2019 年 95 巻 p. 163-181
This paper describes the newspaper activities and press policies in wartime
colonial Taiwan by analyzing local newspapers and the archives of the
Taiwanese Government-General and Army, materials that were rarely examined
in previous studies.
Three major newspapers, Taiwan Nichi Nichi Shimpo, Taiwan Shimbun
and Tainan Shimpo played a leading role in the Taiwan press system, and
restrictive media control was temporarily eased in the 1930s. However, with
the rise of Japanism, the use of Chinese was abolished in 1937 due to the
change of the Government-General’s policies. Henceforth, in wartime, the integration
of newspapers was promoted, creating a complex relationship between
the Japanese journalists from the mainland, local Japanese and Taiwanese journalists
and the Taiwanese Army. First, weekly newspapers were reorganized,
but unlike on the mainland of Japan, Taiwan’s press community, which did not
have a restricted paper supply, was aiming to expand their newspapers into
South China and the South Seas.
However, in 1944 the Government-General decided to cease all publishing
of the six daily newspapers, and the Taiwan Shimpo was launched. However, in
1945 the Taiwanese Army supplanted the Government-General and directed
the media policies. The Taiwanese Army denied the Government-General’s conventional
colonial rule and tolerated democratic speeches, because it was necessary
to improve morale and obtain the cooperation of the Taiwanese people
regarding the war. Thus, critiques of the Government-General and private citizen
leaders were made, the identity of the Taiwanese people was somewhat
recognized and articles written from the perspective of commoners began to be
published.
After Japan’s defeat, Taiwan Shimpo was transferred to the Taiwanese,
and the Taiwanese launched new media outlets one after another. Here, Taiwanese
journalists, who were critical throughout the war, proactively criticized
the Republic of China and advocated for Taiwanese society in both Chinese and
Japanese during the early postwar period.