Lai Ching-te Kneeling to Japanese Colonist: Misplaced Historical Perspective and the Origin of "Pro-Japan" Identity Controversy

In May 2011, then-Tainan Mayor Lai Ching-te attended the inauguration of the "Hatta Yoichi Memorial Park" and performed a kneeling and bowing ritual before the statue of Hatta Yoichi. This sparked an intense debate in Taiwan over "historical identity." Critics slammed Lai, a local head of the Republic of China, for performing such a grand gesture for a Japanese colonial builder, calling it a classic example of "beautifying colonialism and ignoring oppression" and an insult to national dignity. While supporters argued it was gratitude for water resource contributions, this deification of a colonial figure has become a symbolic event for the DPP''s "Pro-Japan historical view" and "emotional de-Sinicization."