Hiroshima Geographical Association NII-Electronic Library Service HiroshimaGeographicalAssociation teffI"\ vol. 61 no. 1 pp. 22-39, 2006 GeographicalSciences (ChinllCagaku) Regional Differentiation on the Policy fbr in Modern Japanese Colonies: A CaseChinese Laborers Study of Taiwan ABE Yasuhisa* Key words:'Ilie Policy for Chinese Laborers, Industrial Development, the Assimilation Policy, Taiwan, Japanese Colonies I Introduction This paper discusses the Chinese laborer policy in modern Japanese colonies based on the case of Taiwan. By comparing the Japa- nese mainland and colonies such as Sakhalin and Korea, the paper explores the regional differentiation and background of Japan's Chinese laborer policy In their analyses and research of the laborer transitioning in Eastern Asia before World War II, some Japanese papers refer to the research oi people from other countries including landsfrom where people immigrated to Japan. In the process of looking through these papers I found that there are many studies related to laborers moving from Korea into Japan. After 1980 the number of these studies increased significantly The studies of Sugihara and Tarnai eds. (1996), Nish- inarita (1997) are outstanding. 'Iliere has also been much research on Chinese laborers immi- grating to Japan and the corresponding immi- gration policM such as thatof Kyo (1989, 1990a, 1990b), Yamashita (1991) and Hashimoto (1996), and others. " Faculty oi Humanities, Kyushu University Yamawaki (1994) has pointed out that when investigating the foreign laborer policy, it isnecessary to combine the immigration proc- ess of Korean and Chinese laborersto analyze the situation more fully. He loeks carefu11y at theimmigration policy of two periods: the latter part of the 1890s and the beginning of the 1920s. The present paper further explores the questions posed inthese previous researches. As many of these previous studies shove when one exarnines the foreignlaborer immigration policy during that period of time,the incoming and outgoing policies held by the Japanese government should be made clear. At the same time, it is necessary to study regional differentiation in the foreign laborer policy among the many Japanese colonies at that time. For thecolonies of modern Japan, especially for Korea and Taiwan,the characteristics of the governing policy lay withthe highly independ- ent legislation of the colonial government. The colonial governments had the right to make appropriate policies towards foreign and outside laborersaccording to the conditions of thecolony (Abe, 2004, p, 157). Some of the representative studies on the foreign laberer policies in the colonial area are -22-
18
Embed
Regional Differentiation Policy fbr Laborers Modern ...
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Hiroshima Geographical Association
NII-Electronic Library Service
HiroshimaGeographicalAssociation
teffI"\ vol. 61 no. 1 pp. 22-39, 2006Geographical Sciences (ChinllCagaku)
Regional Differentiation on the Policy fbr
in Modern Japanese Colonies: A CaseChinese
LaborersStudy of Taiwan
ABE Yasuhisa*
Key words:'Ilie Policy for Chinese Laborers, Industrial Development,
the Assimilation Policy, Taiwan, Japanese Colonies
I Introduction
This paper discusses the Chinese laborer
policy in modern Japanese colonies based on
the case of Taiwan. By comparing the Japa-
nese mainland and colonies such as Sakhalin
and Korea, the paper explores the regional
differentiation and background of Japan'sChinese laborer policy In their analyses and
research of the laborer transitioning in Eastern
Asia before World War II, some Japanese
papers refer to the research oi people from
other countries including lands from where
people immigrated to Japan. In the process of
looking through these papers I found that there
are many studies related to laborers moving
from Korea into Japan. After 1980 the number
of these studies increased significantly The
studies of Sugihara and Tarnai eds. (1996), Nish-
inarita (1997) are outstanding. 'Iliere
has also
been much research on Chinese laborers immi-
grating to Japan and the corresponding immi-
gration policM such as that of Kyo (1989, 1990a,
1990b), Yamashita (1991) and Hashimoto
(1996), and others.
" Faculty oi Humanities, Kyushu University
Yamawaki (1994) has pointed out that
when investigating the foreign laborer policy, it
is necessary to combine the immigration proc-
ess of Korean and Chinese laborers to analyze
the situation more fully. He loeks carefu11y at
the immigration policy of two periods: the latter
part of the 1890s and the beginning of the 1920s.
The present paper further explores the
questions posed in these previous researches.
As many of these previous studies shove when
one exarnines the foreign laborer immigration
policy during that period of time, the incoming
and outgoing policies held by the Japanese
government should be made clear. At the
same time, it is necessary to study regional
differentiation in the foreign laborer policy
among the many Japanese colonies at that time.
For the colonies of modern Japan, especially for
Korea and Taiwan, the characteristics of the
governing policy lay with the highly independ-
ent legislation of the colonial government.
The colonial governments had the right to
make appropriate policies towards foreign and
outside laborers according to the conditions of
the colony (Abe, 2004, p, 157).
Some of the representative studies on the
foreign laberer policies in the colonial area are
-22-
Hiroshima Geographical Association
NII-Electronic Library Service
HiroshimaGeographical Association
ABE Y.: Regional Differentiation on the Policy for Chinese Laborers in Modern Japanese Colonies: A Case Study ef Taiwan
those of Odauchi (1924), Kaseya (1997),Matsuda (2003) on Korea; Matsuo (1937),
Shibuya and Matsuo (1943), Wu (1991), and
Ichikawa (1999) on Taiwan. Abe (2001) also
explored the employment pelicy for the
Chinese labor force based on the case of Sakha-
lin. But these papers clidn't focus on the
contradiction between the merits and demerits
of accepting Chinese laborers.
flherefore,
they
also didn't discu$s regional differentiation of
this contradiction in Chinese laborer policies on
the Japanese mainland and its colonies.
Based on previous studies and using
'Ileiiwan
cluring the 1920s and 1930s as an exam-
ple, the author has already examined the
regional differentiation and background of the
employment policies of Chinese Iaborers by
comparing Japanese mainland and colonial
areas such as Sakhalin and Korea in interim
reports (Abe 2003, 2004)i), But in the present
paper I have paid more attention to the contra-
diiction between the fo11owing two points: 1. The
industrial profits obtained from using Chinese
laborers, 2, The inevitable etiects on the
assimilation policy were caused by the increas-
ing number of Chinese laborers.
Oguma's (1998) research may be referred
to concerning this point. He subtly analyzes
the governing policy based on the circum-
stances of Korea and Taiwan, which were the
main colonial dlstricts oiJapan, He points out
that in the colonial governing policies of
modernJapan an assiinilation direet governing
poHcy and non-assimilat.ion indirect governing
policy existecl at the same time, and that this
becaine the focus of debate of the colonial
government,
Proven by the successful examples of
23
23
Okinawa, Hokkaido and Sakhalin, an assimila-
tion policy could be an effective way to put a
newlyobtained land under Japan's governing
control. Compared with these areas, howeveg
the local inhabitants in Taiwan and Korea were
too much different from the governing inhabi-
tants in terms of language, history and culture.
This made it almost impossible to carry out an
assimilation policy (Not well-deserved even if it
had been possible). The politicians who held
this idea believed that, in those areas an indirect
governing policy should be pronioted; that is,
they preferred to ]et the local governors do
their job (Besides, this kind of indirect gove.rn-
ing policy made the different treatment towards
the local inhabitants more bearable; for exam-
ple, by giving them the right to participatc in
the government). However, for a newly arisen
imperial eountry like Japan, facing the military
t.hreat of European countries and America.
furthering its colonial gov ¢ rnmcnt was neces-
sary Thu$ there were also rnany people who
preferred an assimilation policy, Accordingly,
for a long time, Japan maintained an eclectic
governing policy
wnen studying the Chinese laborer policy
in the colenial areas, I consider it necessary to
pay much attention to thc debate between
assimilation, which places national security
first, and non-assimilation, which plaees deve.lop-
menL first (Abe, 2e04, p. 158).
For the present study, I have collected
many related materials that haye becn edited by
the governmental office and preserved in the
Diplomatic Record Office of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs. I have also analyzed a local
newspaper, Taiwan Daily Newspaper, preserved
in the National Diet Library.
Hiroshima Geographical Association
NII-Electronic Library Service
HiroshimaGeographicalAssociation
24 tegenyF\61-1,2006
II ModernJapan'sChineseLaborerPolicy
One investigator wrote on the Chinese
laborer policy of modern Japan as follows: `"Ibe
so-called 1899 foreign laborer policy of modern
Japan is like this: as foreign and outside
laborer, Japan can employ Chinese laberers and
Korean 1al)orers. And between the two, Japan
gives the priority to the Korean laborer" (Yama-
waki, 1994, pp. 286-288).
Based on this policy, most cities ef the Japa-
nese mainland including Tokyo, strictly
excluded Chinese laborers. Firstly, in the
early part of the 1920s, the control of incoming
Chinese laborers became stricter. From the
late 1920s through the early 1930s, the policy
became that of forcing the Chinese who had
already moved or settled in Japan to leave the
country, The policy was originally aimed at
excluding those Chinese who committed
crimes such as theft, but soon it also included
those who worked without permission or came
into the country illegally (Abe, 2000, pp. 702-
704).
Enhancement of the policy also affected
the residential patterns of the Chinese laborer,
In the early 1920s, the number of Chinese labor-
ers who moved to Japan increased drarnatically
At that time, they were scattered throughout
the Oushima, Minamiseniu, and Mikawashima
districts of 1[bkyo (Abe, 1999, pp. 32-34). 11iese
areas were not only where Chinese laborers
took up residence, but also where blue-collar
Japanese and Korean workers lived (Nishi-
narita, 1997, pp, 66-67). If the Concentrated
Area can be defined as "the
area where one
ethnic group's population is obviously higher
than that of other ethnic groups", then the situa
tion in Tokyo in 1920s shows the preliminary
formation of a Chinese Concentrated Area
(Abe, 2004, p. 159).
However, because the Japanese govern-
ment's policy in the 1920s was always the strict
control and forced repatriation of Chinese labor-
ers, a Chinese Concentrated Area never came
into being. On the contrary, the number of
Chinese laborers decreased continuously.
Indeed, in the process of industrial develop
ment, such as mining, the manufacturing indus-
try and basic construction, the lack of local
laborers showed itself clearly As a matter of
fact, on the Japanese mainland, when people
encountered situations such as military prosper-
ity or reconstruction after a natural disaster, the
government also considered a plan to hire more
Chinese laborers legally (Abe, 2004, p. 159).
For example, in July of 1917, military prosperity
caused by World War I led to a lack ef laborers.
In the construction of a shipyard in Yamaguchi
prefecture, the restriction against Chinese labor-
ers was reconsidered and lifted for some time
(Yamawaki, 1994, pp. 118-119). Additionally,
after a strong earthquake in Tokyo in 1923
caused the collapse of over 100,OOO buildings, a
building contractor asked to be allowed to
employ 500 Chinese laborers (Abe, 2001, p,
102). Whether these plans were carried out is
not certain, but the Japanese government
seemed to have problems with hiring Chinese
laborers,
In contrast, in the Japanese colonies such
as Korea, Taiwan and Sakhalin, a different
policy towards the Chinese laborer was'held
because the policy independence of the colonial
governments had been ensured ("Chinese"here refers te the people who had Chinese
-24-
Hiroshima Geographical Association
NII-Electronic Library Service
HiroshimaGeographical Association
ABE Y.: Regional Differentiation on the Policy for Chinese Laborers in Modern Japanese Colonies: A Case Study uf Taiwan
nationality; it does not include the inhabitants in
Taiwan whe already had Japanese nationality).
Of course, because Korea, Taiwan and
Sakhalin had differences in the population of
colonized people and the initiative of the govern-
ment, they also had differences in the condi-
tions for receiving Chinese laborers. As Abe
(2001) showed, the Sakhalin colonial govern-
ment took the most prudent attitude towards
the hiring of Chinese laborers, This was
because over 90% of the people were from the
Japanese mainland. Financially speaking, the
Sakhalin colonial government relied to a great
extent on central governmental subsidies (Miki,
2000). Compared with Taiwan, the financial
independence of Sakhalin was much lower.
I£ gally speaking, the Sakhalin government had
to adopt the same policies as the .Iapanese main-
land since it did not have its own legislatien
rights. Its rights had been confined to the
administrative aspects (Yamamoto, 1992, p,
118), So in Sakhalin, there werc two opposing
ideas: 1) allow the hiring ef Chinese laborers
and 2) forbid the hiring of Chinese laborers.
Some people did not want to go against the
policy held by the Japanese mainland,
Moreover. just as on the Japanese main-
land, Sakhalin had a great number of Korean
laborers coming in from the Marltime Province
of Siberia. It had plenty of cheap laborers for
its industrial development. In addition, some
industrialists, centered in Toyohara-cho,
thought that Chinese laborers' habit of saving
their salaries and sending most of it back to
China was harmfu1 to the local industry. 'Ihus,
the Anti-Chinese-Labor Campaign broke out
(Abe, 2001, pp. 108-111). All these things
together meant that thc hiring of Chinese labor-
25
ers lasted only from 1923 to 1927.
The author illustrates that the import of
Chinese laborers was forbidden on the Japa-
nese mainland, and was allowed partiy in Sakha-
lin, in contrast to being allowed widely in Korea
and Taiwan (Fig. 1).
In Taiwan, the governor had an independ-
ent budget and stopped accepting the central
governmental subsidies after 1905, Taiwan
also had its own legislation rights. In Korea,
though it still used the central government
subsidy, it hacl legislative independence from
the very beginning based on the "previous
example" of Taiwan. 'lhus,
compared with the
Japanese mainland and Sakhalin, the Korean
government's poliey toward the coming and
gQing of Chinese laborers was also ditterent
(Oguma, 1998, pp. 136, 147-150).
According to research by Matsuda, the
control of Chinese lab()rers was not so stricL in
the 1920s, There were only some warnings or
admonitions given to employers. But since the
1930s, the government had adopted the same
strict policy as the Japanese mainland. The
inilux of Chinese laborers had made the under-
developed Korean laborer market worse, and
had some negative effects on the employment
of Korean inhabitants, Even so, the control of
Chinese laborers was still not so strict in the
1920s; the main reason being that the Kore.an
government was worried that the Chinese
government might strengthen control of the
immigration policy for K{)reans (Matsuda, 2003,
pp. 321-323, 330, 332-335).
This kind of diplomatic problem also
occurred on the Japanese rnainland with regard
to the immigration of Japanese te the United
Stat.es of Arnerica, The research of Yamawaki
25 -
Hiroshima Geographical Association
NII-Electronic Library Service
HiroshimaGeographicalAssociation
26 temprv"61-1, 2006
1..-.. ["'/'
""-,
./,・....,f.1.R
t"""
'
f"'
.t.t
t.t
Amtw /----・・・
,) ?
/"""
' f
ttt t''cttt
/
'f
t..-...t
tt/
tt t....../tt.r '
tt.t
/
1 t .tt t./ t
ilua"g Fto f.N'X,h. /t l .. rf, s t. ? "'f 1- .1. .f ,...1' '.sv
./, f ' i K.t '
x.I x" ./ /r
flL
's.''.r'
mm .flr'"X t.p.t.E.....t.
"
?.m"'.g.t'7"g-[lh'.,i,Il,8Y9・ .S.S
・f", X' East
"
l-i"'s.i,r.l/ /lj
"Si
'
5ZZ`' " -' ""SISi'/,lii,
i ii
"
iZ,
-t.t
t;
'
..Xl
'
tt
1
L
g....,,
);k"' ..i f
.・" t.fV /, J' -t t. t - / t
...J. i 1' / ,' 1t tt
rl t,.../ tt - t / t / g ,g ,t //
,., .)if. .yVt
'""
..t tt.t t.. t
t t.t.
)
../r' Sea ef
//1.,. txKoreajaPa'i
3rf
i/Ldi.-' .. f,1
!J,!apa!:t
s'ltli"t,.'t.'s.'A
, Jt.
Jtt/ // X/
Ytx //
S.....--E->..--."tt .- /
ghifia ift/ tf-'
-x->
-------->
Korea
' '
L
1. t. L--'t /t 1 f・'・ 11 Kiiii>"'
" t./ .t de
'l
X.v..x
V't' ,
・i .Y・・ i'- f.・lx-.i
)t../ <1 /tt!/
)r J t/t' ta1/ ' l ・/ ' ( '..t.z.r'
PaciiicgceaR
'
.tN?t.
Widely allowed
Forbidden
Partly allowed
Japan or its colonies
Fig. 1 Flows ofChinese laborers in theJapanese Empire duting the 1920s