The Meiji Japanese Who Made Modern Taiwan

Watanabe Toshio’s The Meiji Japanese Who Made Modern Taiwan is a source of enlightenment, along with his other works, for us to deepen our understanding of Japan’s administration and development of Taiwan in the pre-1945 period. It shows the contributions Japanese leaders—agronomists, administrators, and engineers—made toward Taiwan, which not only provided for its development but also the foundation for more than a century of close ties, mutual respect, and friendship. By translating this seminal book into English, Robert Eldridge has helped bring these contributions further to light for the global community.

-- Abe Shinzo, former Prime Minister of Japan (2006–2007; 2012–2020)

Eldridge has made yet another important contribution to our understanding of the history of East Asia by translating Watanabe Toshio’s recent work, The Meiji Japanese Who Made Modern Taiwan. Japan played an enormous in the development of Taiwan, through far-reaching education and social policies, infrastructure and irrigation projects, and rice and crop improvement. That the relationship continues today and is so strong are testaments to the positive impact Japan had begun during the Meiji period.

-- Hattori Ryūji, Chuo University

Dr. Eldridge’s translation of Toshio’s The Meiji Japanese Who Made Modern Taiwan is a vital contribution to our understanding of Japan’s administration and development of Taiwan in the prewar period. This book highlights not only the well-thought out and generally well-executed policies that brought about Taiwan’s modernization, but also the individuals who led these efforts. It was especially interesting to learn about the beliefs and motivations of these men and their families.

-- Hayakawa Tomohisa, personal secretary to the late Dr. Lee Teng-hui, former President of the Republic of C