The Government-General of Taiwan (Government of Taiwan, Taiwan Government, Government of Formosa, Japanese: , Kyūjitai: , Hepburn: Taiwan Sōtokufu; ; Tâi-lô: Tâi-uân Tsóng-tok-hú; Pha̍k-fa-sṳ=Thòi-vân Chúng-tuk-fú) was the government that governed Taiwan under Japanese rule between 1895 and 1945.
History The Government-General of Taiwan was founded on May 10, 1895, two days after the Treaty of Shimonoseki was enforced. It started to rule Taiwan since June 17, 1895 after the Japanese forces took over Taiwan. On August 15, 1945, with the surrender of Japan, the organizations of Government-General was transformed to the newly established Taiwan Provincial Government and Taiwan Garrison Command. The transformation was completed on February 20, 1946.
Organization and structure Governor-General
The Governor-General of Taiwan (Japanese: , Hepburn: Taiwan Sōtoku, Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-oân Chóng-tok) was the ruler of Taiwan in the Japanese era. The Governor-General was supervised by the Prime Minister of Japan, and then by the Minister of Home Affairs and the Minister of Colonial Affairs. The Governor-General exercised executive, legislative, and judicial powers in Taiwan. The Governor-General was also the commander of the Mixed Brigade of Taiwan Defense until it reorganized to the Taiwan Army under the Imperial Japanese Army in 1919
Chief of General Affairs The Chief of General Affairs (Japanese: , Hepburn: Sōmu Chōkan, Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Chóng-bū Tiúⁿ-koaⁿ), named Chief of Civil Affairs (Japanese: , Hepburn: Minsei Chōkan, Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Bîn-chèng Tiúⁿ-koaⁿ) before 1919, was the primary executor of the policy in Taiwan, and the second most powerful official after the Governor-General.
Internal Departments In 1895, the Government-General was founded with three departments: Department of Civil Affairs, Department of Army, Department of Navy. The military departments are to prepare the warfare with the rebellions in Taiwan. The Departments of Army and Navy were soon merged into Department of Military Affairs in 1896. With the Civil-Military divide in the 1910s, the Department of Military Affairs were reorganized as the Taiwan Army Command under Imperial Japanese Army. All bureaus under the Department of Civil Affairs became independents departments under the Government-General, and the Chief of Civil Affairs (then Chief of General Affairs) became a role similar to a head of Government.
At the end of Japanese rule, the Government-General has the following organs.List of Staffs in the Government-General of Taiwan (National Diet Library) +Structure of the Government-General in 1945NameKanjiJapaneseTaiwaneseSecretariat to the Governor-GeneralSōtoku KanbōChóng-tok Koaⁿ-pângDepartment of EducationBunkyō KyokuBûn-kàu Kio̍kDepartment of FinanceZaimu KyokuChâi-bū Kio̍kDepartment of Mines and IndustryKōkō KyokuKhòng-kong Kio̍kDepartment of Agriculture and CommerceNōshō KyokuLông-siong Kio̍kDepartment of PoliceKeimu KyokuKéng-bū Kio̍kBureau of Foreign AffairsGaiji BuGōa-sū Pō͘Bureau of Judicial AffairsHōmu BuHoat-bū Pō͘
External Departments There is a large number of external departments of the Government-General. Notable departments are Courts Taiwan High Court and 5 District Courts (Taihoku, Shinchiku, Taichū, Tainan, Takao) Taiwan High Prosecutors Office and 5 prosecutors offices in the district courts Department of Transportation Railway Bureau Communications Bureau (for postal and telecommunications) Monopoly Bureau (for opium, salt, camphor, liquor and tobacco) Port Bureau Takao Port Authority Kīrun Port Authority Higher Education Taihoku Imperial University Taihoku College of Commerce Taihoku College of Technology Taihoku College Taichū College of Agriculture Tainan College of Technology Imperial Taiwan Library Governmental Hospital Shintō shrines Taiwan Grand Shrine
Local government
In 1945, Taiwan was divided to 8 prefectures. They are: Taihoku Prefecture, Shinchiku Prefecture, Taichū Prefecture, Tainan Prefecture, Takao Prefecture, Karenkō Prefecture, Taitō Prefecture, and Hōko Prefecture. The prefectures are further divided into 11 cities, 52 districts, and 2 subprefectures.
Governmental buildings
After the Treaty of Shimonoseki was enforced from May 8, 1895, the Empire of Japan started to rule Taiwan. In the early years, the Government-General was seated in the former Fukien-Taiwan Provincial Administration Hall build by the Qing Empire in 1892.
The new governmental building was planned in 1907 by the 5th Governor-General Sakuma Samata. Construction began on June 1, 1912, and was completed on March 31, 1919, at a cost of 2.8 million Japanese yen. The new building of the Government-General, now named Presidential Office Building, is still being used as the office of the President of the Republic of China after World War II.
The residence of the Governor-General of Taiwan is known today as Taipei Guest House.
See also History of Taiwan Timeline of Taiwanese history Political divisions of Taiwan (1895–1945)
References
External links Documents of the Government-General of Taiwan Glossary of Asian History Government-General of Taiwan Formosa (Taiwan) Under Japanese Rule