The symbolic world of cattle: Issues in the advertising, consumption, and production of beef in Taiwan (1895–1937)

Abstract

The aim of this article is to examine the semiotics of cattle and the beef consumption of the Japanese people in colonial Taiwan. Three aspects of the symbolic world are discussed. First, how did the advertising images reproduce the Kobe beef cattle that produced delicious meat? This study finds that the cattle images and proposal of beef in advertisement were attractive to Japanese people, regardless of whether the content was true or not. Secondly, Kobe beef were mostly counterfeit goods in Taiwan. Perhaps the reason is lack of obvious definition of “Kobe beef.” This article traces the cattle's origin and explore the relationship between symbols and the reference objects. Finally, why were Taiwanese yellow cattle decreasing year on year? It was a symbolic comparison of Kobe beef and Japanese beef in the sense of deliciousness. However, the problem of the gaps between identity and market demand of Taiwan had been solved due to the mass production of yellow cattle beef.