Asian Colonisation: The Case of Japan and Taiwan
Following the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895), Taiwan was ceded to Japan under the Treaty of Shimonoseki, signed on April 17, 1895. The treaty marked the “cession of the Liaotung Peninsula, the Pescadores, and Formosa to Japan” (McNamara, 1986). Taiwan was then colonised by the Japanese Empire until 1945, experiencing colonisation for 50 years.
The colonisation period can be roughly divided into 4 periods, 1895-1919 when the Japanese empire was trying to assimilate into Taiwan, 1919-1930 of further integration, 1930-1937 increase in coercion, and lastly 1937-1945 Kōminka movement of subjugation (Liao, 2006).
Taiwan was the first colony of the Japanese Empire. Special policies were implemented for the Japanese to understand how to rule a colony and to maximise their own benefits.
The Japanese colonial administration established a highly centralised government led by a Governor-General, who had overruling powers over military, economic, and social policies (Barclay, 2018). At the beginning of the colonisation in 1897-1898, Taiwan was divided into different policing zones under the “Three-Stage Defense System”(三段警備制), which classified areas into first-tier, second-tier, and third-tier security zones based on the level of control (黃昭堂, 2021). The Baojia system (保甲制度) was introduced as an important tool for social control. It stipulated that every ten households formed a Jia (甲), and every ten Jia constituted a Bao (保). Each Jia was led by a Jiazhang (甲長), while each Bao was overseen by a Baozheng (保正). All Baozheng and Jiazhang were elected by the local residents rather than appointed by the government. Their responsibilities included assisting in maintaining local order and promoting government policies. Moreover, to form a local surveillance network and suppress resistance, if one person committed a crime, the entire Baojia unit would be held accountable.
Social and Economic Transformations
Before Japanese rule, Taiwan’s economic condition was slightly better than other provinces in China and new technology of railways and telegraph had just begun to develop (Grajdanzev, 1942).
Japan launched an extensive modernisation campaign in Taiwan. This included land surveys, infrastructure projects, and urban planning efforts. The Japanese Empire marked the first in-depth population and geographical analysis of Taiwan. The Kodama-Gotō administration implemented a series of significant reforms and strategic investments aimed at developing Taiwan’s infrastructure on a large scale, their administration created an environment for easier market expansion (Han-Yu and Myers, 2011). Taiwan’s first large-scale industrial facilities were also built under Japanese supervision, including sugar refineries, hydroelectric plants, and railway networks.
The Japanese empire aimed to develop Taiwan as a large food source producer (Ho, 1975), hence efforts helping promote Taiwan’s agricultural technology and boosting its agrarian economy. Large amounts of sugar cane and food grains were produced and sold in the market. By 1920, Taiwan adopted major agricultural technologies and witnessed a huge improvement in output. By the 1930s, Taiwan had become a key agricultural supplier for Japan and Taiwan’s major export was agricultural products. The industry itself supported large-scale employment and generated high tax revenue for the Japanese (Myers, 1974).
Overall, the Taiwanese economy expanded with an average output rise of 42% every decade between 1911 and 1941, with the labour population largely increasing, reflected by a reduction in the death rate from 31.3% to 17.6% (Ho, 1975).
The Promotion of Japanese Language and Identity
One of the most difficult dilemmas faced by the Taiwanese under Japanese rule was the forced choice between Chinese and Japanese identity. Those who chose to retain their Chinese citizenship were left with no strong state support, with no government or navy to protect them(Grajdanzev, 1942). This left many Taiwan people being coerced into choosing a Japanese identity.
In 1937, after the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese Empire initiated a series of cultural mobilisation plans, the Kōminka (Imperialisation) movement. The goal was to fully integrate Taiwan into the Japanese empire, erasing its roots in Chinese culture and fostering loyalty. This included large-scale reforms such as the restructuring of temples, the ‘National Language Movement’ (Kokugo Undō), and the adoption of Japanese-style administrative practices. Households that demonstrated exemplary ‘Japanisation’, by speaking Japanese, adopting Japanese surnames, and participating in Shinto ceremonies, were designated as ‘National Language Families’ (Kokugo Katei) and publicly honored (Duus et al., 1996). Japanese was introduced as the primary language in schools, and by the late 1930s, speaking Taiwanese Hokkien or indigenous languages was discouraged or outright banned (Chou, 1991).
The Kominika Undo movement escalated into the Shiganhei Seidō (Imperial Subjects Service Movement), mobilizing Taiwanese manpower and resources to support Japan’s war efforts. Similar Kōminka policies were also enforced in Korea and Okinawa to further assimilate local populations (Chou, 1991). After 1942, more than 200,000 Taiwanese men were recruited for World War 2 (Barclay, 2020).
The End of Colonisation
Following Japan’s surrender to the Allied Powers, Taiwan, which had been under Japanese rule for fifty years, was officially handed over from the Government-General of Taiwan to the Republic of China (ROC). This transfer of power was formalised on October 25, 1945, in a ceremony known as Retrocession Day, during which the ROC formally gained administrative control over Taiwan (Barclay, 2020).
Legacy of the Colonisation
Taiwanese identity today reflects the layered history of colonisation. While Japan’s colonial rule ended in 1945, many aspects of Japanese influence, such as education systems, legal structures, and even culinary habits still persist in Taiwan. An obvious legacy of the colonisation was the infrastructure built and the language used in signs. Shoin-Zukuri, the type of Japanese architecture of temples, can still be seen in Taiwan, for example, in train stations and temples (Homma, 2012).
Chiayi Shinto Shrine in Chiayi Park
Moreover, other art cultures of music, art and entertainment in Taiwan are still widely influenced by Japanese culture. In some private Taiwanese universities, the Japanese language is greatly valued as part of the curriculum (Homma, 2012). The Japanese colonial government also established an education system that promoted literacy and modern schooling. While the curriculum during the colonial period aimed at assimilating Taiwanese students into Japanese culture, the emphasis on structured education led to a literacy rate higher than in many other parts of Asia at the time. The impact of this educational foundation continues to shape Taiwan’s high regard for academia and its strong emphasis on structured schooling.
The legacy of Japanese colonization in Taiwan is multifaceted, leaving an enduring impact on architecture, language, education, and culture. While Taiwan has developed its own distinct identity over the decades, many aspects of Japanese influence remain deeply embedded in daily life, reflecting a historical relationship that continues to evolve.
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