Now, I am becoming interested in Taiwan after reading "Kobayashi Yoshinori"（小林よしのり）'s "Taiwan-ron"（台湾論）.
Last Wednesday, I listened to a lecture by a Taiwanese named Lo, Fu-chen（羅福全） about the modernization of Taiwan and the relationship between Taiwan and Japan at a hotel in Kokura, Kitakyushu.
His explanation about the relationship between Taiwan and Japan before the World War 2 end was almost equal to things written in "Taiwan-ron".
I would like to summarise what he spoke in this lecture in my (poor) English.
In simply speaking, the one hundred years of Taiwan's modern history can be separated to the first 50 years and the second 50 years.
The first can be called the development under the colonial rule by Japanese government. In those days, there were several problems from the colonial policy, such as political suppression, financial exploitation, forced conscription, and some discrimination by Japansese.
However, there were a lot of good things which Japanese left after their withdrawal, and that have led the modernization of Taiwan. He says that people should evaluate them with cool head. These include good education system, good infrastructure, and agricultural development.
During the second 50 years, based on good education and infrastructure left by Japan, Taiwan had modernized themselves straggling with oppression by "big" China. At last, it has become, truly, a democratic country in 2000, following Japan.
Last Wednesday, I listened to a lecture by a Taiwanese named Lo, Fu-chen（羅福全） about the modernization of Taiwan and the relationship between Taiwan and Japan at a hotel in Kokura, Kitakyushu.
His explanation about the relationship between Taiwan and Japan before the World War 2 end was almost equal to things written in "Taiwan-ron".
I would like to summarise what he spoke in this lecture in my (poor) English.
In simply speaking, the one hundred years of Taiwan's modern history can be separated to the first 50 years and the second 50 years.
The first can be called the development under the colonial rule by Japanese government. In those days, there were several problems from the colonial policy, such as political suppression, financial exploitation, forced conscription, and some discrimination by Japansese.
However, there were a lot of good things which Japanese left after their withdrawal, and that have led the modernization of Taiwan. He says that people should evaluate them with cool head. These include good education system, good infrastructure, and agricultural development.
During the second 50 years, based on good education and infrastructure left by Japan, Taiwan had modernized themselves straggling with oppression by "big" China. At last, it has become, truly, a democratic country in 2000, following Japan.
Now, I have a plan to vist Singapore next year. And now, I am becoming to want to visit Taiwan to see some heritages that Japanese in Meiji era left in Taiwan.
2 comments:
That's interesting. You know, when I was studying at Yamasa, I met a lot of Taiwanese folks and they left me with a very good impression of Taiwanese people. I intend to visit my friends there in Taiwan at some point. I suppose that going there, in some way, might lead to learning a bit more about Japan as well.
To Jon-san,
Now, there are many asian countries where I want to visit, so it is difficult for me to decide a country where I should go. But, I will go to Singapore next year.
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