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The Wansei: History’s Castaways Look Homeward to Taiwan

  • A study group, mainly consisting of elderly people born in the colonial era, meets every month in Taipei to learn and speak Japanese together.

    A study group, mainly consisting of elderly people born in the colonial era, meets every month in Taipei to learn and speak Japanese together.

  • Taiwan-born Tominaga Masaru at home in Tokushima Prefecture. Deeply attached to his native Hualien, Tominaga has spent years researching the city and its inhabitants, amassing an impressive collection of historical materials relating to Taiwan.

    Taiwan-born Tominaga Masaru at home in Tokushima Prefecture. Deeply attached to his native Hualien, Tominaga has spent years researching the city and its inhabitants, amassing an impressive collection of historical materials relating to Taiwan.

  • Families of the fallen gather in Hengchun, Taiwan, in August 2015 for a ceremony honoring Japanese soldiers killed in the Bashi Channel during World War II. They are joined by a number of Wansei and elderly Taiwanese citizens.

    Families of the fallen gather in Hengchun, Taiwan, in August 2015 for a ceremony honoring Japanese soldiers killed in the Bashi Channel during World War II. They are joined by a number of Wansei and elderly Taiwanese citizens.

  • The alumni club of the long-defunct Kensei Elementary School in Taipei continues to publish a newsletter and hold get-togethers.

    The alumni club of the long-defunct Kensei Elementary School in Taipei continues to publish a newsletter and hold get-togethers.

  • Monthly bulletin of the Taiwan Kyōkai. The association’s library provides access to valuable historical materials and documents.

    Monthly bulletin of the Taiwan Kyōkai. The association’s library provides access to valuable historical materials and documents.

  • Historian Takenaka Nobuko, a Wansei with an abiding affection for Taiwan, is acknowledged as a leading authority on the local history of her hometown of Suao.

    Historian Takenaka Nobuko, a Wansei with an abiding affection for Taiwan, is acknowledged as a leading authority on the local history of her hometown of Suao.

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