Neo-colonialism or Cultural Infatuation? Japan as an Alternative Angle for Understanding Taiwan

As a historical legacy of the Chinese civil war, modern day Taiwan is arguably one of the most fascinating puzzles of our time. Despite the fact that mainstream historians and observers tend to identify Taiwan as a nation dominated by the Han ethnicity – a characteristic comparable to China – Taiwan remains unique and highly distinguishable from other Chinese societies in terms of the considerable level of Japanese culture embedded in its society. Since 2011, the Japanese atmosphere in Taiwan has greatly heightened, to the point that in certain locales, distinguishing between Taiwan and Japan may be difficult at times.

What is at the root of Japan’s burgeoning cultural influence in Taiwan? Is Japan re-commencing a charm offensive in Taiwan, or are the Taiwanese simply infatuated by Japanese culture?

Based on first hand observation of everyday life in current day Taiwan from restaurants to daily commodities, this talk explores the “Japanese-ness” of Taiwan and ponders over the possibility of understanding Taiwan from the somewhat curious perspective of Japan.

Speaker

Co-organizers