Ethnic Taiwanese Imperial Japan Serviceman
Encyclopedia
A Taiwanese Imperial Japan Serviceman ' onMouseout='HidePop("78477")' href="/topics/Japanese_language">Japanese
: 台湾人日本兵) is a person, Taiwanese
by identity, who served in the Imperial Japanese Army
or Navy
during World War II
whether as a soldier, a sailor, or in another non-combat capacity. According to statistics provided by Japan
's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
, during the Second Sino-Japanese War
and the subsequent World War II
, a total of 207,183 Taiwanese served in the armed force of Imperial Japan, and 30,304 of them were declared killed
or missing in action
.
In 1942, after the United States entered the war on the Allied side, Japan lifted its ban on Taiwanese serving in a combat capacity, and began the Army Special Volunteers Act in Taiwan. This act allowed the residents of Japan's overseas territories and colonies to serve in its army, and was first enacted in Korea
in 1938. The first few recruitment drives were limited in scale, with only a few hundred openings available to a relatively large number of applicants. The scale gradually expanded in order to replenish the loss of manpower on the battlefield. A similar program, the Navy Special Volunteers Program (Japanese: 海軍特別志願兵制度), was established in 1943 in both Taiwan and Korea to allow non-Japanese to serve in the Navy.
With Japan's manpower depleting, the Japanese government terminated the army and navy special volunteers programs in 1944 and 1945 respectively, replacing them with systematic conscription. Before Japan's surrender, there were 126,750 non-combatants and 80,433 soldiers and sailors serving in Japan's military, with roughly 16,000 of them having been recruited through volunteer programs. A total of 30,304 servicemen, or 15% of those recruited and conscripted, were killed or presumed killed in action. Additionally, 173 Taiwanese who served in the Imperial Japanese armed forces were found guilty of Class B and C war crime
s, and twenty-six of those were sentenced to death.
Chiu Chin-chun, a pilot for the Imperial Japanese Army, stated in one of his interviews, "I was assigned to the Seventh Air Fleet, which was based in Nagoya. When I reported to my unit, the commander told the lieutenant commander 'Chiu is a Taiwanese, but do not treat him any different from others. We are all the Emperor's
soldiers.'" He also claimed that because he served for Imperial Japan, he was discriminated against by the Chinese authority that later ruled Taiwan. "The Chinese soldiers criticized me whenever they saw me, and the police did the same... after the 228 Incident
, some people came (to my work place) and said I served for Japan, that I betrayed the country (China)..."
Former President Lee Teng-hui
of the Republic of China
briefly served in the Imperial Japanese armed forces shortly before the end of World War Two. His brother, Lee Teng-chin, was killed in action in the Philippines
while serving in the Imperial Japanese Navy
. His remains were never recovered. Furthermore, Lee Teng-chin and at least 26,000 ethnic Taiwanese Imperial Japan servicemen, who were killed or presumed killed in action, were enshrined in the Yasukuni Shrine
.
Although not considered Taiwanese by ethnicity, Takasago Volunteers
were sometimes considered to be Taiwanese Imperial Japan Servicemen, and statistics sometimes show the two groups as one. The Takasago Volunteers unit was composed of Taiwanese aboriginal volunteers, and Taiwanese people
with Han Chinese
background.
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
: 台湾人日本兵) is a person, Taiwanese
Taiwanese people
Taiwanese people may refer to individuals who either claim or are imputed cultural identity focused on the island of Taiwan and/or Taiwan Area which have been governed by the Republic of China since 1945...
by identity, who served in the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
or Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
whether as a soldier, a sailor, or in another non-combat capacity. According to statistics provided by Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan)
The ' is a cabinet level ministry of the Japanese government. It is commonly known as Kōrō-shō in Japan. This ministry provides regulations on maximum residue limits for agricultural chemicals in foods, basic food and drug regulations, standards for foods, food additives, etc.It was formed with...
, during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
and the subsequent World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a total of 207,183 Taiwanese served in the armed force of Imperial Japan, and 30,304 of them were declared killed
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
or missing in action
Missing in action
Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively...
.
History
In the fall of 1937, the Empire of Japan began recruiting Taiwanese into its military; prior to that, Taiwanese were banned from serving in the military of Imperial Japan. As the war continued, there was an increasing need of translators for conducting military operations in China, and many Taiwanese volunteers were given training courses in Min, Cantonese and Mandarin languages, and served as translators for the Imperial Japanese Army operating in China. The number of Taiwanese serving in this capacity was classified, and remains unknown.In 1942, after the United States entered the war on the Allied side, Japan lifted its ban on Taiwanese serving in a combat capacity, and began the Army Special Volunteers Act in Taiwan. This act allowed the residents of Japan's overseas territories and colonies to serve in its army, and was first enacted in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
in 1938. The first few recruitment drives were limited in scale, with only a few hundred openings available to a relatively large number of applicants. The scale gradually expanded in order to replenish the loss of manpower on the battlefield. A similar program, the Navy Special Volunteers Program (Japanese: 海軍特別志願兵制度), was established in 1943 in both Taiwan and Korea to allow non-Japanese to serve in the Navy.
With Japan's manpower depleting, the Japanese government terminated the army and navy special volunteers programs in 1944 and 1945 respectively, replacing them with systematic conscription. Before Japan's surrender, there were 126,750 non-combatants and 80,433 soldiers and sailors serving in Japan's military, with roughly 16,000 of them having been recruited through volunteer programs. A total of 30,304 servicemen, or 15% of those recruited and conscripted, were killed or presumed killed in action. Additionally, 173 Taiwanese who served in the Imperial Japanese armed forces were found guilty of Class B and C war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s, and twenty-six of those were sentenced to death.
Veterans
When asked the reason for serving, many veterans stated that their reason for joining up was to receive better treatment. Veteran Chien Chuan-chih recounted his experiences: "While Japanese were rationed white sugar, Taiwanese were only given brown sugar; Japanese could have pork, and Taiwanese could only have a limited amount of lower grade meat. Only by joining the service can a Taiwanese be free of discrimination, and able to enjoy the same treatment as the Japanese. Therefore, many Taiwanese volunteered for the service."Chiu Chin-chun, a pilot for the Imperial Japanese Army, stated in one of his interviews, "I was assigned to the Seventh Air Fleet, which was based in Nagoya. When I reported to my unit, the commander told the lieutenant commander 'Chiu is a Taiwanese, but do not treat him any different from others. We are all the Emperor's
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
soldiers.'" He also claimed that because he served for Imperial Japan, he was discriminated against by the Chinese authority that later ruled Taiwan. "The Chinese soldiers criticized me whenever they saw me, and the police did the same... after the 228 Incident
228 Incident
The 228 Incident, also known as the 228 Massacre, was an anti-government uprising in Taiwan that began on February 27, 1947, and was violently suppressed by the Kuomintang government. Estimates of the number of deaths vary from 10,000 to 30,000 or more...
, some people came (to my work place) and said I served for Japan, that I betrayed the country (China)..."
Former President Lee Teng-hui
Lee Teng-hui
Lee Teng-hui is a politician of the Republic of China . He was the 7th, 8th, and 9th-term President of the Republic of China and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 1988 to 2000. He presided over major advancements in democratic reforms including his own re-election which marked the first direct...
of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
briefly served in the Imperial Japanese armed forces shortly before the end of World War Two. His brother, Lee Teng-chin, was killed in action in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
while serving in the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
. His remains were never recovered. Furthermore, Lee Teng-chin and at least 26,000 ethnic Taiwanese Imperial Japan servicemen, who were killed or presumed killed in action, were enshrined in the Yasukuni Shrine
Yasukuni Shrine
is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is dedicated to the soldiers and others who died fighting on behalf of the Emperor of Japan. Currently, its Symbolic Registry of Divinities lists the names of over 2,466,000 enshrined men and women whose lives were dedicated to the service of...
.
Although not considered Taiwanese by ethnicity, Takasago Volunteers
Takasago Volunteers
were volunteer soldiers in the Imperial Japanese Army, recruited from the Taiwanese aboriginal tribes during World War II.-Background and history:...
were sometimes considered to be Taiwanese Imperial Japan Servicemen, and statistics sometimes show the two groups as one. The Takasago Volunteers unit was composed of Taiwanese aboriginal volunteers, and Taiwanese people
Taiwanese people
Taiwanese people may refer to individuals who either claim or are imputed cultural identity focused on the island of Taiwan and/or Taiwan Area which have been governed by the Republic of China since 1945...
with Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
background.