Chapter 6   Japanese Occupation

Obstinate Bandit

      The Japanese rule of Taiwan began from oppressing armed resistance of the Taiwanese people. During their terms, Motonori Kabayama, Taro Katsura and Maresuke Nogi, the first three governors, had been busy day and night fighting against the heroes of Taiwan Republic whom were later called the "bandits". As Japanese rule gradually intruded into Taiwan, the residents' resistance intensified, and was extremely difficult to oppress.

       In 1895, although Governor Kabayama reported to the Supreme Command that " the whole island of Taiwan has been suppressed", but ironically from that time on, guerilla activities had begun active in various places of the island.  In December of 1896, a revolt of the "bandits", broke out in the northeastern part of Taiwan, besieged Yilan, and attacked the Japanese troops.  In this revolt, the number of Taiwanese killed by the Japanese troops was 2,800.  From December 1895 to January 1896, a group of "bandits" led by Chien Tai-shi and Chen Ch'iu-chu tried to recapture Taipei city and began attacking the Japanese.  The entire island was dumbfounded.  The governor's office sent for reinforcements from home, and as a result, several thousands of "bandits" were killed and the revolt was suppressed.  In April 1896, Japanese government dissolved the Supreme Command that was set up for the Sino-Japanese War.  However, the war structure in Taiwan continued.

       Being in his office less than thirteen months, Motonori Kabayama, the first governor who did all his might to suppress the Taiwanese resistance, was replaced by Lieutenant General Taro Katsura in May 1896.  Taro Katsura, the second governor, was in his office only four months, during which he stayed in Taiwan no more than ten days.  He had hardly any time to warm up his chair, or do significant work.  Both Kabayama and Katsura, being the governor of Taiwan, their hearts were not in Taiwan, but were deprived by the central politics back in Japan.  Lieutenant General, Maresuke Nogi was ordered to assume the office as the third Taiwan Governor.  When Japan first took over Taiwan, Nogi had been the Commander of Second Army Division participated in suppressing the resistance of Taiwan Democratic Republic, so he was somehow related with Taiwan, and was much more interested in ruling Taiwan.  He arrived at his office accompanied by his mother.  However, Nogi was also in office only for one year and four months and there was no achievement worth mentioning.

       Not long after Governor Nogi assumed his office, he adopted the "Invitation to surrender policy" suggested by Yilan police chief, and made surrender of part of the north and middle Taiwan "bandits" possible.  As of June 1897, a "three stage alert" system was put in effect, whereby responsibility of unrest mountain regions were assigned to the Army and Military Police, relatively stable areas were distributed between MP and Police, and areas which had already been suppressed were assigned to the Police, for keeping alert and ready for possible disturbances.  The purpose of this  "three stage alert" was to eliminate frictions between the army and the police, and to improve command unification.  However, the use of soft and hard policies, "invitation to surrender" and "three stage alert" respectively, did not bring about effective results in suppressing the "bandits".

       Beside the difficulty in suppressing the "bandits", language was another problem.  Japanese government wrongly assumed that all Taiwanese people speak Chinese Mandarin.  Therefore, they sent Chinese interpreters to Taiwan.  However, almost all Taiwanese, including the aborigines, Fukien and Hakka immigrants, could not understand Chinese language.  So, Taiwanese, well versed in Chinese language were hired as assistant interpreter to work with the Japanese interpreter, and in addition to Chinese language as mediation, conversations in Japanese and Taiwanese were held.  Such "interpreting politics" created numerous misunderstandings and distortion of facts, resulted in all kinds of confusion.

      The Power of "Bumpkin Emperor"

       When Motonori Kabayama was appointed as the Taiwan Governor, Japanese government gave him an instruction: "You have been selected and given the grave responsibility of the Taiwan Governor and concurrently the military commander...  When you carry out these important duties, if an unforeseeable and urgent situation arises, and there is no time to report to the government by telegraph and wait for instruction, you are permitted to take whatever measure the occasion demands, and report it later".  Based on this instruction, Taiwan Governor was not only the civil administrator, but also the chief commanding officer of the military.  He has been authorized to do whatever he deems right and report later.  He was just like an "Emperor" reigning over Taiwan, so the Taiwanese called him, the "Bumpkin Emperor".  The "Bumpkin Emperor" continued to exist until party politics was realized in Japan, when a civilian officer was appointed as the governor under the cabinet of Takashi Hara.

       "Bumpkin Emperor" also had the power of making law.  On the pretext of "bandit's rebellion", different manners and customs, and long distance between Tokyo and Taiwan, etc., Japanese government proposed to Imperial Diet and adopted a "Bill for the rules concerning application of laws in Taiwan" in March 1896.  It was proclaimed as "Bill No.63" at the end of March, effective as of April 1.  "Bill 63" was a law enacted by the governor under the authorization given to him, and named as "ordinance" to differentiate from the law of Japan, with its coverage limited to Taiwan.  With this ordinance enacting power, Governor Kabayama immediately enacted the "Judicial Courts Ordinance”  (Ordinance No.1), establishing various levels of judicial courts, and appointing judges and prosecutors.  In March 1897, the Imperial Diet again adopted a "Bill concerning special accounting system for the Taiwan Governor's Office", effective from the same fiscal year.  Based on this bill, the Taiwan Governor was also given the financial power.  Thus, all powers were concentrated to "Bumpkin Emperor", without supervision from the Diet; Taiwan Governor was in control of administration, legislation, justice, and finance, besides military command.        

      If you consider the fact that the governor who had all the powers of a "Bumpkin Emperor" and was still unable to suppress the "bandits", you would understand how persistent the resistance of Taiwanese people was.  At this time, there were even arguments among the Japanese government and people about the sale of Taiwan to France for one hundred million yens. 

Choice of Nationality

     In the fifth article of the Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty, it regulates: "If the residents of the territory which is severed to Japan wishes to live outside the severed territory, they can freely sell all their properties and move.  As of the approval date of this treaty, a period of two years will be given for executing the move.  However, when the aforementioned period expires, any remaining residents will be regarded as Japanese subjects.”  This regulation set an expiration period of two years, giving the Taiwanese residents freedom to select one of the two choices: to remain in Taiwan as a Japanese national, or to sell all their properties and leave Taiwan.  The Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty was signed and approved on May 8, 1895.  Therefore, the last date for the Taiwan residents to choose their nationality was May 8, 1897. 

       At the conference table at Simonoseki, when the Japanese proposed the aforesaid fifth article, the Taiwanese were prepared to fight to the last resort, and were grouping all means to become an independent nation.  To the Japanese government, in order to avoid the residents' resistance and occupy Taiwan smoothly, it was best not to force the dissidents to stay in Taiwan.  Based on this thinking, the "Evacuation Regulations of Taiwan Residents and Penghu Islands" was promulgated in November 1896.  The outline of the regulations was that permanent and temporary residents of Taiwan and Penghu Iislands, who wished to leave, must report to the government, and the "bandits" must surrender and be disarmed before they were allowed to leave.  All personal belongings of the evacuees were exempted from taxation.  However, the actual number of residents who left Taiwan was said to be only 4,500 or 6,500.  Whichever number it was, they were both less than one percent of the population, showing how deeply the residents have established in Taiwan.

       Though Taiwanese residents were free to choose their nationality, they did not choose to be Japanese nationals willingly.  It was rather because they were afraid to loose the livelihood they had established for a long time, they had made their choice reluctantly.  The resisting activities of the "bandits" that were impossible without the resident's support, went on long after the choice of nationality, was a proof to this fact.  Furthermore, the Japanese government and the Taiwan Governor's Office did not positively remove the "bandits" or force the residents to leave Taiwan for various reasons.  Because Taiwan belongs to the tropical and subtropical zones, the environment was extremely different from that of Japan, and in addition, the endemic and sanitary condition was so bad that it was impossible to immigrate large numbers of Japanese immediately to Taiwan for its development.  Therefore, in order to maintain the labor force needed to develop Taiwan, the outflow of the residents was undesirable.

       After the period of choosing nationality was expired, Taiwan Governor's Office began rigorously restricting the traffic between Taiwan and China.  The request for setting up a consulate in Taiwan by the Ch'ing Court was denied, and efforts were made to remove the Ch'ing influence on the Taiwan residents.  The fate between the colonial ruler and those who are ruled was that even though the Taiwan residents were "nationalized", obviously they could not become real "Japanese".  Troubled by being discriminated, "Taiwanese" consciousness was strengthened.

Goto Shinpei

       At the end of Sino-Japanese war, Shinpei Goto was working as the chief administrator under Gentaro Kodama, the Army's Temporary Chief Quarantine Officer; Kodama and Goto were acquainted at that time and became trusted friends.  After finishing his quarantine job, Shinpei Goto was reinstated as the head of Health Department in Ministry of Interior.  At this time, there was a head on conflict on the matter of Taiwan’s opium problem, between the advocates of  "strict prohibition" and "non-prohibition".  A storm of hot disputes arose between the oppositions.  Goto asserted the theory of "gradual prohibition", and presented his “Opinion regarding the opium system in Taiwan", which was appreciated.  Hence, Goto was appointed as the health adviser for Taiwan Governor's Office.  Based on Goto's opinion, the "Taiwan Opium Law" was promulgated in January 1897, and a system of opium-monopolized sale was established.  The opium problem tied Goto to Taiwan, and later when he left Taiwan to become the president of Manchu Railway Co., he had left a gigantic footstep of Japan's colonial management history in Taiwan. 

       Smoking opium was a bad habit the Taiwanese learnt since the Dutch era.  It is said that this bad habit began by the oversea Chinese in Batavia, later brought into Taiwan, and was spread to all over Chinese Mainland via Amoy.  We can see the history of opium smoking in Taiwan had been long, and the ill effect from spreading was very serious.  In the Sino-Japanese peace talk, the Taiwan opium problem was also brought up.  Counter plan for opium smoking and for suppressing Taiwanese armed resistance had become important task of Japan since Taiwan occupation.  Goto Shinpei's opium prohibition policy and monopoly system, which was aimed at reducing opium addicts and increasing financial income, had also helped peacekeeping objective.  By appointing opium sale outlets in return for the Taiwanese cooperation in counter-measuring the "bandits", resulted in killing not two birds but three birds with one stone.

       As the chief civil administrator of the Taiwan Governor's Office, Shinpei Goto arrived in Taiwan in March 1898 together with the fourth governor, Gentaro Kodama.  When Japan first occupied Taiwan, Kodama was one of the committee members in the Bureau of Taiwan Affairs headed by Hirobumi Ito, so he had already been involved with Taiwan affairs for a long time.  During his term of office, Governor Kodama served concurrently as War Secretary in the fourth Ito Cabinet in December 1900.  He became Home Secretary in the first Akira Cabinet in July 1903, while concurrently served as Taiwan Governor and Minister of Education.  When Russo-Japanese relations worsened, he left the Home Office and became the chief assistant of General Staff Office.  Immediately after the Russo-Japanese War started, he became the Chief of Staff for Manchu Army.  Therefore, Kodama was called the "Absentee Governor" until the fifth governor; Samata Sakuma replaced him in April 1906.  During the period as the governor, Kodama was too busy to manage Taiwan; essentially everything was entrusted to Chief Civil Administrator Goto. 

       Hence, Goto was able to put his cherished theory of  "Colonial management based on biological principle" into practice.  Goto said: "It's impossible to change eyes of a flatfish into those of a sea bream.  The eyes of sea bream neatly grow on both sides of the head, while the eyes of flatfish both grow on one side.  Even though it looks funny, you cannot change it to be like sea bream.  The reason for the flatfish to have both eyes growing on one side is, biologically it is necessary....  In politics, this is also an important point....  Therefore, in ruling Taiwan, first I investigated thoroughly and scientifically the old customary systems of the island, and governed according to the conditions of the people....  Those fellows who did not understand this and tried to import and apply the Japanese laws and systems suddenly in Taiwan, were just like trying to change the flatfish's eyes into sea bream's eyes; they were a bunch of fellows who did not know the real politics".  His idea was like the diagnosis of a doctor.  Based on this principle, upon assuming his office in Taiwan, Goto, while suppressing the "bandits", established Taiwan Customs Investigating Committee, Central Research Institute, etc, and enforced land and population investigations.  By use of these investigations and research, he designed the policies and law systems for Taiwan.  Under his rule, Shinpei Goto not only laid down the groundwork for ruling Taiwan and transplanted Japanese capitalism, but also established the foundation for control and financial independence.       

      Whip and Candy

       Colonial management was not a ‘charity" that based on the love for humanity.  Since land was gained by physical mean called military power, it would certainly incur armed resistance.  To suppress the resistance, more force would be used, and the severer the resistance the stronger suppression would become.  Shinpei Goto's countermeasures to the “bandits” were thorough use of whip and candy policy.  In addition, he tried to recover law and order and establish ruling relationship through so-called "civil and military armaments" by constructing modern buildings, railroads, water and electricity, etc. to overpower the colonial residents.  Moreover, he even applied "iron fist policy", using inanimate methods, in suppressing the resistance.

       In June 1898, not long after Goto arrived in Taiwan, he abolished the former Governor Nogi's "three step alert" system.  He used the police as major force in dealing with the "bandits" instead of military force.  The Japanese colonial rule in Korea was called "military police politics"; while in Taiwan it was called "police politics".  The "police politics" was started by Goto, and during the era of Japanese control, the police in Taiwan was feared to the extent that “a crying child would be silent" in mere mentioning of police.  After Goto and Kodama arrived in Taiwan, police organization had been expanded considerably.  The police force quickly infiltrated and reached all corners of the country, and a police telephone network was installed.  Besides establishing police force, “Bao-Jia Ordnance” was also announced in August of that year, further strengthening and completing the Bao-Jia system, which was originated in the Cheng era, and foundation lay down by Ch'ing.  This time, the Bao-Jia system was put under the police jurisdiction, reinforcing joint responsibility, mutual watch, and informing, demonstrated powerful effects in suppressing the "bandits", in peace keeping, and proved profoundly effective in transmitting Governor's Office’s intentions to the residents.  Furthermore, "Bandit Punishment Ordinance" was proclaimed whereby "bandits" and "brigands" were severely punished.  The punishment was like the burning sun in autumn: within only one year in 1899, the number of persons executed amounted to 1,023.  Moreover, within five years since Goto assumed office until 1902, the total "bandits" executed reached over 32,000, exceeding one percent of the populations in Taiwan at that time.  

       While severely whipping the Taiwanese on one hand, Goto gave conciliatory measures on the other hand.  Goto pointed out the Taiwanese people’s weaknesses as: (1) Afraid to die, weak under coercive threat; (2) Love money, easily tempted by profit; (3) Love face, can easily be taken in by false reputation and vain position.  If what he said was true, then there should not be so much persistent resistance.  Nevertheless, Goto exploited these weaknesses for ruling Taiwan with so-called "three plans for ruling Taiwan".  Goto's conciliatory measures included entertaining senior residents exceeding 80 years old to "Senior's Feast"; inviting scholars to participate in "Literature Promotion Meeting" where poems were read and sung; and giving preferential treatment to esquires and people of high reputation by awarding them "gentleman certificates".  He followed Governor Nogi’s "bandit surrender policy", encouraged surrender based on the provision in Article No.6 of  "Bandit Punishment Ordinance", which stated: "All who violated the crime specified in this ordinance and surrendered to the government, may be reduced or exempted of his punishment.  In the case of exemption, no more than five years of observation period would be added".  Besides exempting punishment of the surrenders, the government also gave rehabilitation grants and jobs.  The surrendered “bandits” constructed the steep highway between Taipei and Yilan, which is still in use today.  

      When "bandits" surrendered, a "ceremony of obedience" which the Japanese learned from the Dutch was ostentatiously held, surrounded by armed police.  In order to prevent them from second offense, the surrenders were photographed and registered.  There had been incident that the “bandits” who surrendered were shot during the "ceremony of obedience".  In any event, when Shinpei Goto left Taiwan in 1906, there was no longer any large-scale armed resistance.

      The Undertaking of Investigations

       Based on the principle of "biological colonial management", various kinds of investigations and studies were undertaken.  To begin with, in 1898 the "Taiwan Land Register Regulations" and "Taiwan Land Investigation Regulations" were promulgated.  Then, the "Temporary Taiwan Land Investigation Bureau" was established, mobilizing 1,670,000 work forces and spent 5,250,000 yens in six years for investigations.  Based on these investigations, it was discovered that there were 300,000 jias of arable land than estimated before the investigation, the actual cultivated acreage was 317,000 jias (9,700 square feet per jia), other farmland was 305,600 jias, a total of 620,000 jias which became the basis of land tax collection.  During the closing days of Ch'ing Dynasty, the problem of arable land double ownership, which Ming-chuan Lau was not able to solve in his tax reform effort, was now dissolved by compensating the large landlords and established a modern land ownership system of reassigning land ownership to the small landlords.  Issuing Taiwan industrial bonds paid the compensations to the large landlords.  Moreover, lands "without owner" were turned into public lands, which were distributed among the retired officials or Japanese companies, helping Japanese capitals to enter into Taiwan.  In investigating the land, the latest triangle surveying method, which had never been used in Japan, was adopted and helped greatly in measuring the areas and topographies of Taiwan and its attached islands, and also in making accurate maps. After Japan gave up Taiwan, the Kuomintang regime used the way that Shinpei Goto dealt with the big landlords as a model in attempting the lapse of landlords for the land reform.  

       Following the land survey, Goto announced the setup of the "Temporary Taiwan Old Customs Investigating Committee" and promulgated its regulations in 1901.  His enthusiasm in this matter was so great that he served as chairman of the committee himself.  Professor Santaro Okamatsu of Kyoto University, Man Orita and many other scholars also joined the investigating committee, and the results of the investigation and analysis were compiled into a huge volume report, which was not only helpful to the administration of Taiwan but also became an important material for studying Ch'ing Dynasty and China today. 

       In 1903, the "Family Register Investigation Ordinance" was promulgated, whereby as of zero hour, October 1, 1905, a complete population investigation was carried out.  This was the first official population investigation in the history of Taiwan.  The total population in Taiwan at that time was approximately 3,040,000.  There were approximately 2, 980,000 Taiwanese residents: (97.8% of the total population) including approximately 2, 490,000 Fukien race (82%); approximately 400, 000 Hakka race (13%); approximately 50,000 Flatland aborigines (1.89%); approximately 40,000 Mountaineer aborigines (1.2%).  The Japanese were approximately 50,000 (1.89%), and foreigners including Chinese were approximately 10,000.  This statistic of population is considered accurate in most part.  However, even though the number of Japanese in Taiwan could be obtained, considering the "bandits" who were in hiding and the difficulty in investigating the aborigines in the mountain regions, omission was inevitable.  Furthermore, in comparing with the population estimated at the end of Ch'ing era, there was an obvious reduction in the population of the aborigines.  Beside omission in the investigation, it might be caused by the fact that flatland aborigines were assimilated by Han race.

Infrastructure Development

       While suppressing the "bandits" and proceeding with land survey, old customs, and population investigations on one hand, Shinpei Goto on the other hand set about constructing the infrastructure (the foundation for economic activity such as communication, transportation, and harbor facilities, etc.) for industrial developments.

       When Japan took over Taiwan, the main currency in circulation was hard money called "Mexican Silver" (Mexican dollar).  In order to unify Taiwan currency, to promote and finance industrial development and trade with South China and Southeast Asia, the Taiwan Governor's Office promulgated the establishment of Bank of Taiwan in April 1897, based on "Taiwan Bank Ordinance".  Two years later, BOT started to operate in September 1899.  In the eyes of "Bumpkin Emperor", the Taiwan Governor, Taiwan Bank Ordinance and Taiwan Governor's Special Accounting Ordinance were like the two wheels of a vehicle.  Bank of Taiwan played an important part in building Taiwan’s infrastructure by raising and loaning the badly needed industrial funds. 

       The issuance of bank notes in 1904 was a currency revolution to the Taiwanese, who were accustomed to hard money.  Since then, BOT branches were established not only in Japan, but all over the opposite shore of Taiwan Strait: Amoy, Swatow, Guanzhou Shanghai, and Hong Kong.  BOT also penetrated into the money market trying to capture the leadership, which was held by British or Chinese capitals.  Not long after BOT came to existence, it has fulfilled the leading role of advancing Japanese capitalism to China and Southeast Asia.

       In 1901, Taiwan Governor's Office promulgated the "Regulations of Taiwan Public Reservoirs and Irrigation Systems”.  These were regulations concerning construction of irrigation facilities for promoting the agriculture, and were advantageous measures for developing new arable lands.  The irrigation work was carried on by Goto’s successor after he left Taiwan, and the cultivated acreage in Taiwan reached more than 750,000 jias in 1919.  By 1941, it had reached more than 880,000 jias, among which approximately 546,000 jias of arable lands were irrigated.  The irrigation work made the agricultural production a great leap forward in Taiwan, and contributed in large tax income increase.  Breeding of rice crop was also actively promoted.  A new breed "Holai Rice" was loved by the Japanese and was exported to Japan in large quantities.

       Shinpei Goto also worked hard in bringing up the sugar industry, which was one of the major export industries since the Dutch era.  In 1902, Taiwan governor's office promulgated the "Regulations for encouraging Taiwan sugar industry”.  These regulations, instead of seeing it as encouragement to the sugar industry, should rather be regarded as "preferential treatment" to the Japanese capitalists.  Besides giving the government lands, which were found "ownerless" during the land investigation, free of charge to the Japanese enterprises, the Taiwan Governor's Office also gave money for sugar cane seedlings, fertilizer, irrigation, reclamation, machines and tools, etc., and offered subsidy for sugar production.  Goto, was also interested in reforming the old-fashioned sugar-producing technique, and hired Nitobe Inazo to work in Taiwan.  At first, Nitobe declined the appointment due to sickness and inadequate qualification.  However, Goto allowed him to place a bed in the office for taking nap, and hired him as “acting chief” of the Department of Colonial Industries.  Finally, he accepted the job.  

       Manufacturing technique and equipments were modernized, whereby quality and productivity of sugar were greatly improved.  It also contributed greatly in increased tax income.  Since then, the consumption of sugar in Japan was supplied with cheap sugar from Taiwan; and substantial savings of foreign exchange were achieved.  The sugar industry in Taiwan was so prosperous in those days that it was called the "Sugar Industry Imperialism".  From the way that Nitobe was hired with the "preferential treatment of afternoon nap", we can understand that Goto spared no exception in hiring men of abilities needed by the Taiwan Governor's Office.

        The idea of building "infrastructure" started right after Japan occupied Taiwan, but Goto Shinpei actually started the work, and after he left his position, it continued.  Among the most fundamental works, there were: the expansion and rebuilding of harbors, railroad construction, rebuilding, and extension of highways, communication network construction, and public health promotion, etc.  When Japan first took over, Keelung and Tamsui in the north, and Kaohsiung and Anping in the south were the major harbors of Taiwan, but because Tamsui and Anping were both in shadow waters, it was difficult for larger ships to enter into these harbors.  While rebuilding and expanding Keelung and Kaohsiung harbors to improve oversea traffic, a railroad running through the island from Keeling to Kaohsiung was constructed, connecting the harbors to the railroad and the highways of various regions, with no effort spared in ground transportation network construction.  As to the communication network, a communication facility between Taiwan and Japan proper was completed, and post and telegraph offices were established in various places of Taiwan.  With regard to public health, Taiwan Medical College was founded at once to train doctors, and at the same time, government hospitals were constructed in various places.  Furthermore, through powerful police system, cases of epidemic disease were completely isolated, and all residents were compelled to take vaccination and preventive shots of epidemic diseases.

       This infrastructure constructed by the Taiwan Governor's Office had been very helpful in promoting the Taiwan industries and improving the health of the residents.  The expenditure, similar to Lau Min-toan’s reform at the end of Ch'ing Dynasty, was solely provided by land tax, industrial bond, and income from monopoly sales based on “self-sufficient” policy.  Mobilizing volunteer labor through Pao-Jia system mostly did the road improvements and extensions.

       As said previously, colonial management is not a “charity".  Shinpei Goto, who put his theory of "biological principle" into practice in colonial management, did not want to kill the hen that lays golden egg.  Instead, he wanted to fatten the hen (Taiwan) and let it keep on laying eggs.  Infrastructure construction was a "foundation work" in order to achieve this goal.  The construction of transportation and communication systems resulted in expanding and deepening of Taiwanese life and economic spheres.  On the other hand, as being isolated from Ch'ing and discriminated by the Japanese, the Taiwanese consciousness has grown even stronger than before.

Thorough Suppression on Armed Resistance

       During the reign of Governor Kodama and Goto, they had achieved many results in managing Taiwan.  One achievement that often brought up, was the declining of Japanese government's special subsidy to the Taiwan Governor's Office since the fiscal year of 1905.  Taiwan's financial independence was realized only ten years after Japanese took over.  Later, Professor Tadao Yauchihara of Imperial Tokyo University commented: " Taiwan is a colony of many great values to the homeland’s finance and economy”.

       After Governor Kodama retired from his office in 1906, General Sabata Sakuma succeeded him in April as the fifth Taiwan Governor.  Within a year, Shinpei Goto also left Taiwan.  Later in May 1915, General Sadami Ando became the sixth governor; in June 1918, lieutenant general Motojiro Akashi (promoted to general later) assumed the office as the 7th governor; and in October 1919, a civil officer, Kenjiro Ta assumed the position as the 8th governor.  Before Kenjiro Ta assumed the office, from Motonori Kabayama to Motojiro Akashi, all of them were military officers, and the period of their reign was usually called the "first period of military governors" (1895-1919).  In this period, the main duty of the governor was to suppress the "bandits" and construct the infrastructure of the colony.  Governor Sakuma, who held his office from April 1906 to April 1915, a total of nine years in the office, was the longest among the 19 governors in 50 years of Japanese occupation.  Through the period in office, he was engrossed in the so-called the "Barbarian managing business", tackling the problem of suppressing the "bandits" and oppressing the mountaineer aborigines who refused to submit, so-called "aborigines managing business".

       To begin with, the mountaineer aborigines had never submited to anyone through the occupations of the Dutch, Cheng Royalty, or Ch'ing Court, and the governing powers were unable to force them to submit.  Different from the flatland aborigines who accepted the enlightenment of ruling powers, and adapted to Chinese race through cultural exchange inter-marriage with the immigrants, the mountaineer aborigines were not only indifferent to the succession of ruling powers, but also had nothing to do with submission.  They rather had ill feeling against the outsiders who invaded their living spaces, and their antipathy became stronger each day.  The operation of suppressing the mountaineer aborigines, intensified by Governor Sakuma, was carried out continuously.  Large-scale military operations by the army, police, and patrol were launched, and on the other hand, the “border line" that segregated the living areas of the mountaineer aborigines from the immigrants and flatland aborigines was extended, gradually shrinking the living areas of mountaineer aborigines.  Equipped with modern weaponry, large-scale encirclement of  Taiwan Governor's Office confined the mountaineer aborigines to the Central Mountain Range at length.  As mentioned before, when the former Emperor Showa visited Taiwan in 1923 as crown prince Hirohiro, he changed the name of aborigines from "barbarian" to "Takasago Race".  Considering the fact that, the flatland aborigines had already been assimilated, so-called "Takasago Race" was meant for the mountaineer aborigines.        

         While Governor Sakuma was in office, many incidents of armed resistance happened.  Some of the major incidents are: (1) "Peipu Incident" of November 1907, in resistance of camphor business monopolized by the Japanese; (2) "Lin-kipo Incident" of March 1912, in resistance of disposition of "owner-less" lands to Mitsubishi Paper Co.; (3) "Lo Fok-sheng Incident" of December 1913, a failed uprising attempt by resident leader Lo Fok-sheng.  

        All these incidents had been suppressed one after another.  Immediately upon arrival of Governor Sadami Ando, who replaced Governor Sakuma in June1915, the "Seraian Incident" (also called "Tapani Incident"), a large-scale uprising occurred.  The purpose of this incident was to establish "Great Ming Nation of Mercy", although the uprising was spread to the entire island, it was ssubsequently suppressed, and 866 persons were sentenced to death.  However, after execution of 95, 766 persons were reduced to life by amnesty when Emperor Taisho acceded to the throne.  Ever since the "Seraian Incident", large scale armed resistance by the Taiwanese residents was ended, and a new kind of resistance; the legal political movement had begun.

       Governor Motojiro Akashi, who succeeded Governor Ando, died in his term of office only a little more than a year.  After his death, his body was shipped to Taiwan in accordance to his will.  He was the only Taiwan Governor whose bones were buried in Taiwan.  

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