Japan’s 50-Year Rule Of Taiwan: Colonial Legacy And The People Left Behind | CNA Correspondent

Key Concepts

• Wii (灣生): Japanese people born in Taiwan during Japanese colonial rule (1895-1945).
• Colonial Legacy: The lasting impact of Japanese rule on Taiwan, including infrastructure, culture, and personal experiences.
• Imperial Japanese Army: The military force of Japan during its colonial period, in which many Taiwanese served.
• Post-War Identity: The challenges faced by Wii and Taiwanese soldiers in redefining their identities after Japan's surrender.
• Historical Memory: How the past is remembered and interpreted by different generations and groups, particularly regarding colonization.

Hisashi Nimoto's Story: A Wii's Homecoming

• Background: Hisashi Nimoto, a 93-year-old Wii, revisits Taiwan, where he lived during Japanese rule. One in three Taipei residents were Japanese during this time. Education was in Japanese, and districts were modeled after Japan.
• Family History: Nimoto's grandfather oversaw the building of the local railway, which powered Taiwan's economic development. His father started a sugarcane plantation in Tainan for Meiji Sugar.
• Forced Departure: After Japan's surrender, the Nimoto family was forced to leave Taiwan, allowed to bring only a case and a bag each.
• Resettlement in Japan: The family resettled in his grandfather's house in Japan, becoming outsiders.
• Preservation of Memory: Nimoto keeps his memories alive through photo albums and his connection to Taiwan.

Yudi Itto's Journey: Tracing Family Roots

• Motivation: After her mother's death, Yudi Itto, a daughter of Wii, seeks to uncover her family's history in Taiwan.
• Initial Clues: Itto uses her mother's birth certificate and descriptions to retrace her family's footsteps.
• Collaboration with Locals: Itto collaborates with Taiwanese individuals like One Chen An, who help her track down her ancestor's arrival point in Keelung.
• Keelung Port: Itto visits Keelung Port, where her grandfather landed in 1927 and from where her family left after the war.
• Family Home: Itto locates her family's nearly 100-year-old home in Taipei using Google Street View. The house was approved for preservation in 2023.
• Community Support: A neighbor, Ame Li, a painter, had immortalized Itto's family home in her art.
• Preservation Efforts: Itto works with Professor Juan to conserve historical houses, but her father's childhood home was demolished despite a petition.
• Church Records: Itto finds her parents' marriage records at the Century-old Chile Presbyterian Church, built for the Japanese and wealthy locals.
• Sharing Family Treasures: Itto loans and gives away family treasures, like wood block paintings by her grand uncle Koshiro Oni, to a gallery.
• Full Circle: Itto feels she has achieved her dream of painting a picture of that period of history, not just for her family, but also for the Taiwanese.

Victoria Jen's Investigation: Taiwanese Perspectives

• Post-War Devastation: Taiwan suffered devastating air strikes at the end of World War II, with Keelung being heavily bombed.
• Yang Fu Chan's Experience: Yang Fu Chan, a 104-year-old Taiwanese veteran of the Imperial Japanese Army, served in Singapore and was treated like any other Japanese soldier. He was imprisoned for seven years during the White Terror.
• Forgotten Soldiers: An estimated 30,000 Taiwanese soldiers never returned home, and their memories are often buried.
• Masawo Oyama's Story: Masawo Oyama, one of the youngest Taiwanese soldiers, trained as a suicide pilot and was later held in a Soviet labor camp. He passed himself off as Japanese to avoid persecution.
• Memorial in Yokohama: A memorial was erected in Yokohama for Taiwanese soldiers who died serving in the Japanese military.
• Elder Care Center: At Taipei Gyokulan Care Center, elderly Taiwanese speak freely in Japanese, which is often their first language.
• Colonial Legacy: Colonization brought progress but also control, repression, and violence, such as the 1915 Tapani incident.
• Modern Relations: Japan is Taiwan's third-largest trading partner, and the two sides share a closeness despite historical complexities.
• Youth Perspective: Many young Taiwanese born after colonization do not care much about this period in history.

Synthesis/Conclusion

The video explores the complex legacy of Japanese colonial rule in Taiwan through the personal stories of Wii and Taiwanese individuals. It highlights the challenges of identity, memory, and reconciliation in the aftermath of war and colonization. The stories of Hisashi Nimoto and Yudi Itto demonstrate the enduring connection of Wii to Taiwan, while the experiences of Taiwanese soldiers like Yang Fu Chan and Masawo Oyama reveal the diverse and often contradictory perspectives on this historical period. The video emphasizes the importance of preserving historical memory and fostering understanding between Japan and Taiwan.