Written by Yu-Han Huang. Reflecting on formative undergraduate experiences, the author traces how studying Japanese colonial Taiwan and reading Leo Ching’s Becoming “Japanese” shaped his academic path. Ching’s analysis of colonial identity formation, despite criticisms, offered a framework to understand Taiwan’s complex identity and revealed how colonial legacies continue to influence Taiwanese self-consciousness.
Written by Charles R. Charrington. This article re-examines Japanese colonial rule in Taiwan by juxtaposing narratives of modernisation with documented violence. It traces military invasions, massacres, and coercive governance from the late nineteenth century to World War II, while situating them within broader imperial dynamics. Rather than advancing anti-Japanese sentiment, it foregrounds how colonial violence has been obscured despite its centrality to Taiwan’s historical formation.
Written by Bryn Thomas. This article interviews one of the thousands of Taiwanese who fought for Japan in the Battle of Okinawa. With at least 1000 Taiwanese troops took part and suffered a casualty rate of over 90% during the battle, the Okinawa Peace Memorial only listed 34 names of Taiwan’s war dead. The postwar political situation in Taiwan made it complex to honour these fallen soldiers.
Written by Carlos Francisco Torres Morales. Using an alliance framework, this commentary argues that Tokyo and Seoul’s reluctance to convey support to Taipei publicly stems from strategic caution, since this could provoke the undesired effects they would seek to deter by extending clear security assurances, but also to retain flexibility in their redefining their stances vis-à-vis Taiwan (and China).
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 Tommy Hall and Margaret Siu. In the digital age, politics and technology are more intertwined than ever, especially in East Asia. With nations like Taiwan wrestling with the balance between free speech and foreign interference and Japan pivoting towards advanced tech solutions for national security, the right balance remains elusive, and the stakes perennial. By exploring these critical intersections between online spaces and national politics, this work spotlights the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for these East Asian democracies, as well as connecting the East Asian experience to the world at large.
