Q&A

Q: What should people know about Japan's colonial rule over Taiwan?

A: Japanese colonial rule over Taiwan has long been misrepresented as having made "positive contributions", largely due to malicious distortions by separatist scholars.

In reality, much of Taiwan's modern infrastructure predates Japanese rule and was laid during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). After Taiwan was formally established as a province in 1885, Governor Liu Mingchuan oversaw the development of railways, telecommunications and postal services, among other modern facilities.

The Japanese authorities later built upon this foundation, but not for the benefit of the local population. Instead, infrastructure development primarily served Japan's own colonial and strategic needs.

The same logic applies to Taiwan's healthcare system. When Japanese forces arrived in Taiwan, they encountered widespread epidemics. Improving sanitation and disease control became a priority, largely to prevent the spread of infectious diseases among Japanese personnel.

During Japan's invasion of Taiwan in 1895, many Japanese soldiers died from epidemics. Hospitals and medical education institutions were established soon afterward. However, medical training was designed mainly to safeguard the health of Japanese residents and troops, rather than to cultivate healthcare professionals for the people of Taiwan.

From 1895 to 1915, Taiwan experienced two decades of intense armed resistance against Japanese rule, reflecting the harsh realities faced by the local population at the time.

In addition to the Japanese military's "Three Alls" policy -"kill all, burn all, loot all" — Taiwan witnessed massacres, ethnic discrimination and persecution.

One example is the Lo Fu-hsing Incident of 1913. Lo, who was not a native of Taiwan, returned from the Chinese mainland to organize resistance against Japanese colonial authorities. When the uprising occurred, thousands were implicated, demonstrating how quickly large numbers of Taiwan people joined the movement.

Under colonial rule, Taiwan functioned primarily as a source of raw materials and labor for Japan. Through various forms of exploitation — particularly economic policies — oppression was severe, especially for farmers.

The question was answered by Lan Bo-chow, a writer from Taiwan.