Taiwan and Japan use railway diplomacy to strengthen cultural and technological ties through heritage preservation, tourism, and smart rail innovation. Unlike China’s debt-driven projects, their approach prioritises sustainability and soft power. Expanding collaborations into Southeast Asia and integrating AI-driven rail systems will enhance their influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Written by Wei-chi Chen. This article explores the terms “Black Cat” and “Black Dog” in colonial Taiwan during the 1920s and 30s. These terms, originating from a Taiwanese opera song, were used to translate the Japanese “moga” and “mobo,” describing emerging gender identities and a new social identity in modern urban culture. They also reflected a shift towards liberation and a contrast with existing gender norms at that time.
Written by Alex Yong Kang Chow. This article offers insights into the anti-imperial struggles of the Taiwanese and Hong Kong diasporas through the book Island X. This article contextualises the diaspora experiences historically through Cold War geopolitics and left-leaning activism since the 1970s.
Written by Ai-Ting Chung. This article examines the changing discourse around the Taoyuan Martyrs’ Shrine since it was built in 1938. The author argues that it demonstrates the transformation of Taiwan’s national identity shaped by coloniality and the impact of neoliberalism in turning identity as consumable products.
Written by Zeng Ee Liew. The term ‘colonial nostalgia’, or 戀殖 (lian zhi), has appeared more and more since the 2000s in the discourse used by Mainland China to describe the politicians or activists who advocate for democracy or even independence in both Taiwan and Hong Kong. Very often, those democracy or independence activists will be described as ‘traitors’ who still harbour lingering love or affection and pander to the former Western or Japanese colonial power and fail to show full patriotic love to the motherland. The use of such discourse can be seen from the lens of a broader effort by the Chinese government to delegitimise those pro-democracy activists, which will be explored further in this article.
Written by Charlie Smith. The King’s Field is a famous Japanese video game series created in the 1990s. But nearly 400 years ago, there was another King’s Field—the entire island nation of Taiwan. For 38 years in the 17th century, Taiwan was a colony of the Dutch Republic under the administration of the Dutch East India Company. And the Dutch king was the largest shareholder.
“The Han people pioneers cleared the land, but the land they cleared was stolen from them, and they were forced to turn their labors toward tilling the so-called ‘king’s fields’,” wrote historian Su Beng in Taiwan’s 400 Year History. “Moreover, most of what they achieved was given over, in the form of rent or taxes, called ‘king’s field rent contributions,’ for the use and enjoyment of the Dutch.”
