Paper short abstract:

The struggle between the political and the military element in Taiwan and the prevalence of the latter over the former constituted the fundamental weaknesses of Japan's colonial system. The examination of Judge Takano's and pedagogue Isawa's cases are characteristic of Japan's colonial brutality.

Paper long abstract:

Despite the declaration of civil rule Taiwan in March 1896, its administration remained preponderantly military oriented for years to come (Kublin 1973, 319). The colony was practically under constant martial law. Until 1898, when competent colonial magistrates took over, no sound administrative base or long-term civil policies were formed and even then, the military's role was prevalent. Despite the implementation of more reasonable approaches to governing Taiwan, Japan's rule remained militaristic and tyrannic. Tōkyō was still faced with the stubborn rebels (the last pacification campaign took place in the 1910s), financial limitations and the unsettling watchful eye of the westerners and struggled to retain control after 1895 as well. After years of continuous insurrection, scandals, and rapid turnover of incompetent Governor-Generals, Japan's immature colonial experiment in Taiwan seemed destined to fail.

The cases of Takano Takenori (1854-1919) and Isawa Shūji (1851-1917) are the more illustrative of Japan's (early) rule in its first gaichi (外地, "outer colony"). Both hailing from the civil administration sector in naichi (内地, "mainland Japan"), they experienced the ruthlessness and irrationality of the colonial regime's methods first-hand. Their testimonials and views hold relatively more value than the usual biased eulogies as recorded by the supporters and members of Japan's military establishment. They can also provide an objective and unprecedented glimpse on Taiwan's actual conditions. The eternal struggle between the political and the military element in the colony and the prevalence of the latter over the former would prove the fundamental weaknesses of Japan's colonial system. The establishment tried and succeeded in silencing their voices. The examination of judge Takano's and pedagogue Isawa's cases may appear as local histories, but they touch upon broader debates on colonial capitalism, settler colonialism, exploitation, and oppression.