Interactions Between Taiwanese and Japanese During the Japan

Many historical publications begin by providing readers a clear, comprehensive historical framework, then support it with artifacts and documents. This book takes the opposite approach—starting with artifacts and archival materials to piece together a series of diverse, small-scale stories that form an alternative historical perspective. It departs from conventional narratives typically associated with Taiwan under Japanese rule, instead drawing on items preserved in the Taipei City Archives: medals, certificates, literati ink paintings, diplomas, and historical photographs. These seemingly unrelated, ordinary objects subtly reveal the lives of four key social groups—gentry-merchants, Chinese literati, elite women, and the new generation. They offer a more tangible understanding of interpersonal networks between Japanese and Taiwanese people during that era. Minor events in daily life, when seen together, can compose a grand historical narrative—just as this book reveals the hidden value of these artifacts and documents.



This concept shaped the book’s visual design. We aimed to evoke a nostalgic style—crafting a “history book filled with treasured memories, like a historical novel.” The cover features a collage of the book’s main subjects—artifacts and old photographs—linked through a rubbing-texture effect that adds mystery and distance. Like clues in a historical detective novel, they seem to whisper stories to the reader. The color scheme references the red-circle-on-white motif of the Japanese flag, subtly replaced with a retro vermilion to symbolize the colonial period.The endpapers use vermilion tao-sui paper, known for its grainy texture from embedded rice husks. This irregular feel echoes Taiwan’s once-thriving rice industry under Japanese rule, now faded into memory—evoking a nostalgic connection. Inside pages continue the artifact-centered narrative. Artifact images appear in the running headers; enlarged photographs span across section openings. The book maintains a nearly 1:1 image-to-text ratio, with over 80,000 words. The layout is clean and readable, with clear paragraphs and balanced visuals.



To mark its release, the Taipei City Archives hosted a launch event with the book’s two authors and senior scholars. Structured as a symposium on Japanese colonial-era documents, the event welcomed long-time archival enthusiasts and new readers to ask questions, join the discussion, and celebrate the book’s contribution.