Proposal preview
Modernity in East Asia: Globalization and Japanese Colonialism
This panel discusses the relationship of globalization and Japanese colonialism from the late nineteenth century to the first half of the twentieth century. As the main force of globalization in East Asia, the Japanese Empire transformed the traditional socio-economic systems of mainland Japan and its colonies, Taiwan and Korea, on the basis of the programs of self-transformation and modernization of the Meiji Restoration. Japanese colonialism had a profound impact on the modernization of Taiwan, South Korea and Japan itself.
“Globalization” refers to the process of international integration consequent on the exchange of world outlooks, products, concepts and other cultural elements. Scholars have generally argued that globalization was already underway in the sixteenth century, but large-scale globalization in its modern sense began in the early nineteenth century due to the expansion of global trade and imperialism after the industrial revolution in the West. However, it must be noted that although Taiwan and South Korea were forced by Western imperialism to open ports in the late nineteenth century, what mainly affected the globalization and modernization of these two regions was Japanese imperialism, which inherited and imitated Western imperialism and carried out colonial actions in East Asia.
Previously, scholarship has only rarely explored the establishment of the modern economic systems of the colonies under Japanese imperialism in terms of globalization and modernization. At the same time, the similarities and differences in how Japanese colonialism influenced the construction of modern economies in Taiwan and Korea remain relatively understudied from a comparative perspective.
This panel brings together scholars from different methodological backgrounds who provide a comparative perspective and extensively employ digital resources. The papers put emphasis on the formation of modern economic institutions and practices. These include Customs, financial reform, modern transport systems, statistical investigation, shipping infrastructure, migration policy and stock fluctuations in Taiwan, Korea and mainland Japan during the Japanese colonial period.
Organizer(s)
- Yu-ju Lin, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
- Wen-kai Lin, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
Session members
- Lung-Pao Tsai, National Taipei University, Taiwan
- Chia-Hao Chen, National Chengchi University, Taiwan
- Pei-hsin Lin, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan
- Myung-ki Moon, Kookmin University, Korea
- Teruhiro Minato, Rikkyo University, Japan
- Elijah J. Greenstein, Princeton University, USA
Discussant(s)
- Tsong-min Wu, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
Papers
Panel abstract
This panel discusses the relationship of globalization and Japanese colonialism from the late nineteenth century to the first half of the twentieth century. As the main force of globalization in East Asia, the Japanese Empire transformed the traditional socio-economic systems of mainland Japan and its colonies, Taiwan and Korea, on the basis of the programs of self-transformation and modernization of the Meiji Restoration. Japanese colonialism had a profound impact on the modernization of Taiwan, South Korea and Japan itself. This panel brings together scholars from different methodological backgrounds who provide a comparative perspective and extensively employ digital resources. The papers put emphasis on the formation of modern economic institutions and practices. These include Customs, financial reform, modern transport systems, statistical investigation, shipping infrastructure, migration policy and stock fluctuations in Taiwan, Korea and mainland Japan during the Japanese colonial period.1st half
Yu-ju Lin
The change in the Taiwan’s Customs system illustrates the continuity and breakdown of the governing mechanism under the rise and fall of regimes. This paper explores the formation of the Japanese customs from the end of the shogunate to the Meiji Restoration, how it was transplanted to Taiwan, and the nature and significance of that transformation.
The change in the Taiwan’s Customs system illustrates the continuity and breakdown of the governing mechanism under the rise and fall of regimes. This paper explores the formation of the Japanese customs from the end of the shogunate to the Meiji Restoration, how it was transplanted to Taiwan, and the nature and significance of that transformation.
Wen-kai Lin
The paper will discuss Japanese fiscal reform in Taiwan Government-General during the early colonial period, analyzing Gotō Shinpei’s changes to land tax reform, customs/tariff and commodity taxes, as to the monopoly system on opium/camphor/salt. Meanwhile, in order to clarify the characteristics of these changes in terms of Taiwan’¬s long term financial history, we will compare it from qualitative institutional aspect and quantitative statistical aspect, with similar reforms made by Liu Ming-chuan during the late Qing Dynasty, to gauge the historical significance of Gotō Shinpei’s fiscal reform. The paper discovers that Liu Ming-chuan’s reform was largely dependent on patrimonial bureaucarcy and traditional governmentality, therefore failing to defeat organizational rent-seeking, corruption and inefficiency, and resulted in limited fiscal profit from the fiscal changes. In contrast, Gotō Shinpei’s reform was mostly implemented through rational bureaucracy and modern governmentality, thus succeeded in overcoming organizational corruption and inefficiency, increased significantly the efficiency of tax revenue.
The paper will discuss Japanese fiscal reform in Taiwan Government-General during the early colonial period, analyzing Gotō Shinpei’s changes to land tax reform, customs/tariff and commodity taxes, as to the monopoly system on opium/camphor/salt. Meanwhile, in order to clarify the characteristics of these changes in terms of Taiwan’¬s long term financial history, we will compare it from qualitative institutional aspect and quantitative statistical aspect, with similar reforms made by Liu Ming-chuan during the late Qing Dynasty, to gauge the historical significance of Gotō Shinpei’s fiscal reform. The paper discovers that Liu Ming-chuan’s reform was largely dependent on patrimonial bureaucarcy and traditional governmentality, therefore failing to defeat organizational rent-seeking, corruption and inefficiency, and resulted in limited fiscal profit from the fiscal changes. In contrast, Gotō Shinpei’s reform was mostly implemented through rational bureaucracy and modern governmentality, thus succeeded in overcoming organizational corruption and inefficiency, increased significantly the efficiency of tax revenue.
Chia-Hao Chen, Lung-Pao Tsai
Chia-Hao Chen, Lung-Pao Tsai
Pei-Hsin Lin
2nd half
Myung-ki Moon
Elijah J. Greenstein
Teruhiro Minato