Taiwan and Imperialism
Taiwan became a Japanese colony in 1895 (Ho 3). Keen to make the colony profitable, Japanese administrators exercised tight authority over Taiwan’s economy and sought to pursue the most viable industries there.
Taiwan had been known for its success in sugar production. Sugar had been Taiwan’s main agricultural export when the Dutch arrived on the island, with rain-saturated southern provinces sending large amounts to Japan (Rutter 51). In 1890, W. Wykeham Myers, a British consulate worker, noted that “after a thorough investigation…of five years” sugar was determined to “have the greatest future” in Taiwan, offering the government the best chance for “fruitful…results” (Davidson 452). Knowledge of Taiwan’s sugar production was even evident in popular culture: just after Japan gained control of Taiwan, Kyō no Warabe penned a children’s story entitled Momōtaro, in which a young boy travels to Onigashima (devil island) clearly modeled after Taiwan. On Onigashima, he defeats the native devils, who surrender and offer him a sweet liquid made from the island’s indigenous sugar cane (Henry 221). Sugar thus widely considered the the best prospective industry in Taiwan, the Japanese government made the Formosan Sugar Company the first overseas corporation bankrolled by national capital (Rutter 54)(Kushner 133).
Representing initial governmental and commercial interests, the success of this company (and by extension the Taiwanese sugar industry) was considered to be critical for promoting Japanese imperialism. Accordingly, the government tried to guarantee this success through both economic sanctions and agricultural innovations. For instance, the government allowed Japanese companies to monopolize sugar production and refinery, eliminating competition and offering subsidies in exchange for governmental influence in development (Ho 37). In an effort to increase yields, the Japanese government funded horticultural research, including the importation foreign species of sugar cane to replace less hardy native species in 1896 (Lu 3), the establishment of agricultural experimentation stations staring in 1899 (Ho 37), and the consultation of scientists (such as Dr. Inazo Nitobe in 1901 who recommended improved use of fertilizer and irrigation) (Grajdanzev 58). As a result of colonial rule, sugar production spiked dramatically from 1 million metric tons in 1905 to 12 million metric tons in 1939 (Ho 47).
Through imperial rule in Taiwan, Japan was able to promote the growth of its own sugar companies to “domestically” meet increasing demand at home for the sweet crop.
Bibliography
Davidson, James Wheeler. The Island of Formosa, past and Present. History, People, Resources, and Commercial Prospects. Tea, Camphor, Sugar, Gold, Coal, Sulphur, Economical Plants, and Other Productions. London and New York: Macmillan, 1903. Print.