The Presence of Negotiation in Colonial Taiwan- Clue from a bowl and foodway?

We usually take colonialism as more than a unidirectional power relationship in archaeology now, since so many cases show us about resistance, negotiation and creolization.

In Japanese Colonial Period (JCP) in Taiwan, the Japanese Colonial Government applied multiple approaches which included military power, political system, ideology and economic system to maintain their ruing.

When I traced my own family history, I found that there are so many little habits are actually the creolized product of Taiwanese culture and Japanese culture. There was once a tatami (Japanese style bedroom) in our family house. My grand grand father built that room when he was recruited by the Japanese Colonial Government as a local representative. My families began to attend Japanese school in the same time, I think this is why my grandpa alway spoke Japanese to me when I was young. And he always revealed a close emotion to Japanese and nostalgia to JCP. Oh right, I believe the raw clam marinated by soy sauce is also the heritage of hybrid culture of Taiwan and Japan, it is delicious!

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When I participated in several CRM project in Taipei area, the ceramics imported from Japan was always the largest remain in in JCP site. Amount these ceramics, there was a specific crane-motif bowl. Honestly it looked just not like Japanese ware, whether color, style or manufacturing technique. We could not figure it out until we luckily found the location and remains of Beitou kiln site in northern Taipei. We final confirm the sourcing of this specific ware.

Recently, combining with statistical data, some historical records and some JCP governmental policies, I found this locally made crane-motif bowl might reflect the negotiation between colonizer and colonized and also indicate a creolization of two culture. This Japanese style motif and Han style body shape bowl was made by Beitou kiln company that its boss had great relation with the Japanese Colonial Government. When this kiln company established, the Japanese Colonial Government published an assimilation policy in the same time in 1920. According to the price setting of this bowl, we can strongly believe that this product was targeted to Han commoners. Not only encourage Han people to speak Japanese, but also try to change the foodway gradually.

Anyway, the data I have now is quite insufficient for me to do further research. I just hope that I can find more related documents or find a Han settlement with complete deposit with crane-motif bowl, then I might tell you more story about it!

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