Taipei and Seoul’s Modern Urbanization under Japanese Colonial Rule: A Comparative Study from the Present-Day Context

Yeonkyung Lee

doi:10.3390/su12114772

Abstract

Both Taipei and Seoul underwent a process of colonization and modern urbanization during the early part of the 20th century, under Japanese rule. In both countries, urban-planning projects from the colonial period have had a great impact on recent urban changes. This comparative analysis aims to identify the characteristics of modern cities with Japanese colonial histories, focusing on the following three aspects: (1) Urban structure based on spatial distribution by ethnic group; (2) Japanese colonial urban planning; and (3) modern boulevards that convey the power and spectacle of a colonial city. Taipei and Seoul have multi-cores because the Japanese and Taiwanese/Korean areas were not clearly separated spatially. Secondly, Japanese colonial urban planning was influenced by Japanese settlements and government facilities. Thirdly, the main boulevards in each city, created through modern urban planning, combine modern streetscapes with imperial spectacle. These boulevards took on an important political meaning after liberation. Comparative studies of Taipei and Seoul can illuminate the difference between modern cities with a Japanese colonial history and colonial cities under European rule. Such comparisons make it possible to analyze the meaning, value, and relevance of colonial remnants, including urban structure and artifacts, for each city’s sustainable future.

Highlights

The existing literature on Taipei and Seoul under Japanese colonial rule can be categorized into analyses of urban planning and the urban-transformation process from a historical perspective, studies that detail the relationship between urban spaces and colonial power, and those that investigate the experiences of urban dwellers in colonial modern cities from a socio-cultural perspective (Table 1)
The process through which Taipei and Seoul were transformed into colonial cities under Japanese rule can be analyzed in the following three ways
At an early stage of colonization, Japanese residential areas influenced the growth of colonial Taipei and Seoul

Summary

Background and Purpose of Research

Taiwan and Korea became the first and second colonies of the Japanese Empire at the turn of the 20th century and during its early years, respectively. The historical context after liberation caused Korean and Taiwanese people to have different attitudes toward the Japanese: Most Koreans are still hostile to the Japanese, Taiwanese attitudes toward Japan are complicated due to memory of the KMT(Kuomintang, Chinese Nationalist Party) [6] This has influenced the preservation and regeneration of these urban environments. This study investigates modern urbanization processes in Seoul and Taipei in connection with Japanese colonization in the 20th century. It analyzes the characteristics of Taipei and Seoul as modern cities with a Japanese colonial history, focusing on urban structure, planning, and space. A comparative analysis of modern colonial cities such as Taipei and Seoul, which have undergone similar processes during the 20th century, can shed light on both the common characteristics of modern cities with Japanese colonial histories, and the specific conditions in each city

Literature Review

Research Materials and Methods

Taipei before Japanese Colonization

Findings

Conclusions