schools) were reclassified as kokumin gakkō (國民學校, National Schools), open to all students regardless of ethnicity. Education was compulsory for children between the ages of eight and fourteen. Subjects taught included Morals (修身, shūshin), Composition (作文, sakubun), Reading (讀書, dokusho), Writing (習字, shūji), Mathematics (算術, sanjutsu), Singing (唱歌, shōka), and Physical Education (體操, taisō).
By 1944, there were 944 primary schools in Taiwan with total enrollment rates of 71.3% for Taiwanese children, 86.4% for aboriginal children, and 99.6% for Japanese children in Taiwan. As a result, primary school enrollment rates in Taiwan were among the highest in Asia, second only to Japan itself.
es of Taiwan every five years starting in 1905. Statistics showed a population growth rate of 0.988 to 2.835% per year throughout Japanese rule. In 1905, the population of Taiwan was roughly 3.03 million; by 1940 the population had grown to 5.87 million, and by the end of World War II
in 1946 it numbered 6.09 million.
The Office of the Governor-General also placed a strong emphasis on modernization of Taiwan's transportation systems, especially railways, and to a lesser extent, highway
s. As a result, reliable transit links were established between the northern and southern ends of the island, supporting the increasing population.
was brought to Taiwan. The push car railways were in general service from 1895 to the late 1940s.
The Railway Ministry (predecessor of the modern Taiwan Railway Administration
) was established on November 8, 1899, beginning a period of rapid expansion of the island's rail network. Perhaps the greatest achievement of this era was the completion of the Western Line, linking the major cities along the western corridor in 1908, reducing the travel time between northern and southern Taiwan from several days to a single day.
Also constructed during this time were the Tansui Line (淡水線, today the Tamsui Line of the Taipei Metro), Giran Line (宜蘭線, Yilan Line), Heitō Line (屏東線, Pingtung Line
), and Tōkō Line (東港線, Donggang Line). Several private rail lines were also incorporated into the state owned system. Industrial lines such as the Alishan Forest Railway
were also built. Plans were also drawn up for the North-Link Line
, South-Link Line
, as well as a line running through the mountains of central Taiwan, but were never realized due to technical difficulties as well as the outbreak of World War II
. Private railways such as the Taiwan Sugar Railways
(built to support the sugarcane
industry), were also built.
Like many other government offices, the Railway Ministry was headed by technocrats
. Many of the railways constructed during Japanese rule continue to be used today.
Bus
service was available in urban areas, but since the cities in Taiwan were quite small at the time, they remained secondary to rail service. Most bus routes of the time centered on local railway stations.
While the idea of "special governance" promoted by Gotō dominated most policy decisions made by the colonial authorities, the ultimate goal remained modernization. Under these ideals, the colonial government, along with community groups, would gradually push to modernize Taiwanese society. The main thrust of these efforts targeted what were known as the "Three Bad Habits".
, foot binding
, and the wearing of queues
. Much like mainland China in the late 19th century, opium addiction was a serious social problem in Taiwan, with some statistics suggesting that over half of the ethnic Chinese population of Taiwan were users of the drug. The intentional disfigurement of female feet through binding were common to mainland Chinese and Taiwanese society at the time, and the queue hairstyle worn by the male population was forced upon Han Chinese
by the Manchu
rulers of the Qing Dynasty (Queue Order).
Itō Hirobumi
ordered that opium should be banned in Taiwan as soon as possible. However, due to the pervasiveness of opium addiction in Taiwanese society at the time, and the social and economic problems caused by complete prohibition, the initial hard line policy was relaxed in a few years. On January 21, 1897, the Colonial Government issued the Taiwan Opium Edict mandating a government monopoly of the opium trade, and restricting the sale of opium to those with government issued permits, with the ultimate goal of total abolition. The number of opium addicts in Taiwan quickly dropped from millions to 169,064 in 1900 (6.3% of the total population at the time), and 45,832 (1.3% of the population) by 1921. However, the numbers were still higher than those in nations where opium was completely prohibited. It was generally believed that one important factor behind the Colonial Government's reluctance to completely ban opium was the potential profit to be made through a state run narcotics monopoly.
In 1921, the Taiwanese People's Party
accused colonial authorities before the League of Nations
of being complacent in the addiction of over 40,000 people, while making a profit off opium sales. To avoid controversy, the Colonial Government issued the New Taiwan Opium Edict on December 28, and related details of the new policy on January 8 of the following year. Under the new laws, the number of opium permits issued was decreased, a rehabilitation clinic was opened in Taipei, and a concerted anti-drug campaign launched.
was a practice fashionable in Ming
and Qing Dynasty
China. Young girls' feet, usually at age six but often earlier, were wrapped in tight bandages so they could not grow normally, would break and become deformed as they reached adulthood. The feet would remain small and dysfunctional, prone to infection
, paralysis
, and muscular atrophy
. While such feet were considered by some to be beautiful, others considered the practice to be archaic and barbaric. In concert with community leaders, the Colonial Government launched an anti-foot binding campaign in 1901. The practice was formally banned in 1915, with violators subject to heavy punishment. Foot binding in Taiwan died out quickly afterwards.
. While social campaigns against wearing queues were launched, no edicts or laws were issued on the subject. With the fall of the Qing Dynasty
in 1911, the popularity of queues also decreased.
and military fortifications. Plans for urban development began to be issued in 1899, calling for a five year development plan for most medium and large sized cities. The first phase of urban redevelopment focused on the construction and improvement of roads. In Taihoku (Taipei), the old city walls were demolished, and the new Seimonchō (西門町) (modern Ximending
) area was developed for new Japanese immigrants.
The second phase of urban development began in 1901, focusing on the areas around the South and East Gates of Taihoku (Taipei) and the areas around the railway station in Taichū (Taichung). Primary targets for improvement included roads and drainage systems
, in preparation for the arrival of more Japanese immigrants.
Another phase began in August 1905 and also included Tainan. By 1917, urban redevelopment programs were in progress in over seventy cities and towns throughout Taiwan. Many of the urban plans laid out during these programs continue to be used in Taiwan today.
. The drive was successful in eliminating diseases such as malaria
, plague
, and tuberculosis
from the island. The public health
system throughout the years of Japanese rule was dominated primarily by small local clinics rather than large central hospital
s, a situation which would remain constant in Taiwan until the 1980s.
The Colonial Government also expended a great deal of effort in developing an effective sanitation system
for Taiwan. British experts were hired to design storm drains and sewage systems. The expansion of streets and sidewalks, as well as building codes calling for windows allowing for air flow, mandatory neighborhood cleanups, and quarantine
of the ill also helped to improve public health.
Public health education also became important in schools as well as in law enforcement. The Taihoku Imperial University also established a Tropical Medicine Research Center, and formal training for nurses.
population included 450,000+ plains aborigines, almost completely assimilated into Han Chinese
society, and 300,000+ mountain aborigines. Japanese aboriginal policy focused primarily on the unassimilated latter group, known in Japanese as Takasago-zoku (高砂族).
The aborigines were subject to modified versions of criminal
and civil law
. As with the rest of the Taiwanese population, the ultimate goal of the Colonial Government was to assimilate the aborigines into Japanese society through a dual policy of suppression and education. Japanese education of the aborigines bloomed during WWII, who proved to be the most daring soldiers the empire had ever produced. Their legendary bravery is celebrated by Japanese veterans even today. Many of them would say they owe their survival to the "Takasago Hei."
Throughout most of Japanese colonial rule, the Colonial Government chose to promote the existing Buddhist religion over Shintoism in Taiwan. It was believed that used properly, religion could accelerate the assimilation of the Taiwanese into Japanese society.
Under these circumstances, existing Buddhist temples in Taiwan were expanded and modified to accommodate Japanese elements of the religion, such as worship of Ksitigarbha
(popular in Japan but not Taiwan at the time). The Japanese also constructed several new Buddhist temples throughout Taiwan, many of which also ended up combining aspects of Daoism and Confucianism
, a mix which still persists in Taiwan today.
In 1937 with the beginning of the Kōminka movement, the government began the promotion of Shintoism and the limited restriction of other religions.
Besides Taiwanese literature, which connected with the social movements of the time, the aspect of Western culture which Taiwan most successfully adopted was the arts
. Many famous works of art came out during this time.
Popular culture led by movies, popular music
and puppet theater prevailed for the first time in Taiwan during this period.
In 1919, Taiwanese students in Tokyo
restructured Enlightenment Society and established the New People Society. This was the prelude for various political and social movements. Many new publications, such as "Taiwanese Literature & Art" (1934) and "New Taiwanese Literature" (1935), were started shortly thereafter. These led to the onset of the vernacular movement in Taiwan as they broke away from the classical forms of ancient poetry. Many scholars acknowledge possible connections of this movement with the May Fourth Movement
in China
.
These literature movements did not disappear when they were repressed by the Japanese governor. In the early 1930s, a famous debate on Taiwanese rural language unfolded formally. This event had numerous lasting effects on Taiwanese literature, language and racial consciousness.
In 1930, Taiwanese-Japanese resident Huang Shihui
started the debate on rural literature in Tokyo
. He advocated that Taiwanese literature should be about Taiwan, have impact on a wide audience, and use Taiwanese Hokkien. In 1931, a resident in Taipei named Guo Qiusen
prominently supported Huang's viewpoint. Guo started the Taiwanese Rural Language Debate, which advocated literature published in Taiwanese. This was immediately supported by Lai He
, considered the father of Taiwanese literature. After this, dispute as to whether the literature of Taiwan should use Taiwanese or Mandarin Chinese
, and whether or not the subject matter should concern Taiwan, became the focus of the New Taiwan Literature Movement. However, because of the upcoming war and the pervasive Japanese cultural education, these debates could not develop any further. They finally lost traction under the Japanization policy set by the government.
In the two years after 1934, progressive Taiwanese writers gathered up and established the Association of Taiwanese Literature and Art and New Taiwanese Literature
. This literature and art movement was political in its implications. After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident
in 1937, the government of Taiwan immediately instituted "National Spirit General Moblization", which formally commenced the Japanization policy. Taiwanese writers could then only rely on organizations dominated by Japanese writers, e.g. the "Taiwanese Poet Association", established in 1939, and the "Association of Taiwanese Literature & Art", expanded in 1940.
Taiwanese literature focused mainly on the Taiwanese spirit and the essence of Taiwanese culture. Ordinary as it seems, it was actually a revolution made possibly by political and social movements. People in literature and the arts began to think about issues of Taiwanese culture, and attempted to establish a culture that truly belonged to Taiwan.
During the Qing Dynasty
, the concept of Western art did not exist in Taiwan. Painting was not a highly respected occupation, and even Chinese landscape painting was undeveloped. When the Japanese occupied Taiwan in 1895, they brought in a new educational system which introduced Western and Japanese art education. This not only set the basis for the future development of art appreciation in Taiwan, it also produced various famous artists. Painter and instructor Ishikawa Kinichiro
contributed immensely in planning the training of new art teachers. He personally instructed students and encouraged them to travel to Japan
to learn the more sophisticated techniques of art.
In 1926, a Taiwanese student in Japan named Chen Chengbo published a work titled Outside of Chiayi Street (see left). His work was selected for display in the seventh Imperial Japanese Exhibition. This was the first Western style work by a Taiwanese artist to be included in a Japanese exhibition. Many other works were subsequently featured in the Imperial Japanese Exhibitions and other exhibitions. These successes made it easier for the arts to become widespread in Taiwan. Ironically, the Japanese-appreciated Chen was executed by the Chinese after WWII without trial for being a "bandit."
What really established the arts in Taiwan was the introduction of official Japanese exhibitions in Taiwan. In 1927, the governor of Taiwan, along with artists Ishikawa Kinichiro, Shiotsuki Toho and Kinoshita Shizukishi established the Taiwanese Art Exhibition. This exhibition was held sixteen times from 1938 to 1945. It cultivated the first generation of Taiwanese western artists. The regional Taiwanese art style developed by the exhibition still affected various fields, e.g. art, art design and engineering design, even after the war.
From 1901 to 1937, Taiwanese cinema
was influenced immensely by Japanese cinema. Because of Taiwan's status as a Japanese colony, the traditions of Japanese movies were generally accepted by Taiwanese producers. For instance, the use of a benshi
(narrator of silent films), which was a very important component of the film-going experience in Japan, was adopted and renamed benzi by the Taiwanese. This narrator was very different from its equivalent in the Western world. It rapidly evolved into a star system. In fact, people would go to see the very same film narrated by different benshi
, to hear the other benshi's interpretation. A romance could become a comedy or a drama, depending on the narrator's style and skills.
The first Taiwan-made film was a documentary produced in February 1907 by Takamatsu Toyojiro, with a group of photographers that travelled through various areas in Taiwan. Their production was called "Description of Taiwan", and it covered through subjects such as city construction, electricity, agriculture, industry, mining, railways, education, landscapes, traditions, and conquest of aborigines. The first movie drama produced by Taiwanese was called "Whose Fault?" in 1925, produced by the Association of Taiwanese Cinema Research. Other types of films including educational pieces, newsreels and propaganda also helped form the mainstream of local Taiwanese movie productions until the defeat of Japan in 1945. Sayon's Bell
, which depicted an aboriginal maid helping Japanese, was a symbolic production that represents these types of films.
In 1908, Takamatsu Toyojiro settled in Taiwan and began to construct theaters in the main cities. Takamatsu also signed with several Japanese and foreign movie companies, and set up institutionalized movie publication. In 1924, theaters in Taiwan imported advanced intertitle
technique from Japan, and the cinema in Taiwan grew more prominent. On October 1935, a celebration of the fortieth year anniversary of annexation in Taiwan was held. The year after, Taipei and Fukuoka
were connected by airway. These two events pushed the Taiwanese cinema into its golden age.
and popular songs
already existed in Taiwan before 1930s, the quality and popularity of most of them was very poor. This was mainly because popular songs at the time differed slightly from traditional music like folk songs and Taiwanese opera
. However, because of the rapid development of cinema
and broadcasting
during the 1930s, new popular songs
that stepped away from traditional influences began to appear and become widespread in a short period of time.
The first accepted eminent popular song in Taiwan collocated with the Chinese movie, Peach Blossom Weeps Tears of Blood
(Tao hua qi xie ji). Produced by Lianhua Productions
, Peach Blossoms Weep Tears of Blood, starring Ruan Lingyu
, screened in Taiwan theaters in 1932. Hoping to attract more Taiwanese viewers, the producers requested composers Zhan Tianma and Wang Yunfeng to compose a song with the same title. The song that came out was a major hit and achieved success in record sales. From this period on, Taiwanese popular music with the assistance of cinema began to rise.
speaking immigrants entered Taiwan during the 1750s, and with them they brought puppet theatre. The stories were based mainly on classical books and stage dramas, and were very refined. Artistry focused on the complexity of the puppet movements. Musical accompaniment was generally Nanguan
and Beiguan
music. According to the Records of Taiwan Province, Nanguan was the earliest form of puppet theatre in Taiwan. Although this kind of puppet theatre fell out of the mainstream, it can still be found in a few troupes around Taipei
today.
During the 1920s, wuxia
puppet theatre (i.e. based on martial arts) gradually developed. The stories were the main difference between traditional and wuxia puppet theatre. Based on new, popular wuxia novels, performances focused on the display of unique martial arts by the puppets. The representative figures during this era were Huang Haidai of Wuzhouyuan and Zhong Renxiang of Xinyige. This puppet genre began its development in Yunlin's Huwei
and Xiluo towns, and was popularized in southern-central Taiwan. Huang Haidai's puppet theatre was narrated in Min Nan, and included poems, historical narrative, couplet
s and riddles. Its performance blended Beiguan, Nanguan, Luantan, Zhengyin, Gezai and Chaodiao music.
After the 1930s, the Japanization policy affected puppet theatre. The customary Chinese Beiguan was forbidden, and was replaced with Western music. The costumes and the puppets were a mixture of Japanese and Chinese style. The plays often included Japanese stories like Mitokomon and others, with the puppets dressed in Japanese clothing. Performances were presented in Japanese
. These new linguistic and cultural barriers reduced public acceptance, but introduced techniques which subsequently influenced the future development of the Golden Light puppet theatre, including music and stage settings.
During this era, the world of puppet theatre in southern Taiwan had the Five Great Pillars and Four Great Celebrities. The "Five Great Pillars" referred to Huang Haidai, Zhong Renxiang, Huang Tianquan, Hu Jinzhu and Lu Chongyi; the "Four Great Celebrities" referred to Huang Tianchuan , Lu Chongyi, Li Tuyuan and Zheng Chuanming.
to Taiwan. There were baseball teams in elementary schools as well as public schools, and the Japanese built baseball fields such as Tainan Stadium. It became such a widespread sport that, by the early 1930s, nearly all major secondary schools and many primary schools had established representative baseball teams. The development of the game in Taiwan culminated when a team from Kagi Nōrin Gakkō
, an agriculture and forestry high school, ranked second in Japan’s “Kōshien” national high-school baseball tournament. One legacy of this era today is the existence of players such as the Nationals’ Chien-Ming Wang
, the Dodgers’ Hong-Chih Kuo
, and Chien-Ming Chiang
of the Yomiuri Giants
in Japan.
, Taiwan was placed under the administrative control of the Republic of China
by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
(UNRRA) after 50 years of colonial rule by Japan
. Chen Yi
, the ROC Chief Executive of Taiwan, arrived on October 24, 1945 and received the last Japanese Governor-General, Andō Rikichi, who signed the document of surrender on the next day, which was proclaimed by Chen as "Retrocession Day". This turned out to be legally controversial since Japan did not renounce its sovereignty over Taiwan until April 28, 1952, with the coming into force of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, which further complicated the political status of Taiwan
. As a result use of the term "Retrocession of Taiwan" (台灣光復, Táiwān guāngfù) is less common in modern Taiwan.
of 1943, the Allies
adopted a statement declaring that Japan will give up Taiwan at the end of the war. In April 1944, the ROC government at the wartime capital of Chongqing
established the Taiwan Research Committee (台灣調查委員會, Táiwān diàochá wěiyuánhuì) with Chen Yi
as chairman. Shortly afterwards, the committee reported its findings on the economy, politics, society, and military affairs of Taiwan to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek
.
Following the war, opinion in the ROC government was split as to the administration of Taiwan. One faction supported treating Taiwan in the same way as other Chinese territories occupied by the Japanese during World War II
, creating a Taiwan Province
. The other faction supported setting up a Special Administrative Region
in Taiwan with special military and police powers. In the end, Chiang Kai-shek chose to take Chen Yi's suggestion of creating a special 2000 man "Office of the Chief Executive of Taiwan Province" (台灣省行政長官公署, Táiwān-shěng xíngzhèng zhǎngguān gōngshǔ) to handle the transfer.
Japan formally surrendered
to the Allies on August 14, 1945. On August 29, Chiang Kai-shek appointed Chen Yi as Chief Executive of Taiwan Province, and announced the creation of the Office of the Chief Executive of Taiwan Province and Taiwan Garrison Command
on September 1, with Chen Yi also as the commander of the latter body. After several days of preparation, an advance party moved into Taipei on October 5, with more personnel from Shanghai
and Chungking arriving between October 5 and October 24.
). The Office of the Governor-General of Taiwan formally surrendered to Chen Yi
representing the Commander in Chief of the Chinese Theatre
. On the same day, the Office of the Chief Executive began functioning from the building which now houses the ROC Executive Yuan
.
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
was a dependency
Dependency
Dependency or dependent may refer to:-Computer science:*dependency, also called Coupling , a state in which one object uses a functionality of another object...
of the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
. The expansion into Taiwan was a part of Imperial Japan's general policy of southward expansion during the late 19th century.
As Taiwan was Japan's first overseas colony, Japanese intentions were to turn the island into a showpiece "model colony". As a result, much effort was made to improve the island's economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
, industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
, public works
Public works
Public works are a broad category of projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community...
and to change its culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
.
The relative failures of immediate post–World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
rule by the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
led to a certain degree of nostalgia amongst the older generation of Taiwanese who experienced both. This has affected, to some degree, issues such as national identity
National identity
National identity is the person's identity and sense of belonging to one state or to one nation, a feeling one shares with a group of people, regardless of one's citizenship status....
, ethnic identity and the Taiwan independence movement. Partly as a result, the people of Taiwan in general feel much less antipathy towards the legacy of Japanese rule than other countries in Asia.
Background
Japan had sought to expand its imperial control over Taiwan (known in Japan as Takasago Koku (高砂国, "Highland nation") since 1592, when Toyotomi HideyoshiToyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
undertook a policy of overseas expansion and extending Japanese influence southward. Several attempts to invade Taiwan were unsuccessful, mainly due to disease and armed resistance by aborigines on the island. In 1609, the Tokugawa Shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
sent Harunobu Arima on an exploratory mission of the island. In 1616, Murayama Toan
Murayama Toan
Murayama Tōan Antonio was a 17th-century Japanese Governor of the city of Nagasaki . He was born in Nagoya from a humble background, and he was a Christian...
led an unsuccessful invasion of the island.
In November 1871, 69 people on board a vessel from the Kingdom of Ryukyu
Ryukyu Kingdom
The Ryūkyū Kingdom was an independent kingdom which ruled most of the Ryukyu Islands from the 15th century to the 19th century. The Kings of Ryūkyū unified Okinawa Island and extended the kingdom to the Amami Islands in modern-day Kagoshima Prefecture, and the Sakishima Islands near Taiwan...
were forced to land near the southern tip of Taiwan by strong winds. They had a conflict with local Paiwan aborigines and many were killed in the process. In October 1872, Japan sought compensation from the Qing Dynasty of China, claiming the Kingdom of Ryukyu was part of Japan. In May 1873, Japanese diplomats arrived in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and put forward their claims, but the Qing government immediately rejected Japanese demands on the ground that the Kingdom of Ryukyu at that time was an independent state and had nothing to do with Japan. The Japanese refused to leave and asked if the Chinese government would punish those "barbarians in Taiwan".
The Qing authorities explained that there were two kinds of aborigines on Taiwan: those directly governed by the Qing, and those unnaturalized "raw barbarians... beyond the reach of Chinese culture. Thus could not be directly regulated." They indirectly hinted that foreigners traveling in those areas settled by indigenous people must exercise caution. The Qing Dynasty made it clear to the Japanese that Taiwan was definitely within Qing jurisdiction, even though part of that island's aboriginal population was not yet under the influence of Chinese culture. The Qing also pointed to similar cases all over the world where an aboriginal population within a national boundary was not under the influence of the dominant culture of that country.
The Japanese nevertheless launched an expedition
Taiwan Expedition of 1874
The , usually referred to in Taiwan and mainland China as the Mudan incident , was a punitive expedition launched by the Japanese in retaliation for the murder of 54 Ryukyuan sailors by Paiwan aborigines near the southwestern tip of Taiwan in December 1871...
with a force of 3,000 soldiers in April 1874. In May 1874, the Qing Dynasty began to send in troops to reinforce the island. By the end of the year, the government of Japan decided to withdraw its forces after realizing Japan was still not ready for a war with China.
The number of casualties for the Paiwan was about 30, and that for the Japanese was 543 (12 Japanese soldiers were killed in battle and 531 by disease).
Cession of Taiwan (1895)
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
broke out between Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 1894 following a dispute over the sovereignty of Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. Following its defeat, China ceded the islands of Taiwan and Penghu
Pescadores
The Penghu Islands, also known as Pescadores are an archipelago off the western coast of Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait consisting of 90 small islands and islets covering an area of 141 square kilometers....
to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in the Treaty of Shimonoseki
Treaty of Shimonoseki
The Treaty of Shimonoseki , known as the Treaty of Maguan in China, was signed at the Shunpanrō hall on April 17, 1895, between the Empire of Japan and Qing Empire of China, ending the First Sino-Japanese War. The peace conference took place from March 20 to April 17, 1895...
, signed on April 17, 1895. According to the terms of the treaty, Taiwan, Penghu, and regions between 119˚E-120˚E and 13˚N-14˚N were to be ceded to Japan in perpetuity. Both governments were to send representatives to Taiwan immediately after signing to begin the transition process, which was to be completed in no more than two months. Because Taiwan was ceded by treaty, the period that followed is referred to by some as the "colonial period", while others who focus on the fact that it was the culmination of a war refer to it as the "occupation period". The cession ceremony took place on-board a Japanese vessel because the Chinese delegate feared reprisal from the residents of Taiwan.
Though the terms dictated by Japan were harsh, it is reported that Qing China's leading statesman Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang or Li Hung-chang , Marquis Suyi of the First Class , GCVO, was a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire...
sought infamously to assuage Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi1 , of the Manchu Yehenara clan, was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for 47 years from 1861 to her death in 1908....
with: "birds do not sing and flowers are not fragrant on the island of Taiwan. The men and women are inofficious and are not passionate either." The loss of Taiwan would become a rallying point for the Chinese nationalist
Chinese nationalism
Chinese nationalism , sometimes synonymous with Chinese patriotism refers to cultural, historiographical, and political theories, movements and beliefs that assert the idea of a cohesive, unified Chinese people and culture in a unified country known as China...
movement in the years that followed. Arriving in Taiwan, the new Japanese colonial government gave inhabitants two years to choose whether to accept their new status as Japanese subjects, or leave Taiwan.
Early years (1895-1915)
Ta-pa-ni Incident
The Ta-pa-ni Incident was one of the largest armed uprisings against Japanese rule in Taiwan. Alternative names used to refer to the incident include the , after Silai Temple where the revolt began, or the Yu Ching-fang Incident, after the leader Yu Qingfang.-Consequences:Modern Taiwanese...
of 1915, which marked the high point of armed resistance. During this period, popular resistance to Japanese rule was high, and the world questioned whether a non-Western nation such as Japan could effectively govern a colony of its own. An 1897 session of the Japanese Diet debated whether to sell Taiwan to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. During these years, the post of Governor-General of Taiwan
Governor-General of Taiwan
The position of Governor-General of Taiwan existed when Taiwan and the Pescadores were part of the Empire of Japan, from 1895 to 1945.The Japanese Governors-General were members of the Diet, civilian officials, Japanese nobles or generals...
was held by a military general, as the emphasis was on suppression of the insurgency.
In 1898, the Meiji government of Japan appointed Count Kodama Gentarō as the fourth Governor-General, with the talented civilian politician Gotō Shinpei as his Chief of Home Affairs, establishing the carrot and stick
Carrot and stick
Carrot and stick is an idiom that refers to a policy of offering a combination of rewards and punishment to induce behavior. It is named in reference to a cart driver dangling a carrot in front of a mule and holding a stick behind it...
approach towards governance that would continue for several years. This marked the beginning of a colonial government (formally known as the Office of the Governor-General) dominated by Japanese, but subject to Japanese law.
Japan's approach to ruling Taiwan could be roughly divided into two views. The first, supported by Gotō, held that from a biological perspective, the natives could not be completely assimilated. Thus, Japan would have to follow the British approach, and Taiwan would never be governed exactly the same way as the Home Islands
Japanese Archipelago
The , which forms the country of Japan, extends roughly from northeast to southwest along the northeastern coast of the Eurasia mainland, washing upon the northwestern shores of the Pacific Ocean...
but would be governed under a whole new set of laws. The opposing viewpoint was held by future Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
Hara Takashi
Hara Takashi
was a Japanese politician and the 19th Prime Minister of Japan from 29 September 1918 to 4 November 1921. He was also called Hara Kei informally. He was the first commoner appointed to the office of prime minister of Japan...
, who believed that the Taiwanese and Koreans were similar enough to the Japanese to be fully absorbed into Japanese society, and was thus in favor of using the same legal and governmental approaches on the colonies as those used in the Home Islands.
Colonial policy towards Taiwan mostly followed the approach championed by Gotō during his tenure as Chief of Home Affairs between March 1898 and November 1906, and this approach continued to be in effect until Hara Takashi
Hara Takashi
was a Japanese politician and the 19th Prime Minister of Japan from 29 September 1918 to 4 November 1921. He was also called Hara Kei informally. He was the first commoner appointed to the office of prime minister of Japan...
became Prime Minister in 1918. During this period, the colonial government was authorized to pass special laws and edicts, while wielding complete executive, legislative, and military power. With this absolute power, the colonial government moved to maintain social stability, while suppressing dissent.
Dōka: "Integration" (1915-1937)
The second period of Japanese rule is generally classified as being between the end of the 1915 Tapani IncidentTa-pa-ni Incident
The Ta-pa-ni Incident was one of the largest armed uprisings against Japanese rule in Taiwan. Alternative names used to refer to the incident include the , after Silai Temple where the revolt began, or the Yu Ching-fang Incident, after the leader Yu Qingfang.-Consequences:Modern Taiwanese...
, and the Marco Polo Bridge Incident
Marco Polo Bridge Incident
The Marco Polo Bridge Incident was a battle between the Republic of China's National Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Japanese Army, often used as the marker for the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War .The eleven-arch granite bridge, Lugouqiao, is an architecturally significant structure,...
of 1937, which began Japan's involvement in what would become World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. World events during this period, such as World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, would drastically alter the perception of colonialism
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
in the Western world, and give rise to growing waves of nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
amongst colonial natives, as well as the ideas of self determination. As a result, colonial governments throughout the world began to make greater concessions to natives, and colonial governance was gradually liberalized. Xie Jishi
Xie Jishi
Xie Jishi was a cabinet minister in the Japanese-dominated Empire of Manchukuo, who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs.-Biography:Xie Jishi was born in Hsinchu city, Taiwan in 1878, and attended the Japanese-run Shinchiku Kokugo Denshujo, where he studied the Japanese language...
became a first Manchurian
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
Foreign Minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
.
The political climate in Japan was also undergoing changes during this time. In the mid-1910s the Japanese government had gradually democratized in what is known as the Taishō period
Taisho period
The , or Taishō era, is a period in the history of Japan dating from July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926, coinciding with the reign of the Taishō Emperor. The health of the new emperor was weak, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group of elder statesmen to the Diet...
(1912-1925), where power was concentrated in the elected lower house of the Imperial Diet, whose electorate has expanded to include all adult males by 1925. In 1919, Den Kenjirō
Den Kenjiro
Baron was a Japanese politician and cabinet minister in the pre-war government of the Empire of Japan. He was also the 8th Japanese Governor-General of Taiwan from October 29, 1919 to September 1923, and the first civilian to hold that position.- Biography :...
was appointed to be the first civilian Governor-General of Taiwan. Prior to his departure for Taiwan, he conferred with Prime Minister Hara Takashi
Hara Takashi
was a Japanese politician and the 19th Prime Minister of Japan from 29 September 1918 to 4 November 1921. He was also called Hara Kei informally. He was the first commoner appointed to the office of prime minister of Japan...
, where both men agreed to pursue a policy of "Dōka" (同化, Tónghùa in Hanyu Pinyin, literally "assimilation"), where Taiwan would be viewed as an extension of the Home Islands, and the Taiwanese would be educated to understand their role and responsibilities as Japanese subjects. The new policy was formally announced in October 1919.
This policy was continued by the Colonial Government for the next 20 years. In the process, local governance was instituted, as well as an elected advisory committee which included locals (though strictly in an advisory capacity), and the establishment of a public school system. Caning
Caning
Caning is a form of corporal punishment consisting of a number of hits with a single cane usually made of rattan, generally applied to the offender's bare or clothed buttocks or hand . Application of a cane to the knuckles or the shoulders has been much less common...
was forbidden as a criminal punishment, and the use of the Japanese language
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
was rewarded. This contrasted sharply with the mostly hands off approach taken by previous administrations towards local affairs, where the only government concerns were "railways, vaccinations, and running water
Running Water
Running Water may be:* Running Water, Tennessee, former name of Whiteside, Tennessee* Running Water, South Dakota, a community in Bon Homme County, South Dakota* "Running Water" from the 1983 album The Present...
".
Taiwanese also had seats in House of Peers
House of Peers (Japan)
The ' was the upper house of the Imperial Diet as mandated under the Constitution of the Empire of Japan ....
. Koo Hsien-jung
Koo Hsien-jung
Koo Hsien-jung was a Taiwanese businessman and politician who enjoyed strong links to the Japanese colonial administration of Taiwan. He founded the Koos Group of companies, the largest business group in Taiwan....
was nominated by Emperor in 1934.
Democracy was introduced in response to Taiwanese public opinion, Local assemblies were established in 1935.
Kōminka: "Subjects of the Emperor" (1937-1945)
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
in 1937 and ended along with the Second World War in 1945. With the rise of militarism in Japan in the mid to late 1930s, the office of Governor-General was again held by military officers, and Japan sought to utilize resources and material from Taiwan for use in the war effort. To this end, the cooperation of the Taiwanese would be essential, and the Taiwanese would have to be fully assimilated as members of Japanese society. As a result, earlier social movements were banned and the Colonial Government devoted its full efforts to the "Kōminka movement" (皇民化運動, kōminka undō), aimed at fully Japanizing Taiwanese society. Between 1936 and 1940, the Kōminka movement sought to build "Japanese spirit" (大和魂, Yamatodamashī
Yamato-damashii
is a historically and culturally loaded word in the Japanese language. The phrase was apparently coined in the Heian period to describe the indigenous Japanese 'spirit' or cultural values as opposed to the cultural values imported into the country through contact with Tang dynasty China. Later, a...
) and Japanese identity amongst the populace, while the later years from 1941 to 1945 focused on encouraging Taiwanese to participate in the war effort.
As part of the movement, the Colonial Government began to strongly encourage locals to speak the Japanese language
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, wear Japanese clothing
Japanese clothing
The various traditional ethnic garments worn in Japan are still in use, they are mainly worn for ceremonies and special occasions- like weddings or festivals. Both men and women favor "western-style" clothing in their daily lives- due to the comparative convenience and the influx of global...
, live in Japanese-style houses, and convert to Shintoism. In 1940, laws were also passed advocating the adoption of Japanese names. With the expansion of the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
, the government also began encouraging Taiwanese to volunteer for the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
and Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
in 1942, and finally ordered a full scale draft in 1945. In the meantime, laws were made to grant Taiwanese membership in the Japanese Diet, which theoretically would qualify a Taiwanese to become the premier of Japan eventually.
As a result of the war, Taiwan suffered many losses including Taiwanese youths
Ethnic Taiwanese Imperial Japan Serviceman
A Taiwanese Imperial Japan Serviceman is a person, Taiwanese by identity, who served in the Imperial Japanese Army or Navy during World War II whether as a soldier, a sailor, or in another non-combat capacity...
killed while serving in the Japanese armed forces, as well as severe economic repercussions from Allied bombing raids. By the end of the war in 1945, industrial and agricultural output had dropped far below prewar levels, with agricultural output 49% of 1937 levels and industrial output down by 33%. Coal production dropped from 200,000 metric tons to 15,000 metric tons, and electricity production fell from 320 kilowatts to 30 kilowatts. Taiwanese were also recruited as comfort women same as Japanese women during war.
Office of the Governor-General
As the highest colonial authority in Taiwan during the period of Japanese rule, the Office of the Governor-General of Taiwan was headed by a Governor-General of TaiwanGovernor-General of Taiwan
The position of Governor-General of Taiwan existed when Taiwan and the Pescadores were part of the Empire of Japan, from 1895 to 1945.The Japanese Governors-General were members of the Diet, civilian officials, Japanese nobles or generals...
appointed by Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Power was highly centralized with the Governor-General wielding surpreme executive, legislative, and judicial power, effectively making the government a dictatorship.
Development
In its earliest incarnation, the Colonial Government was composed of three bureaus: Home Affairs, Army, and Navy. The Home Affairs Bureau was further divided into four offices: Internal Affairs, Agriculture, Finance, and Education. The Army and Navy bureaus were merged to form a single Military Affairs Bureau in 1896. Following reforms in 1898, 1901, and 1919 the Home Affairs Bureau gained three more offices: General Affairs, Judicial, and Communications. This configuration would continue until the end of colonial rule.Governors-General
Throughout the period of Japanese rule, the Office of the Governor-General remained the de facto central authority in Taiwan. Formulation and development of governmental policy was primarily the role of the central or local bureaucracy.In the 50 years of Japanese rule from 1895 to 1945, Tokyo dispatched nineteen Governors-General to Taiwan. On average, a Governor-General served about 2.5 years. The entire colonial period can be further divided into three periods based on the background of the Governor-General: the Early Military period, the Civilian period, and the Later Military period.
Governors-General from the Early Military period included Kabayama Sukenori, Katsura Tarō
Katsura Taro
Prince , was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, politician and three-time Prime Minister of Japan.-Early life:Katsura was born into a samurai family from Hagi, Chōshū Domain...
, Nogi Maresuke, Kodama Gentarō, Sakuma Samata
Sakuma Samata
-External links:*...
, Ando Sadami
Ando Sadami
- Notes :...
, and Akashi Motojiro
Akashi Motojiro
-Notes:...
. Two of the pre-1919 Governors-General, Nogi Maresuke and Kodama Gentarō, would become famous in the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
. Andō Sadami and Akashi Motojirō are generally acknowledged to have done the most for Taiwanese interests during their tenures, with Akashi Motojirō actually requesting in his will that he be buried in Taiwan, which he indeed was.
The Civilian period occurred at roughly the same time as the Taishō democracy
Taisho period
The , or Taishō era, is a period in the history of Japan dating from July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926, coinciding with the reign of the Taishō Emperor. The health of the new emperor was weak, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group of elder statesmen to the Diet...
in Japan, Governors-General from this period were mostly nominated by the Japanese Diet and included Den Kenjirō
Den Kenjiro
Baron was a Japanese politician and cabinet minister in the pre-war government of the Empire of Japan. He was also the 8th Japanese Governor-General of Taiwan from October 29, 1919 to September 1923, and the first civilian to hold that position.- Biography :...
, Uchida Kakichi
Uchida Kakichi
Uchida Kakichi was the 9th Governor-General of Taiwan from September 6, 1923 to September 1924. Prior to assuming the office of Governor-General, Uchida also served as Chief of Home Affairs under Governors-General Sakuma Samata and Ando Sadami, the second highest position in the colonial...
, Izawa Takio, Kamiyama Mitsunoshin, Kawamura Takeji, Ishizuka Eizō, Ōta Masahiro, Minami Hiroshi, and Nakagawa Kenzō. During their tenures, the Colonial Government devoted most of its resources to economic and social development rather than military suppression.
The Governors-General of the Later Military period focused primarily on supporting the Japanese war effort and included Kobayashi Seizo, Kiyoshi Hasegawa, and Rikichi Ando
Rikichi Ando
-See also:* Taiwan under Japanese rule...
.
Chief of Home Affairs
Formally known as the Director of the Home Affairs Bureau, the Chief of Home Affairs (總務長官) was the primary executor of colonial policy in Taiwan, and the second most powerful individual in the Colonial Government.Administrative divisions
National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University is a national co-educational university located in Taipei, Republic of China . In Taiwan, it is colloquially known as "Táidà" . Its main campus is set upon 1,086,167 square meters in Taipei's Da'an District. In addition, the university has 6 other campuses in Taiwan,...
today).
Administratively, Taiwan was divided into prefectures for local governance. In 1926, the prefectures were:
| Name in Rōmaji | Name in Kanji Kanji Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet... |
Modern district | Area (Square km) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taihoku Taihoku Prefecture Taihoku Prefecture was created in 1920 under Japanese rule, encompassing what is now New Taipei City, Taipei City, Keelung City and Yilan County. Its office, which is now occupied by the Control Yuan of the Republic of China, was in Taipei City... |
臺北州 | Taipei City, Taipei County, Yilan County, Keelung City | 4528.7 |
| Shinchiku Shinchiku Prefecture was one of the administrative divisions of Taiwan during the Japanese rule. The prefecture consisted of modern day Hsinchu, Taoyuan County, Hsinchu County, and Miaoli County.-Population:1941 census.*Total population: 838,011**Japanese 20,693... |
新竹州 | Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County, Taoyuan County, Miaoli County | 4570.0 |
| Taichū | 臺中州 | Taichung City, Taichung County, Chuanghua County, Nantou County | 7382.9 |
| Tainan | 臺南州 | Tainan City, Tainan County, Chiayi City, Chiayi County, Yunlin County | 4292.4 |
| Takao Takao Prefecture was one of the administrative divisions of Taiwan during the Japanese rule. The prefecture consisted of modern day Kaohsiung City and Pingtung County.-Population:1941 census.*Total population: 930,383**Japanese 59,633**Taiwanese 863,313... |
高雄州 | Kaohsiung City, Kaohisung County, Pintung County | 5421.5 |
| Taitō | 臺東廳 | Taitung County | 5721.9 |
| Karenkō | 花蓮港廳 | Hualien County | 3515.3 |
| Hōko | 澎湖廳 | Penghu County | 4628.6 |
Armed resistance
Most armed resistance against Japanese rule occurred during the first 20 years of colonial rule. This period of resistance is usually divided into three stages: the defense of the Republic of FormosaRepublic of Formosa
The Republic of Formosa was a short-lived republic that existed on the island of Taiwan in 1895 between the formal cession of Taiwan by the Qing Dynasty of China to the Empire of Japan by the Treaty of Shimonoseki and its invasion and occupation by Japanese troops...
; guerilla warfare following the collapse of the Republic; and a final stage between the Beipu Uprising
Beipu Uprising
The Beipu Incident, also called the Beipu Uprising of 1907 was the first instance of an armed local uprising against the Japanese occupation of Taiwan...
of 1907, and the Tapani Incident of 1915. Afterwards, armed resistance was mostly replaced by peaceful forms of cultural and political activism, with the notable exception of the Wushe Incident
Wushe Incident
The Wushe Incident or Wushe Event or Wushe Revolution / Rebellion / Uprising / Insurrection of 1930 was the last major uprising against colonial Japanese forces in Taiwan...
in 1930 which resulted in the massacre of Atayal tribespeople.
Republic of Formosa
Treaty of Shimonoseki
The Treaty of Shimonoseki , known as the Treaty of Maguan in China, was signed at the Shunpanrō hall on April 17, 1895, between the Empire of Japan and Qing Empire of China, ending the First Sino-Japanese War. The peace conference took place from March 20 to April 17, 1895...
caused a massive uproar in Taiwan. On May 25, 1895, a group of pro-Qing officials and local gentry declared independence from China, proclaiming a new Republic of Formosa
Republic of Formosa
The Republic of Formosa was a short-lived republic that existed on the island of Taiwan in 1895 between the formal cession of Taiwan by the Qing Dynasty of China to the Empire of Japan by the Treaty of Shimonoseki and its invasion and occupation by Japanese troops...
with the goal of keeping Taiwan under Qing rule, choosing then Qing governor Tang Ching-sung
Tang Ching-sung
Tang Ching-sung was a Chinese general and statesman. He commanded the Yunnan Army in the Sino-French War , and made an important contribution to China's military effort in Tonkin by persuading the Black Flag leader Liu Yung-fu to serve under Chinese command...
as their reluctant president. Japanese forces landed
Japanese invasion of Taiwan (1895)
The Japanese invasion of Taiwan was a conflict between the Empire of Japan and the armed forces of the short-lived Republic of Formosa following the Qing Dynasty's cession of Taiwan to Japan in April 1895 at the end of the First Sino-Japanese War...
in Keelung
Keelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...
on May 29, taking the city on June 3. President Tang and his Vice-President Chiu Feng-jia
Feng Chia University
Feng Chia University is a private university in Taichung, Taiwan. It was named after Chiu Feng-Chia , one of the leaders of the military resistance against the Japanese invasion of Taiwan in 1895.-History:In the 1950s, some of the gentry in the central Taiwan area proposed to establish one...
fled the island for mainland China the following day. In late June, remaining supporters of the new Republic gathered in Tainan, selecting Liu Yung-fu
Liu Yung-fu
Liu Yongfu was a Chinese soldier of fortune and commander of the celebrated Black Flag Army. Liu won fame as a Chinese patriot fighting against the French in northern Vietnam in the 1870s and early 1880s...
as the second president. The local Taiwanese Han militia units were mobilized to counter the Japanese occupation. After a series of bloody battles between Japanese and Republic forces which resulted in horrendous Taiwanese casualties, the Japanese successfully seized Tainan by late October. Shortly afterwards, President Liu fled Taiwan for mainland China bringing the 184 day history of the Republic to a close.
Guerrillas
Following the collapse of the Republic of Formosa, Japanese Governor-General Kabayama Sukenori reported to Tokyo that "the island is secured", and proceeded to begin the task of administration. However, in December a series of anti-Japanese uprisings occurred in northern Taiwan, and would continue to occur at a rate of roughly one per month. By 1902, however, most anti-Japanese activity amongst the ethnic Chinese population had died down. Along the way, 14,000 Taiwanese, or 0.5% of the population had been killed. Taiwan would remain relatively calm until the Beipu Uprising in 1907. The reason for the five years of calm is generally attributed to the Colonial Government's dual policy of active suppression and public works. Under this carrot and stick approach, most locals chose to watch and wait.Tapani Incident
Wushe Incident
Perhaps the most famous of all of the anti-Japanese uprisings is the Wushe IncidentWushe Incident
The Wushe Incident or Wushe Event or Wushe Revolution / Rebellion / Uprising / Insurrection of 1930 was the last major uprising against colonial Japanese forces in Taiwan...
, which occurred in the mostly aboriginal region of Musha (霧社, Pinyin: Wushe) in Taichū Prefecture (located in modern day Nantou County
Nantou County
Nantou County is the second largest county of Taiwan. It is also the only landlocked county in Taiwan. Its name derives from the Hoanya Taiwanese aboriginal word Ramtau. Nantou County is officially administered as a county of Taiwan....
). On October 27, 1930, following escalation of an incident in which a Japanese police officer insulted a tribesman, over 300 Atayal aborigines under Chief Mono Rudao attacked Japanese residents in the area. In the ensuing violence, 134 Japanese nationals and two ethnic Han Taiwanese were killed, and 215 Japanese nationals injured. Many of the victims were attending an athletic festival at Musyaji Elementary School. In response, the Colonial Government ordered a military crackdown. In the two months that followed, most of the insurgents were either killed or committed suicide, along with their family members or fellow tribesmen. Several members of the government resigned over the incident, which proved to be the most violent of the uprisings during Japanese rule.
Economic and educational development
Technocracy (bureaucratic)
Technocracy is a form of government where technical experts are in control of decision making in their respective fields. Economists, engineers, scientists, health professionals, and those who have knowledge, expertise or skills would compose the governing body...
in the colonial government. With the Colonial Government as the primary driving force, as well as new immigrants from the Japanese Home Islands
Japanese Archipelago
The , which forms the country of Japan, extends roughly from northeast to southwest along the northeastern coast of the Eurasia mainland, washing upon the northwestern shores of the Pacific Ocean...
, Taiwanese society was sharply divided between the rulers and the ruled.
Under the constant control of the colonial government, aside from a few small incidents during the earlier years of Japanese rule, Taiwanese society was mostly very stable. While the tactics of repression used by the Colonial Government were often very heavy handed, locals who cooperated with the economic and educational policies of the Governor-General saw a significant improvement in their standard of living. As a result, the population and living standards of Taiwan during the 50 years of Japanese rule displayed significant growth.
Economic
Taiwan's economy during Japanese rule was for the most part, a standard colonial economy. Namely, the human and natural resources of Taiwan were used to aid the development of Japan, a policy which began under Governor-General Kodama and reached its peak in 1943, in the middle of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. From 1900 - 1920, Taiwan's economy was dominated by the sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
industry, while from 1920 - 1930, rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
was the primary export. During these two periods, the primary economic policy of the Colonial Government was "industry for Japan, agriculture for Taiwan". After 1930, due to war needs the Colonial Government began to pursue a policy of industrialization. Under the 7th governor, Akashi Motojiro, a vast swamp in central Taiwan was transformed into a huge dam in order to build a hydraulic power plant for industrialization. The dam and its surrounding area, widely known as Sun Moon Lake
Sun Moon Lake
Sun Moon Lake is the largest body of water in Taiwan as well as a tourist attraction. Situated in Yuchi, Nantou, the area around the Sun Moon Lake is home to the Thao tribe, one of aboriginal tribes in Taiwan. Sun Moon Lake surrounds a tiny island called Lalu...
(Nichigetsutan) today, has become a must-see for foreign tourists visiting Taiwan.
Although the main focus of each of these periods differed, the primary goal throughout the entire time was increasing Taiwan's productivity to satisfy demand within Japan, a goal which was successfully achieved. As part of this process, new ideas, concepts, and values were introduced to the Taiwanese; also, several public works projects, such as railways, public education, and telecommunications, were implemented. As the economy grew, society stabilized, politics was gradually liberalized, and popular support for the colonial government began to increase. Taiwan thus served as a showcase for Japan's propaganda on the colonial efforts throughout Asia, as displayed during the 1935 Taiwan Exposition.
Fiscal
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
opened a small office in Kirun (Keelung
Keelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...
). By June of the following year the Governor-General had granted permission for the bank to establish the first Western-style banking system in Taiwan.
In March 1897, the Japanese Diet passed the "Taiwan Bank Act", establishing the Bank of Taiwan
Bank of Taiwan
The Bank of Taiwan is a bank headquartered in Taipei, Republic of China . It is administered and owned by the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China.-History:...
, which began operations in 1899. In addition to normal banking duties, the Bank would also be responsible for minting the currency
Currency
In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
used in Taiwan throughout Japanese rule.
To maintain fiscal stability, the Colonial Government proceeded to charter several other banks, credit unions, and other financial organizations which helped to keep inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
in check.
Compulsory education
As part of the colonial government's overall goal of keeping the anti-Japanese movement in check, public educationPublic education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
became an important mechanism for facilitating both control and intercultural dialogue. While secondary education
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
institutions were restricted mostly to Japanese nationals, the impact of compulsory primary education
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
on the Taiwanese was immense.
On July 14, 1895, Isawa Shūji was appointed as the first Education Minister, and proposed that the Colonial Government implement a policy of compulsory primary education for children (a policy that had not even been implemented in Japan at the time). The Colonial Government established the first Western-style primary school in Taipei (the modern day Shilin Elementary School) as an experiment. Satisfied with the results, the government ordered the establishment of fourteen language schools in 1896, which were later upgraded to become public schools. During this period, schools were segregated by ethnicity. Kōgakkō (公學校, Public Schools) were established for Taiwanese children, while shōgakkō (小學校, Elementary Schools) were restricted to the children of Japanese nationals. Schools for aborigines were also established in aboriginal areas. Criteria were established for teacher selection, and several teacher training schools such as Taihoku Normal School
National Taiwan Normal University
National Taiwan Normal University is an institution of higher learning operating on three campuses in Taipei, Taiwan . NTNU is widely recognized as one of Taiwan's elite institutions of higher education. The university enrolls approximately 11,000 students each year. The ratio of undergraduate to...
were founded. Secondary and post-secondary educational institutions, such as Taihoku Imperial University were also established, but access was restricted primarily to Japanese nationals. The emphasis for locals was placed on vocational education
Vocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
, to help increase productivity.
The education system was finally desegregated in March 1941, when all schools (except for a few aboriginal schools) were reclassified as kokumin gakkō (國民學校, National Schools), open to all students regardless of ethnicity. Education was compulsory for children between the ages of eight and fourteen. Subjects taught included Morals (修身, shūshin), Composition (作文, sakubun), Reading (讀書, dokusho), Writing (習字, shūji), Mathematics (算術, sanjutsu), Singing (唱歌, shōka), and Physical Education (體操, taisō).
By 1944, there were 944 primary schools in Taiwan with total enrollment rates of 71.3% for Taiwanese children, 86.4% for aboriginal children, and 99.6% for Japanese children in Taiwan. As a result, primary school enrollment rates in Taiwan were among the highest in Asia, second only to Japan itself.
Population
As part of the emphasis placed on governmental control, the Colonial Government performed detailed censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
es of Taiwan every five years starting in 1905. Statistics showed a population growth rate of 0.988 to 2.835% per year throughout Japanese rule. In 1905, the population of Taiwan was roughly 3.03 million; by 1940 the population had grown to 5.87 million, and by the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1946 it numbered 6.09 million.
Transportation developments
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
s. As a result, reliable transit links were established between the northern and southern ends of the island, supporting the increasing population.
Railways
After Taiwan was ceded to Japan, the push car railwaysTaiwanese push car railways
Taiwanese push car railways were a historic transportation system on Taiwan, based on Japan's daisha push car railways. After Taiwan was ceded to Japan, the push car system was brought to Taiwan. The push car railways were in general service from 1895 to the late 1940s...
was brought to Taiwan. The push car railways were in general service from 1895 to the late 1940s.
The Railway Ministry (predecessor of the modern Taiwan Railway Administration
Taiwan Railway Administration
The Taiwan Railway Administration is an agency of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of China responsible for managing, maintaining, and running passenger and freight service on 1097 km of conventional railroad lines in Taiwan...
) was established on November 8, 1899, beginning a period of rapid expansion of the island's rail network. Perhaps the greatest achievement of this era was the completion of the Western Line, linking the major cities along the western corridor in 1908, reducing the travel time between northern and southern Taiwan from several days to a single day.
Also constructed during this time were the Tansui Line (淡水線, today the Tamsui Line of the Taipei Metro), Giran Line (宜蘭線, Yilan Line), Heitō Line (屏東線, Pingtung Line
Pingtung Line
The Pingtung Line is a line of the Taiwan Railway Administration. It is 61.3 km long, of which 20.9 km is double track. -History:This railroad was completed in 1941.It is electrified with two tracks from Kaohsiung to Pingtung....
), and Tōkō Line (東港線, Donggang Line). Several private rail lines were also incorporated into the state owned system. Industrial lines such as the Alishan Forest Railway
Alishan Forest Railway
The Alishan Forest Railway is an 86 km network of narrow-gauge railways running up to and throughout the popular mountain resort of Alishan in Chiayi County, Taiwan...
were also built. Plans were also drawn up for the North-Link Line
North-Link Line
The North-Link Line is the central section of the Eastern Line of the Taiwan Railway Administration. It has a total length of 86.6 km, including the 7.4 km segment between Beipu and Hualien Port. -History:...
, South-Link Line
South-Link Line
The South-Link Line is a line of the Taiwan Railway Administration running along the south end of the island of Taiwan, connecting the eastern and western coasts. It is 98.2 km long, of which 81.4 km is single track...
, as well as a line running through the mountains of central Taiwan, but were never realized due to technical difficulties as well as the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Private railways such as the Taiwan Sugar Railways
Taiwan Sugar Railways
The Taiwan Sugar Railways were an extensive series of gauge narrow gauge railways concentrated mostly in southern and central Taiwan which were originally built to haul sugarcane from the fields to the sugar mills, but also capable of providing limited passenger service.-Operations:Typically,...
(built to support the sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
industry), were also built.
Like many other government offices, the Railway Ministry was headed by technocrats
Technocracy (bureaucratic)
Technocracy is a form of government where technical experts are in control of decision making in their respective fields. Economists, engineers, scientists, health professionals, and those who have knowledge, expertise or skills would compose the governing body...
. Many of the railways constructed during Japanese rule continue to be used today.
Highways
Compared to the rapid development of the rail system, the highway system saw much less attention. However, faced with increasing competition from motorcars, the Railway Ministry began purchasing and confiscating roads running parallel to railways.Bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
service was available in urban areas, but since the cities in Taiwan were quite small at the time, they remained secondary to rail service. Most bus routes of the time centered on local railway stations.
Social policy
"Three Bad Habits"
The "Three Bad Habits" (三大陋習) considered by the Office of the Governor-General to be archaic and unhealthy were the use of opiumOpium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
, foot binding
Foot binding
Foot binding was the custom of binding the feet of young girls painfully tight to prevent further growth. The practice probably originated among court dancers in the early Song dynasty, but spread to upper class families and eventually became common among all classes. The tiny narrow feet were...
, and the wearing of queues
Queue (hairstyle)
The queue or cue is a hairstyle in which the hair is worn long and gathered up into a ponytail. It was worn traditionally by certain Native American groups and the Manchu of Manchuria.-Manchu Queue:...
. Much like mainland China in the late 19th century, opium addiction was a serious social problem in Taiwan, with some statistics suggesting that over half of the ethnic Chinese population of Taiwan were users of the drug. The intentional disfigurement of female feet through binding were common to mainland Chinese and Taiwanese society at the time, and the queue hairstyle worn by the male population was forced upon Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
by the Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
rulers of the Qing Dynasty (Queue Order).
Opium
Shortly after acquiring Taiwan in 1895, then Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
Itō Hirobumi
Ito Hirobumi
Prince was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan , genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist who was against the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire...
ordered that opium should be banned in Taiwan as soon as possible. However, due to the pervasiveness of opium addiction in Taiwanese society at the time, and the social and economic problems caused by complete prohibition, the initial hard line policy was relaxed in a few years. On January 21, 1897, the Colonial Government issued the Taiwan Opium Edict mandating a government monopoly of the opium trade, and restricting the sale of opium to those with government issued permits, with the ultimate goal of total abolition. The number of opium addicts in Taiwan quickly dropped from millions to 169,064 in 1900 (6.3% of the total population at the time), and 45,832 (1.3% of the population) by 1921. However, the numbers were still higher than those in nations where opium was completely prohibited. It was generally believed that one important factor behind the Colonial Government's reluctance to completely ban opium was the potential profit to be made through a state run narcotics monopoly.
In 1921, the Taiwanese People's Party
Taiwanese People's Party
The Taiwanese People's Party , founded 1927, was nominally Taiwan's first political party, preceding the founding of the Taiwanese Communist Party by nine months...
accused colonial authorities before the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
of being complacent in the addiction of over 40,000 people, while making a profit off opium sales. To avoid controversy, the Colonial Government issued the New Taiwan Opium Edict on December 28, and related details of the new policy on January 8 of the following year. Under the new laws, the number of opium permits issued was decreased, a rehabilitation clinic was opened in Taipei, and a concerted anti-drug campaign launched.
Foot binding
Foot bindingFoot binding
Foot binding was the custom of binding the feet of young girls painfully tight to prevent further growth. The practice probably originated among court dancers in the early Song dynasty, but spread to upper class families and eventually became common among all classes. The tiny narrow feet were...
was a practice fashionable in Ming
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
and Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
China. Young girls' feet, usually at age six but often earlier, were wrapped in tight bandages so they could not grow normally, would break and become deformed as they reached adulthood. The feet would remain small and dysfunctional, prone to infection
Infection
An infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
, paralysis
Paralysis
Paralysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. A study conducted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggests that about 1 in 50 people have been diagnosed...
, and muscular atrophy
Atrophy
Atrophy is the partial or complete wasting away of a part of the body. Causes of atrophy include mutations , poor nourishment, poor circulation, loss of hormonal support, loss of nerve supply to the target organ, disuse or lack of exercise or disease intrinsic to the tissue itself...
. While such feet were considered by some to be beautiful, others considered the practice to be archaic and barbaric. In concert with community leaders, the Colonial Government launched an anti-foot binding campaign in 1901. The practice was formally banned in 1915, with violators subject to heavy punishment. Foot binding in Taiwan died out quickly afterwards.
Queue
The Colonial Government took comparatively less action on queuesQueue (hairstyle)
The queue or cue is a hairstyle in which the hair is worn long and gathered up into a ponytail. It was worn traditionally by certain Native American groups and the Manchu of Manchuria.-Manchu Queue:...
. While social campaigns against wearing queues were launched, no edicts or laws were issued on the subject. With the fall of the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
in 1911, the popularity of queues also decreased.
Urban planning
The Colonial Government initially focused on pressing needs such as sanitationSanitation
Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes. Hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal feces, solid wastes, domestic...
and military fortifications. Plans for urban development began to be issued in 1899, calling for a five year development plan for most medium and large sized cities. The first phase of urban redevelopment focused on the construction and improvement of roads. In Taihoku (Taipei), the old city walls were demolished, and the new Seimonchō (西門町) (modern Ximending
Ximending
Ximending is a neighborhood and shopping district in the Wanhua District of Taipei, Taiwan. It was the first pedestrian zone in Taiwan.-Overview:...
) area was developed for new Japanese immigrants.
The second phase of urban development began in 1901, focusing on the areas around the South and East Gates of Taihoku (Taipei) and the areas around the railway station in Taichū (Taichung). Primary targets for improvement included roads and drainage systems
Storm drain
A storm drain, storm sewer , stormwater drain or drainage well system or simply a drain or drain system is designed to drain excess rain and ground water from paved streets, parking lots, sidewalks, and roofs. Storm drains vary in design from small residential dry wells to large municipal systems...
, in preparation for the arrival of more Japanese immigrants.
Another phase began in August 1905 and also included Tainan. By 1917, urban redevelopment programs were in progress in over seventy cities and towns throughout Taiwan. Many of the urban plans laid out during these programs continue to be used in Taiwan today.
Public health
In the early years of Japanese rule, the Colonial Government ordered the construction of public clinics throughout Taiwan and brought in doctors from Japan to halt the spread of infectious diseaseInfectious disease
Infectious diseases, also known as communicable diseases, contagious diseases or transmissible diseases comprise clinically evident illness resulting from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic biological agents in an individual host organism...
. The drive was successful in eliminating diseases such as malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
, and tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
from the island. The public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
system throughout the years of Japanese rule was dominated primarily by small local clinics rather than large central hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s, a situation which would remain constant in Taiwan until the 1980s.
The Colonial Government also expended a great deal of effort in developing an effective sanitation system
Sanitation
Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes. Hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal feces, solid wastes, domestic...
for Taiwan. British experts were hired to design storm drains and sewage systems. The expansion of streets and sidewalks, as well as building codes calling for windows allowing for air flow, mandatory neighborhood cleanups, and quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
of the ill also helped to improve public health.
Public health education also became important in schools as well as in law enforcement. The Taihoku Imperial University also established a Tropical Medicine Research Center, and formal training for nurses.
Aborigines
According to the 1905 census, the aboriginalTaiwanese aborigines
Taiwanese aborigines is the term commonly applied in reference to the indigenous peoples of Taiwan. Although Taiwanese indigenous groups hold a variety of creation myths, recent research suggests their ancestors may have been living on the islands for approximately 8,000 years before major Han...
population included 450,000+ plains aborigines, almost completely assimilated into Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
society, and 300,000+ mountain aborigines. Japanese aboriginal policy focused primarily on the unassimilated latter group, known in Japanese as Takasago-zoku (高砂族).
The aborigines were subject to modified versions of criminal
Criminal law
Criminal law, is the body of law that relates to crime. It might be defined as the body of rules that defines conduct that is not allowed because it is held to threaten, harm or endanger the safety and welfare of people, and that sets out the punishment to be imposed on people who do not obey...
and civil law
Civil law (legal system)
Civil law is a legal system inspired by Roman law and whose primary feature is that laws are codified into collections, as compared to common law systems that gives great precedential weight to common law on the principle that it is unfair to treat similar facts differently on different...
. As with the rest of the Taiwanese population, the ultimate goal of the Colonial Government was to assimilate the aborigines into Japanese society through a dual policy of suppression and education. Japanese education of the aborigines bloomed during WWII, who proved to be the most daring soldiers the empire had ever produced. Their legendary bravery is celebrated by Japanese veterans even today. Many of them would say they owe their survival to the "Takasago Hei."
Religion
Under these circumstances, existing Buddhist temples in Taiwan were expanded and modified to accommodate Japanese elements of the religion, such as worship of Ksitigarbha
Ksitigarbha
Ksitigarbha is a bodhisattva primarily revered in East Asian Buddhism, usually depicted as a Buddhist monk in the Orient. The name may be translated as "Earth Treasury", "Earth Store", "Earth Matrix", or "Earth Womb"...
(popular in Japan but not Taiwan at the time). The Japanese also constructed several new Buddhist temples throughout Taiwan, many of which also ended up combining aspects of Daoism and Confucianism
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
, a mix which still persists in Taiwan today.
In 1937 with the beginning of the Kōminka movement, the government began the promotion of Shintoism and the limited restriction of other religions.
Culture
After 1915, armed resistance against the Japanese colonial government nearly ceased. Instead, spontaneous social movements became popular. The Taiwanese people organized various modern political, cultural and social clubs, adopting political consciousness with clear intentions to unite people with sympathetic sensibilities. This motivated them to strive for the common targets set up by the social movements. These movements also encouraged improvements in social culture.Besides Taiwanese literature, which connected with the social movements of the time, the aspect of Western culture which Taiwan most successfully adopted was the arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
. Many famous works of art came out during this time.
Popular culture led by movies, popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
and puppet theater prevailed for the first time in Taiwan during this period.
Literature
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
restructured Enlightenment Society and established the New People Society. This was the prelude for various political and social movements. Many new publications, such as "Taiwanese Literature & Art" (1934) and "New Taiwanese Literature" (1935), were started shortly thereafter. These led to the onset of the vernacular movement in Taiwan as they broke away from the classical forms of ancient poetry. Many scholars acknowledge possible connections of this movement with the May Fourth Movement
May Fourth Movement
The May Fourth Movement was an anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement growing out of student demonstrations in Beijing on May 4, 1919, protesting the Chinese government's weak response to the Treaty of Versailles, especially the Shandong Problem...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
These literature movements did not disappear when they were repressed by the Japanese governor. In the early 1930s, a famous debate on Taiwanese rural language unfolded formally. This event had numerous lasting effects on Taiwanese literature, language and racial consciousness.
In 1930, Taiwanese-Japanese resident Huang Shihui
Huang Shihui
Huang Shihui , born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. He was a writer and a supporter of leftist movements. The debate on Taiwanese Hokkien literature which he started during the Japanese rule of Taiwan enlightened the development of Taiwanese rural literature....
started the debate on rural literature in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. He advocated that Taiwanese literature should be about Taiwan, have impact on a wide audience, and use Taiwanese Hokkien. In 1931, a resident in Taipei named Guo Qiusen
Guo Qiusen
Guo Qiusen , born in Hsinchuang, Taipei. As a famous writer, his pseudonym was Qiusen. He was a strong supporter of the language movement started by Huang Shihui....
prominently supported Huang's viewpoint. Guo started the Taiwanese Rural Language Debate, which advocated literature published in Taiwanese. This was immediately supported by Lai He
Lai He
Lai He was a poet who was born in Changhua, Taiwan. He was a medical doctor but had enormous fame in literature. His poetry works were especially praised, and Lai was commonly known as one of Taiwan's most representative poets.-Early life:Lai's work can broadly be divided into three phases...
, considered the father of Taiwanese literature. After this, dispute as to whether the literature of Taiwan should use Taiwanese or Mandarin Chinese
Standard Mandarin
Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
, and whether or not the subject matter should concern Taiwan, became the focus of the New Taiwan Literature Movement. However, because of the upcoming war and the pervasive Japanese cultural education, these debates could not develop any further. They finally lost traction under the Japanization policy set by the government.
In the two years after 1934, progressive Taiwanese writers gathered up and established the Association of Taiwanese Literature and Art and New Taiwanese Literature
New Taiwanese Literature
New Taiwanese Literature, also referred to as Taiwanese New Literature or by the Japanese name Taiwan Shinbungaku, was a literary magazine published briefly during the period of Japanese rule over Taiwan...
. This literature and art movement was political in its implications. After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident
Marco Polo Bridge Incident
The Marco Polo Bridge Incident was a battle between the Republic of China's National Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Japanese Army, often used as the marker for the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War .The eleven-arch granite bridge, Lugouqiao, is an architecturally significant structure,...
in 1937, the government of Taiwan immediately instituted "National Spirit General Moblization", which formally commenced the Japanization policy. Taiwanese writers could then only rely on organizations dominated by Japanese writers, e.g. the "Taiwanese Poet Association", established in 1939, and the "Association of Taiwanese Literature & Art", expanded in 1940.
Taiwanese literature focused mainly on the Taiwanese spirit and the essence of Taiwanese culture. Ordinary as it seems, it was actually a revolution made possibly by political and social movements. People in literature and the arts began to think about issues of Taiwanese culture, and attempted to establish a culture that truly belonged to Taiwan.
Western art
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
, the concept of Western art did not exist in Taiwan. Painting was not a highly respected occupation, and even Chinese landscape painting was undeveloped. When the Japanese occupied Taiwan in 1895, they brought in a new educational system which introduced Western and Japanese art education. This not only set the basis for the future development of art appreciation in Taiwan, it also produced various famous artists. Painter and instructor Ishikawa Kinichiro
Ishikawa Kinichiro
born in Shizuoka, Japan. He came to Taiwan for educational purpose various times, and is recognized as the torchbearer of modern Taiwanese Western art....
contributed immensely in planning the training of new art teachers. He personally instructed students and encouraged them to travel to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to learn the more sophisticated techniques of art.
In 1926, a Taiwanese student in Japan named Chen Chengbo published a work titled Outside of Chiayi Street (see left). His work was selected for display in the seventh Imperial Japanese Exhibition. This was the first Western style work by a Taiwanese artist to be included in a Japanese exhibition. Many other works were subsequently featured in the Imperial Japanese Exhibitions and other exhibitions. These successes made it easier for the arts to become widespread in Taiwan. Ironically, the Japanese-appreciated Chen was executed by the Chinese after WWII without trial for being a "bandit."
What really established the arts in Taiwan was the introduction of official Japanese exhibitions in Taiwan. In 1927, the governor of Taiwan, along with artists Ishikawa Kinichiro, Shiotsuki Toho and Kinoshita Shizukishi established the Taiwanese Art Exhibition. This exhibition was held sixteen times from 1938 to 1945. It cultivated the first generation of Taiwanese western artists. The regional Taiwanese art style developed by the exhibition still affected various fields, e.g. art, art design and engineering design, even after the war.
Cinema
Cinema of Taiwan
The history of Chinese-language cinema has three separate threads of development: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of Mainland China and Cinema of Taiwan . Taiwanese cinema grew up outside of the Hong Kong mainstream and the censorship of the People's Republic of China.Taiwanese cinema is deeply rooted...
was influenced immensely by Japanese cinema. Because of Taiwan's status as a Japanese colony, the traditions of Japanese movies were generally accepted by Taiwanese producers. For instance, the use of a benshi
Benshi
were Japanese performers who provided live narration for silent films . Benshi are sometimes also called or .-Role of the benshi:...
(narrator of silent films), which was a very important component of the film-going experience in Japan, was adopted and renamed benzi by the Taiwanese. This narrator was very different from its equivalent in the Western world. It rapidly evolved into a star system. In fact, people would go to see the very same film narrated by different benshi
Benshi
were Japanese performers who provided live narration for silent films . Benshi are sometimes also called or .-Role of the benshi:...
, to hear the other benshi's interpretation. A romance could become a comedy or a drama, depending on the narrator's style and skills.
The first Taiwan-made film was a documentary produced in February 1907 by Takamatsu Toyojiro, with a group of photographers that travelled through various areas in Taiwan. Their production was called "Description of Taiwan", and it covered through subjects such as city construction, electricity, agriculture, industry, mining, railways, education, landscapes, traditions, and conquest of aborigines. The first movie drama produced by Taiwanese was called "Whose Fault?" in 1925, produced by the Association of Taiwanese Cinema Research. Other types of films including educational pieces, newsreels and propaganda also helped form the mainstream of local Taiwanese movie productions until the defeat of Japan in 1945. Sayon's Bell
Sayon's Bell
was a 1943 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Hiroshi Shimizu and based on the true story of a 17-year old Atayal girl called Sayun Hayun from Nan'oku village, Giran district, Taihoku Prefecture who went missing and thought to have drowned whilst helping carry the luggage of her teacher...
, which depicted an aboriginal maid helping Japanese, was a symbolic production that represents these types of films.
In 1908, Takamatsu Toyojiro settled in Taiwan and began to construct theaters in the main cities. Takamatsu also signed with several Japanese and foreign movie companies, and set up institutionalized movie publication. In 1924, theaters in Taiwan imported advanced intertitle
Intertitle
In motion pictures, an intertitle is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of the photographed action, at various points, generally to convey character dialogue, or descriptive narrative material related to, but not necessarily covered by, the material photographed.Intertitles...
technique from Japan, and the cinema in Taiwan grew more prominent. On October 1935, a celebration of the fortieth year anniversary of annexation in Taiwan was held. The year after, Taipei and Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
were connected by airway. These two events pushed the Taiwanese cinema into its golden age.
Popular music
Popular music in Taiwan was established in the 1930s. Although published recordsGramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
and popular songs
Popular Songs
Popular Songs is the twelfth full-length album by Hoboken-based rock band Yo La Tengo, released digitally, on CD, and double LP on September 8, 2009. It is their 7th album released on Matador and the eighth album to be given Matador's Buy Early Get Now treatment...
already existed in Taiwan before 1930s, the quality and popularity of most of them was very poor. This was mainly because popular songs at the time differed slightly from traditional music like folk songs and Taiwanese opera
Taiwanese opera
Taiwanese opera is the only form of Han traditional drama known to have originated in Taiwan. The language used is a stylized combination of both literary and colloquial registers of Taiwanese. Its earliest form adopted elements of folk songs from Zhangzhou, Fujian, China...
. However, because of the rapid development of cinema
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and broadcasting
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
during the 1930s, new popular songs
Popular Songs
Popular Songs is the twelfth full-length album by Hoboken-based rock band Yo La Tengo, released digitally, on CD, and double LP on September 8, 2009. It is their 7th album released on Matador and the eighth album to be given Matador's Buy Early Get Now treatment...
that stepped away from traditional influences began to appear and become widespread in a short period of time.
The first accepted eminent popular song in Taiwan collocated with the Chinese movie, Peach Blossom Weeps Tears of Blood
Peach Blossom Weeps Tears of Blood
Peach Blossom Weeps Tears of Blood is a 1931 silent film written and directed by Bu Wancang. The cast included some of the major movie stars of the periods including the Korean born actor Jin Yan and the actresses Ruan Lingyu and Zhou Lili...
(Tao hua qi xie ji). Produced by Lianhua Productions
Lianhua Film Company
The Lianhua Film Company was one of two major production companies based in Shanghai, China during the 1930s, the other being the Mingxing Film Company.-Names:...
, Peach Blossoms Weep Tears of Blood, starring Ruan Lingyu
Ruan Lingyu
Ruan Lingyu , born Ruan Fenggen , was a Chinese silent film actress. One of the most prominent Chinese film stars of the 1930s, her death at the age of 24 led her to become an icon of Chinese cinema.- Career :...
, screened in Taiwan theaters in 1932. Hoping to attract more Taiwanese viewers, the producers requested composers Zhan Tianma and Wang Yunfeng to compose a song with the same title. The song that came out was a major hit and achieved success in record sales. From this period on, Taiwanese popular music with the assistance of cinema began to rise.
Puppet theatre
Many Min NanMin Nan
The Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora....
speaking immigrants entered Taiwan during the 1750s, and with them they brought puppet theatre. The stories were based mainly on classical books and stage dramas, and were very refined. Artistry focused on the complexity of the puppet movements. Musical accompaniment was generally Nanguan
Nanguan
Nanguan is a style of Chinese classical music originating in the southern Chinese province of Fujian , and is also now highly popular in Taiwan, particularly Lukang.Fujian is a mountainous coastal province of China...
and Beiguan
Beiguan
Beiguan is a type of traditional music, melody and theatrical performance between the 17th and mid-20th centuries. It was widespread in Zhangzhou and Taiwan...
music. According to the Records of Taiwan Province, Nanguan was the earliest form of puppet theatre in Taiwan. Although this kind of puppet theatre fell out of the mainstream, it can still be found in a few troupes around Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
today.
Wuxia
Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
puppet theatre (i.e. based on martial arts) gradually developed. The stories were the main difference between traditional and wuxia puppet theatre. Based on new, popular wuxia novels, performances focused on the display of unique martial arts by the puppets. The representative figures during this era were Huang Haidai of Wuzhouyuan and Zhong Renxiang of Xinyige. This puppet genre began its development in Yunlin's Huwei
Huwei
Huwei is an urban township in Yunlin County, Taiwan. It has a population of about 67,000. Its seventeenth century name was Favorlang.Huwei was nicknamed the Capital of Sugar during the Japanese era in Taiwan....
and Xiluo towns, and was popularized in southern-central Taiwan. Huang Haidai's puppet theatre was narrated in Min Nan, and included poems, historical narrative, couplet
Couplet
A couplet is a pair of lines of meter in poetry. It usually consists of two lines that rhyme and have the same meter.While traditionally couplets rhyme, not all do. A poem may use white space to mark out couplets if they do not rhyme. Couplets with a meter of iambic pentameter are called heroic...
s and riddles. Its performance blended Beiguan, Nanguan, Luantan, Zhengyin, Gezai and Chaodiao music.
After the 1930s, the Japanization policy affected puppet theatre. The customary Chinese Beiguan was forbidden, and was replaced with Western music. The costumes and the puppets were a mixture of Japanese and Chinese style. The plays often included Japanese stories like Mitokomon and others, with the puppets dressed in Japanese clothing. Performances were presented in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
. These new linguistic and cultural barriers reduced public acceptance, but introduced techniques which subsequently influenced the future development of the Golden Light puppet theatre, including music and stage settings.
During this era, the world of puppet theatre in southern Taiwan had the Five Great Pillars and Four Great Celebrities. The "Five Great Pillars" referred to Huang Haidai, Zhong Renxiang, Huang Tianquan, Hu Jinzhu and Lu Chongyi; the "Four Great Celebrities" referred to Huang Tianchuan , Lu Chongyi, Li Tuyuan and Zheng Chuanming.
Baseball
The Japanese also brought baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
to Taiwan. There were baseball teams in elementary schools as well as public schools, and the Japanese built baseball fields such as Tainan Stadium. It became such a widespread sport that, by the early 1930s, nearly all major secondary schools and many primary schools had established representative baseball teams. The development of the game in Taiwan culminated when a team from Kagi Nōrin Gakkō
Kano baseball team
The Kano baseball team , officially the Kagi Nourin baseball team , was a Taiwanese baseball team established in 1928 during the Imperial Japanese period...
, an agriculture and forestry high school, ranked second in Japan’s “Kōshien” national high-school baseball tournament. One legacy of this era today is the existence of players such as the Nationals’ Chien-Ming Wang
Chien-Ming Wang
Chien-Ming Wang is a Taiwanese Major League Baseball pitcher. He was initially signed as an amateur free agent by the New York Yankees for the 2000 season, and played for the Staten Island Yankees...
, the Dodgers’ Hong-Chih Kuo
Hong-Chih Kuo
Hong-Chih Kuo is a Major League Baseball pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. When Kuo made his debut in , he became the fourth MLB player from Taiwan ....
, and Chien-Ming Chiang
Chien-Ming Chiang
Chiang Chien-ming, , is a starting pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball. He was initially signed at 2005, became the fifth Taiwanese Yomiuri Giants' players...
of the Yomiuri Giants
Yomiuri Giants
The are a professional baseball team based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. The team competes in the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top level of professional play in Japan. They play their home games in the Tokyo Dome, opened in 1988. The English-language press occasionally calls the...
in Japan.
Retrocession
With the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Taiwan was placed under the administrative control of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration was an international relief agency, largely dominated by the United States but representing 44 nations. Founded in 1943, it became part of the United Nations in 1945, was especially active in 1945 and 1946, and largely shut down...
(UNRRA) after 50 years of colonial rule by Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Chen Yi
Chen Yi (Kuomintang)
Chen Yi and later Gongqia , sobriquet Tuisu ; 1883 – June 18, 1950) was the Chief Executive and Garrison Commander of Taiwan after it was surrendered by Japan to the Republic of China, which acted on behalf of the Allied Powers, in 1945...
, the ROC Chief Executive of Taiwan, arrived on October 24, 1945 and received the last Japanese Governor-General, Andō Rikichi, who signed the document of surrender on the next day, which was proclaimed by Chen as "Retrocession Day". This turned out to be legally controversial since Japan did not renounce its sovereignty over Taiwan until April 28, 1952, with the coming into force of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, which further complicated the political status of Taiwan
Political status of Taiwan
The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu should remain effectively independent as territory of the Republic of China , become unified with the territories now governed by the People's Republic of China , or formally declare...
. As a result use of the term "Retrocession of Taiwan" (台灣光復, Táiwān guāngfù) is less common in modern Taiwan.
Background
At the Cairo ConferenceCairo Conference
The Cairo Conference of November 22–26, 1943, held in Cairo, Egypt, addressed the Allied position against Japan during World War II and made decisions about postwar Asia...
of 1943, the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
adopted a statement declaring that Japan will give up Taiwan at the end of the war. In April 1944, the ROC government at the wartime capital of Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
established the Taiwan Research Committee (台灣調查委員會, Táiwān diàochá wěiyuánhuì) with Chen Yi
Chen Yi (Kuomintang)
Chen Yi and later Gongqia , sobriquet Tuisu ; 1883 – June 18, 1950) was the Chief Executive and Garrison Commander of Taiwan after it was surrendered by Japan to the Republic of China, which acted on behalf of the Allied Powers, in 1945...
as chairman. Shortly afterwards, the committee reported its findings on the economy, politics, society, and military affairs of Taiwan to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
.
Following the war, opinion in the ROC government was split as to the administration of Taiwan. One faction supported treating Taiwan in the same way as other Chinese territories occupied by the Japanese during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, creating a Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province is one of the two administrative divisions referred to as provinces and is controlled by the Republic of China . The province covers approximately 73% of the territory controlled by the Republic of China...
. The other faction supported setting up a Special Administrative Region
Special administrative region (Republic of China)
In the subdivision of the Republic of China , "special administrative regions" were historically used to designate special areas, most of which were eventually converted into provinces...
in Taiwan with special military and police powers. In the end, Chiang Kai-shek chose to take Chen Yi's suggestion of creating a special 2000 man "Office of the Chief Executive of Taiwan Province" (台灣省行政長官公署, Táiwān-shěng xíngzhèng zhǎngguān gōngshǔ) to handle the transfer.
Japan formally surrendered
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
to the Allies on August 14, 1945. On August 29, Chiang Kai-shek appointed Chen Yi as Chief Executive of Taiwan Province, and announced the creation of the Office of the Chief Executive of Taiwan Province and Taiwan Garrison Command
Taiwan Garrison Command
The Taiwan Garrison Command was a secret police/state security body which existed under the Republic of China military on Taiwan. The agency was established at the end of World War II, and operated throughout the Cold War. It was disbanded on August 1, 1992....
on September 1, with Chen Yi also as the commander of the latter body. After several days of preparation, an advance party moved into Taipei on October 5, with more personnel from Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
and Chungking arriving between October 5 and October 24.
Surrender ceremony
The formal surrender occurred on the morning of October 25, 1945 in Taipei City Hall (modern Zhongshan HallZhongshan Hall
Zhongshan Hall is a historical building which originally functioned as the Taipei City Hall. It is located at 98 Yanping South Road in the Ximending neighborhood of the Zhongzheng District in downtown Taipei City, Taiwan...
). The Office of the Governor-General of Taiwan formally surrendered to Chen Yi
Chen Yi (Kuomintang)
Chen Yi and later Gongqia , sobriquet Tuisu ; 1883 – June 18, 1950) was the Chief Executive and Garrison Commander of Taiwan after it was surrendered by Japan to the Republic of China, which acted on behalf of the Allied Powers, in 1945...
representing the Commander in Chief of the Chinese Theatre
China Burma India Theater of World War II
China Burma India Theater was the name used by the United States Army for its forces operating in conjunction with British and Chinese Allied air and land forces in China, Burma, and India during World War II...
. On the same day, the Office of the Chief Executive began functioning from the building which now houses the ROC Executive Yuan
Executive Yuan
The Executive Yuan is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China , commonly known as "Taiwan".-Organization and structure:...
.
See also
- History of TaiwanHistory of TaiwanTaiwan was first populated by Negrito, and then Austronesian people. It was colonized by the Dutch in the 17th century, followed by an influx of Han Chinese including Hakka immigrants from areas of Fujian and Guangdong of mainland China, across the Taiwan Strait...
- Know Taiwan
- Japanese opium policy in Taiwan (1895–1945)
- Remains of Taipei prison wallsRemains of Taipei prison wallsThe remains of Taipei prison walls are located in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan at the end of Aiguo Road and Jinshan South Road adjacent to the current Taipei operations center for Chunghwa Telecom. Approximately 100 meters of wall exist on both sides of the Chunghwa Telecom property...
- Korea under Japanese ruleKorea under Japanese ruleKorea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
External links
Preceded by: Under Qing Dynasty rule Taiwan under Qing Dynasty rule The Qing Dynasty ruled Taiwan from 1683 to 1895. The Qing court sent an army led by general Shi Lang and annexed Taiwan in 1683.-History:Qing Emperor Kangxi annexed Taiwan because he wanted to remove the remaining resistance forces against the Qing Dynasty... 1683-1895 | History of Taiwan History of Taiwan Taiwan was first populated by Negrito, and then Austronesian people. It was colonized by the Dutch in the 17th century, followed by an influx of Han Chinese including Hakka immigrants from areas of Fujian and Guangdong of mainland China, across the Taiwan Strait... Under Japanese rule 1895-1945 | Succeeded by: Under Republic of China rule Taiwan after World War II Taiwan after World War II is the history of Taiwan which is ruled by the government of the Republic of China, since 25 October 1945 for present.-Early postwar society:... 1945-present |