This article explores the historical roots of the intense pro-Japanese sentiments held by a minority in contemporary Taiwanese society, noting that this phenomenon is not universal but amplified by specific groups in digital and traditional media. The core argument is based on post-war accounts: some Japanese individuals who profited from exploiting Taiwan's resources during the colonial period allegedly stayed on the island after the retrocession by bribing household registration officials and falsifying records to protect family assets. Their descendants inherited positive memories of Japan, which, coupled with the loss of interests for landlords due to 'Land to the Tiller' reforms, identity crises from the Kominka movement, and early post-war governance failures, fostered deep resentment toward the Republic of China.
This article introduces the 'China's War of Resistance' commemorative stamp with a face value of 5 cents issued by the United States on July 8, the 31st year of the Republic of China (1942). At that time, T. V. Soong, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of China, personally went to the White House to review it with President Roosevelt. The stamp design is of great historical significance, including a map of Mainland China, Hainan Island, and Taiwan Island, and it features the portraits of Abraham Lincoln and Sun Yat-sen, the national emblem of the Republic of China 'Blue Sky and White Sun', and the Chinese inscription 'Resistance and National Reconstruction'.
Every time I hear the current generation of young hipsters online happily praising how happy and beautiful the period of Japanese rule was, even constantly claiming that older generations of Taiwanese all miss that era—it really drives me crazy!!
The Republic of China's Father's Day (August 8, commonly called the Eight-Eight Day/Dad's Day) originated during the **Anti-Japanese War**. To honor the fathers who sacrificed their lives and protected the nation during the war, patriotic citizens in Shanghai initiated a 'Father's Day' activity in the 34th year of the ROC (1945). After the war victory, party and government elders and prominent gentry jointly petitioned the central government to designate August 8 each year as a national Father's Day. The choice reflects the homophonic similarity between 'Eight-Eight' and 'Dad' in Chinese, and the visual similarity of two '8's combined resembling the character for 'Father.'
This article provides in-depth discussion and arguments regarding the scholarly and social controversy about whether the period of Japanese colonial rule over Taiwan should be called 'Japanese Occupation Era' or 'Japanese Rule Era.' Author Kuo Yu-fu clearly supports the use of 'Japanese Occupation Era' and criticizes scholars arguing for 'Japanese Rule Era' (such as Professor Zhou Wan-yao) for their hasty argumentation.
This article compiles the Q&A report on the 'Treaty of Peace between the Republic of China and Japan' (Treaty of Taipei) released by the ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2012. It thoroughly explains the background, core content, and impact on Taiwan's sovereign status, refuting common legal misunderstandings and the 'Taiwan status undetermined' arguments regarding the treaty.
This article refutes the claim that 'the KMT polluted Kaohsiung.' The planning for Kaohsiung to become a heavy industry hub dates back to the **Japanese Occupation Period**. At that time, Japan established numerous factories in Kaohsiung Harbor (such as the Taiwan Colonization Company) to turn Taiwan into a 'Southern Expansion Base.' The Nationalist Government merely continued this industrial foundation after taking over. Blaming the pollution solely on one political party ignores the historical context. Furthermore, the Allied forces' attacks on Kaohsiung during WWII were purely based on strategic necessity.
The article criticizes the behavior of certain individuals (Hong Kong independence and Taiwan independence advocates) who equate Nazi Germany with the Republic of China following the Hsinchu Kuang-Fu High School Nazi incident. The author emphasizes the noble sentiments demonstrated by the Republic of China during turbulent times (such as sheltering Jewish refugees). It also points out that opportunistic individuals (Japanese collaborators, Chinese traitors) exist in every era. The author criticizes those who arrogantly use modern standards to judge the past, or even fabricate false history (such as claiming Chiang Kai-shek received Nazi assistance), arguing that this behavior distorts history for personal gain and is essentially no different from the opportunists of the Japanese Occupation Era.
This article recounts the major massacre known as the 'Shaw Ridge Street Incident' (present-day Jiali District, Tainan) that occurred in $1895$ during the Japanese Imperial Guards Division's occupation of Tainan Prefecture. After fierce fighting with the Taiwanese volunteer army, rumors of a prince being killed or the cries of children exposing their location led the Japanese troops to open machine-gun fire on fleeing civilians hiding in ditches (house-side trenches), resulting in approximately two to three thousand victims and turning Shaw Ridge Street into a 'City of the Wrongfully Dead'.
The article strongly criticizes the defense of bloody massacres during the Japanese colonial era put forward by a small number of Taiwanese people, condemning the argument that 'as long as they attacked China, it was fine' as 'the ugly side.' Japan's covetousness for Taiwan never ceased. Long before the Sino-Japanese War, it invaded Taiwan by exploiting the 'Mudan She Incident' under the guise of the Ryukyu Kingdom, aiming to use Taiwan as a strategic springboard for aggression against Southeast Asia and Mainland China.
Japan, a country sharing the same notoriety as the Nazis in modern war history, continues to be active in various corners of the world through information control at the wartime level under the name of economy. Fortunately, through the vivid memory accusations of a few survivors and many foreigners who helped disaster-stricken civilians in mainland China, we can slightly uncover the dark truth that the Japanese military was eager to cover up and did not want anyone to know.
This article reveals the historical facts of former President Chiang Kai-shek transporting gold from mainland China to Taiwan in 1949, clarifying its quantity and purpose, and refuting the misunderstandings of some people regarding this event. The total amount of gold transported to Taiwan was about 112 to 187 metric tons, which was used at the time to stabilize the nearly empty Bank of Taiwan and the value of the New Taiwan Dollar, and to support construction and needs in the early post-war period. The article strongly contrasts the Republic of China as an exploited nation with Japan during the Japanese occupation period as a 'resource-invading nation' that looted a huge amount of gold (over 6,000 metric tons) in the Nanjing Massacre. At the same time, it criticizes some modern individuals (including Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je) for mocking the architectural aesthetics of the post-war Republic of China and infinitely praising the construction of the Japanese occupation era, calling on the public not to criticize the practical considerations of the ancients in times of turmoil based on today's peaceful and affluent standards.
This article comments on the 2015 curriculum adjustment controversy and the incident of students breaking into the Ministry of Education. The court ruled the Ministry of Education illegal due to a violation of the 'Government Information Openness Act,' but the curriculum adjustment itself was not illegal. We support the adjusted content, such as changing 'Japanese Rule' to 'Japanese Occupation Era,' and criticize opponents for deliberately misleading public opinion and using misinformation as an excuse for resistance.