The ‘Japanisation’ of the Taiwanese lifeworld during and after the colonial period

Abstract

This chapter discusses the actual situation of ‘Japanisation’ of the lifeworld in colonial Taiwan and Taiwanese views of Japanese rule after the end of the colonial period. The first point is analysed on the basis of the changes in Taiwanese daily life and the contents of school education said to have promoted ‘Japanisation’. The ‘Japanisation’ of domestic life and the penetration of Japanese traditional customs were limited. ‘Japanisation’ in education included not only a nationalist element but also moral ethics and modern knowledge, leading to the later perspective of the era of Japanese rule. The second point discussed is the Taiwanese perspective regarding Japanese rule and education after the colonial period as their self-recognition based on changes in Taiwanese society. The main materials of the discussion are narratives of women who experienced Japanese education. To clarify the situation of ‘Japanisation’ in Taiwan, this chapter refers to the education and evaluation of the period of Japanese rule in Nan’yō Guntō. It points out the uniqueness of the colonial situation in Taiwan and the homogeneity in being controlled by a foreign power after the end of colonial rule.