Japanese opium policy in Taiwan (1895–1945)

Last updated

Taiwan map detail, from Qing Dynasty Map during Xinhai Revolution Taiwan map detail, from- Qing Dynasty Map durnig Xinhai Revolution (cropped).JPG
Taiwan map detail, from Qing Dynasty Map during Xinhai Revolution

Taiwan (also known as Formosa) is an island located off the coast of Fujian in mainland China. [1] The Chinese and Taiwanese people have a long history together, with the first Han Chinese settlers arriving in Taiwan in the seventeenth century. [2] The Japanese empire acquired Taiwan (also known as Formosa) following its cession from Qing dynasty China in the Treaty of Shimonoseki (1895) at the conclusion of the First Sino-Japanese War. [3] [4] This period of Japanese rule of Taiwan lasted until the Japanese surrender of WW2. [3] During this period the colonial government of Japan initiated major policies to reduce the consumption of opium and opium derived products with much regarded success from contemporary sources both from the Japanese Colonial government and international sources. [5] [6]

Contents

There is a long history of opium use in Taiwan dating back to the arrival of the Han Chinese settlers in the 18th Century. [2] The opium habit in Taiwan grew as a result of the Opium Wars in China, which inevitably led to the forced legalisation of opium in 1890. [2] Between 1890 and 1891 the amount of legal opium imported into Taiwan increased from sixty kilos to four hundred thousand kilo. [2] In 1892 alone the opium trade made up half of Taiwan's revenue sources, resulting in the widespread presence of opium throughout Taiwan. [2]

Opium

Opium Poppy Poppy from above.JPG
Opium Poppy

Opium is a highly addictive type of depressant drug which dates back to 3400BC. [1] The opium poppy pods contain a milky substance called latex, which is made up of a number of chemicals such as morphine and codeine. [1] The Latex from the pods is boiled and dried to become opium. [7] Opium has been used throughout history recreationally and as medicine, with historians predicting that opium was likely introduced throughout East Asia in the sixth century A.D. along the Silk Road trade route. [7] The First and Second Opium Wars of the 19th century between the British Empire and Qing Dynasty saw the continued spread of opium throughout East Asia. [8] While opium presented the opportunity for a lucrative trading market to many countries, the devastating impact of the addictive substance caused havoc across East Asia as well as throughout the US and Europe. [8]

Japanese views on opium

The Meiji Japanese held a negative view of opium and regarded it as an uncivilized and lazy practice. [9] These fears may have stemmed from their observation of its effects on the Chinese population as well as aggression from western powers to force its export. [10]

These fears were exacerbated by American diplomats such as Townsend Harris that described opium as "the one great enemy of China" and that it "injures like the most deadly poison". [10] The Meiji government strictly prohibited importation, possession and usage of opium except for medicinal purposes until 1868. [5] Opium smoking in Japan was a rare occurrence and the punishment of the practice strict. [9] [5]

At the time Taiwan was ceded to Japan, opium smoking was regarded as one of the "Three vices" along with foot binding and the queue hairstyle that should be abolished. [11] The Prime Minister at the negotiation of the Treaty of Shimonoseki, Itō Hirobumi expressed that "There have been people living in Taiwan long before the arrival of opium,” [2] and that "The Japanese government will definitely prohibit opium after occupying Taiwan". [9] However, there were fears that the practice may spread to Japan from Taiwan and also concerns that punishing opium usage could lead to anti-Japanese sentiment from Taiwanese locals. [12] [6]

Itō Hirobumi also expressed the contemporary Japanese view that that widespread opium usage was factor in Qing China's decline, stating "Opium smokers are rather lazy, and therefore soldiers cannot be at their best". [9]

Annexation of Taiwan from China

In 1894 the Sino-Japanese War began over Japan's invasion of Korea. [13] The Qing Dynasty was underprepared for the war and was overwhelmed by the power and force of the Japanese fleet. [7] China was left humiliated by their defeat and in 1895 signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki [14] which conceded Taiwan to Japanese rule in perpetuity. [8] Taiwan was officially named Formosa under Japanese rule. [8] The Taiwanese rebelled against the promise of Japanese rule and on 25 May 1895 established the ‘Republic of Formosa’. [7] On 29 May over 12,000 Japanese troops arrived in Taiwan and begun disbanding the Taiwanese movement for independence. [7] The 'Republic of Formosa was officially defeated in October 1895 and Japanese occupation of Taiwan commenced. The Japanese government viewed Taiwan as a resource for Japan's industries and saw an opportunity for a colonial market of Japanese goods and services which could improve the Japanese economy. [7] The Japanese government's opium policies throughout 1895 to 1945 were highly controversial given Taiwan's long history with opium smoking. As well as the innate political and economic motivations of the Japanese government in interfering with the practice. [7] Taiwan's long history with opium is strongly associated with Taiwan's close relationship with China throughout history. [13]

Formosa

Formosa was a Japanese colony for over 50 years, from 1895 to the end of WWII in 1945. [15] During the first three years of Japan's colonial rule, the Japanese military governed the island. However, in 1898 Tōkyō began appointing Japanese Governors to oversee Taiwan. [15] As Taiwan was Japan's first colony, many resources were used to ensure the success of the colony Formosa. [7] Japan had widespread success in establishing order throughout the colony by working to eradicate diseases as well as improve the colonies infrastructure and overall economy. [15] Japanese rule modernised Taiwan following the ‘Meiji’ restoration processes. [16] Their initial policies focused on growing the agricultural industry by working to improve production outputs and farming techniques. [7] The Japanese also built highways and improved the existing infrastructure of railway tracks which aimed to increase access to isolated areas the island and stimulate the economy. [7] Taiwan Initially had 50 km of railway track when the Japanese first took control of the colony and worked to develop upwards of 500 km of railway tracks. [7] The Japanese also constructed schools, hospitals and other key infrastructure such as roads, productive farms and trade ports. [7] The Japanese government intended to propel Taiwan into a modern economy, and as a result became of the most advanced countries in East Asia. [7]

Formosa experienced a shift in cultural identity as a result of Japanese rule. [17] Although Formosa was not technically assimilated with Japanese culture, the local Taiwanese populations were forced to speak Japanese instead of their native language resulting in the loss of local culture. [7] The Japanese ruled the Taiwanese people strictly, dictating policies which represented Japanese interests. [7] A key aspect of the policies which were created to benefit Japanese interests at the time, involved control of the opium trade and strict regulation of its presence throughout Taiwanese and Japanese society. [7] Japan's desire to "civilise" Formosa and the "savages" which occupied the land extended past infrastructure and education, and focussed largely on opium usage. [18] The practise of smoking opium was seen as primitive and dangerous by the Japanese hick as a threat to their ideology and their perception in the global world. [8]

Taiwan Opium Edict of 1897

In 1895 the short-lived 'Republic of Formosa' resistance leaders created fake 'Japanese issued propaganda' stating that opium would be banned in the hope it would drive supporters to their cause. [15] In response, the Japanese government made it temporality legal to continue smoking opium for the local Taiwanese residents, while stating it was punishable by death to supply opium to any Japanese individual. [2] After the Republic of Formosa was defeated, the Japanese government took great issue with the prevalence of opium through Taiwan, fearing it would spread to Japan if not monitored correctly. [2]

On 21 January 1897 the Japanese government issued the Taiwan Opium Edict which established a new opium policy for Taiwan. [2] The Edict outlined the Japanese government's monopoly over the trade of opium and the restricted sale of the drug to "proven addicts" with the necessary licences. [2] The process of 'Licensed opium usage' took three years to complete and resulted in just under 200,000 licences . [2] Japan's opium policy was conducted under the administration and leadership of the East Asia Development Board (Kōain) in operation from December 1938 to November 1942. [19] The policy meant Taiwanese nationals who already addicted to opium could continue to smoke under government regulation. However, by the 1920s there were as many unregistered opium users as registered opium users. The imbalance between the number of registered and unregistered opium smokers demonstrated that the policy was ineffective at keeping nonusers from taking up smoking. [15] Opium dens were common place throughout Southeast Asia. They were establishments where opium was sold and smoked and were frequented by locals and foreigners who were looking to access opium. [8]

Opium trade as a revenue source and the eventual eradication of opium smoking

The 'Opium Edict' is viewed by some historians as the initial demonstration by the Japanese government of their intentions to profit from the opium trade. [12] The government was in the process of making the opium trade a monopoly for their individual gain, whilst simultaneously developing policies which permitted users to continue smoking and prohibited people from starting to smoke. [12] In 1896, 1 year after the Japanese began establishing a monopoly, opium revenue made up 60% of Taiwan's total yearly revenue, which continued to grow throughout the 1900s, until opium smoking was effectively eradicated by the end of the Japanese era. [8] The monopoly initially led to an increase in revenue achieved by inflated prices of opium and an overall decrease of smokers. [8] The outcome of the Opium Edict suggests that the Opium policy had a twofold function, in that, revenue was needed to fund Japan's occupation of Formosa and that controlling opium usage in Taiwan was a direct method of controlling the population. [8]

Nevertheless, the Japanese colonial government implemented a program of opium eradication. In 1930 it established the Government Center Hospital for Opium Addicts. Professor Tsungming Tu, the first Taiwanese to earn a medical doctorate, was appointed as its head. He devised a method for testing the presence of opium in patients' urine and a treatment method based on the substitution of opium with decreasing dosage of morphine. By the time Taiwan reverted to Chinese control in 1945, the number of opium smokers in Taiwan had become negligible. The eradication of opium smoking was seen as one of the most significant medical accomplishments during the Japanese colonial era. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western imperialism in Asia</span> Imperialization and spread of influence over Asia by Western Europe and associated states

The influence and imperialism of Western Europe and associated states peaked in Asian territories from the colonial period beginning in the 16th century and substantially reducing with 20th century decolonization. It originated in the 15th-century search for trade routes to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that led directly to the Age of Discovery, and additionally the introduction of early modern warfare into what Europeans first called the East Indies and later the Far East. By the early 16th century, the Age of Sail greatly expanded Western European influence and development of the spice trade under colonialism. European-style colonial empires and imperialism operated in Asia throughout six centuries of colonialism, formally ending with the independence of the Portuguese Empire's last colony Macau in 1999. The empires introduced Western concepts of nation and the multinational state. This article attempts to outline the consequent development of the Western concept of the nation state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opium</span> Dried latex of the opium poppy containing narcotic compounds

Opium is dried latex obtained from the seed capsules of the opium poppy Papaver somniferum. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid morphine, which is processed chemically to produce heroin and other synthetic opioids for medicinal use and for the illegal drug trade. The latex also contains the closely related opiates codeine and thebaine, and non-analgesic alkaloids such as papaverine and noscapine. The traditional, labor-intensive method of obtaining the latex is to scratch ("score") the immature seed pods (fruits) by hand; the latex leaks out and dries to a sticky yellowish residue that is later scraped off and dehydrated. The word meconium historically referred to related, weaker preparations made from other parts of the opium poppy or different species of poppies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drug prohibition</span> History, effects and enforcement of the prohibition of drugs

The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary legislation or religious law is a common means of attempting to prevent the recreational use of certain intoxicating substances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Taiwan</span>

The history of the island of Taiwan dates back tens of thousands of years to the earliest known evidence of human habitation. The sudden appearance of a culture based on agriculture around 3000 BC is believed to reflect the arrival of the ancestors of today's Taiwanese indigenous peoples. People from China gradually came into contact with Taiwan by the time of the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) and Han Chinese people started settling there by the early 17th century. Named Formosa by Portuguese explorers, the south of the island was colonized by the Dutch in the 17th century whilst the Spanish built a settlement in the north which lasted until 1642. These European settlements were followed by an influx of Hoklo and Hakka immigrants from Fujian and Guangdong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese unification</span> Potential union of mainland China and Taiwan

Chinese unification, also known as Cross-Strait unification or Chinese reunification, is the potential unification of territories currently controlled, or claimed, by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China ("Taiwan") under one political entity, possibly the formation of a political union between the two republics. Together with full Taiwan independence, unification is one of the main proposals to address questions on the political status of Taiwan, which is a central focus of Cross-Strait relations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treaty of Shimonoseki</span> 1895 treaty ending the First Sino-Japanese War

The Treaty of Shimonoseki, also known as the Treaty of Maguan in China and Treaty of Bakan in the period before and during World War II in Japan, was an unequal treaty signed at the Shunpanrō hotel, Shimonoseki, Japan on April 17, 1895, between the Empire of Japan and Qing China, ending the First Sino-Japanese War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penghu</span> Island group and county of Taiwan

The Penghu or Pescadores Islands are an archipelago of 90 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait, located approximately 50 km (31 mi) west of the main island of Taiwan across the Penghu Channel, covering an area of 141 square kilometers (54 sq mi). The archipelago collectively forms Penghu County of Taiwan and is the smallest county of Taiwan. The largest city is Magong, located on the largest island, which is also named Magong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republic of Formosa</span> 1895 short-lived republic on the island of Taiwan

The Republic of Formosa was a short-lived republic that existed on the island of Taiwan in 1895 between the formal cession of Taiwan by the Qing dynasty of China to the Empire of Japan by the Treaty of Shimonoseki and its being taken over by Japanese troops. The Republic lasted 151 days; it was proclaimed on 23 May 1895 and extinguished on 21 October, when the Republican capital Tainan was taken over by the Japanese. Though sometimes claimed as the first East Asian republic to have been proclaimed, it was predated by the Lanfang Republic in Borneo, established in 1777, as well as by the Republic of Ezo in Japan, established in 1869.

Taiwan was under Japanese rule after the First Sino-Japanese War, as per the Treaty of Shimonoseki of 1895. There were still several changes until the Japanese political system was adopted in 1920. This system was de facto abolished in 1945 and de jure in 1952.

During the Meiji period, the new Government of Meiji Japan also modernized foreign policy, an important step in making Japan a full member of the international community. The traditional East Asia worldview was based not on an international society of national units but on cultural distinctions and tributary relationships. Monks, scholars, and artists, rather than professional diplomatic envoys, had generally served as the conveyors of foreign policy. Foreign relations were related more to the sovereign's desires than to the public interest. For the next period of foreign relations, see History of Japanese foreign relations#1910–1941.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taiwan under Japanese rule</span> Period in Taiwanese history from 1895 to 1945

The island of Taiwan, together with the Penghu Islands, became a dependency of Japan in 1895, when the Qing dynasty ceded Fujian-Taiwan Province in the Treaty of Shimonoseki after the Japanese victory in the First Sino-Japanese War. The consequent Republic of Formosa resistance movement on Taiwan was defeated by Japan with the capitulation of Tainan. Japan ruled Taiwan for 50 years. Its capital was located in Taihoku (Taipei) led by the Governor-General of Taiwan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gotō Shinpei</span> Japanese politician

Count Gotō Shinpei was a Japanese politician, physician and cabinet minister of the Taishō and early Shōwa period Empire of Japan. He served as the head of civilian affairs of Japanese Taiwan, the first director of the South Manchuria Railway, the seventh mayor of Tokyo City, the first Chief Scout of Japan, the first Director-General of NHK, the third principal of Takushoku University, and in a number of cabinet posts. Gotō was one of the most important politicians and administrators in Japanese national government during a time of modernization and reform in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Japanization or Japanisation is the process by which Japanese culture dominates, assimilates, or influences other cultures. According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, "To japanize" means "To make or become Japanese in form, idiom, style, or character". Historically, areas occupied by Japan were subject to long-term colonisation and assimilation with a few remaining Japanized post-World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economic history of Taiwan</span>

The recordkeeping and development of the economic history of Taiwan started in the Age of Discovery. In the 17th century, the Europeans realized that Taiwan is located on the strategic cusp between the Far East and Southeast Asia. Two main European empires that competed to colonize it were the Dutch and Spanish Empires. Taiwan also became an intermediate destination for trade between Western European empires and East Asia states. The history of Taiwan as a colony of the Dutch Empire, Kingdom of Tungning, Qing China, and Empire of Japan between 1630 and 1945 was based heavily on economics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government-General of Taiwan</span>

The Government-General of Taiwan was the government that governed Taiwan under Japanese rule between 1895 and 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese colonial empire</span> Japanese territorial conquests (1895–1945)

The territorial conquests of the Japanese Empire in the Western Pacific Ocean and East Asia began in 1895 with its victory over Qing China in the First Sino-Japanese War. Subsequent victories over the Russian Empire and German Empire expanded Japanese rule to Taiwan, Korea, Micronesia, southern Sakhalin, several concessions in China, and the South Manchuria Railway. In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria, resulting in the establishment of the puppet state of Manchukuo the following year; thereafter, Japan adopted a policy of founding and supporting puppet states in conquered regions. These conquered territories became the basis for the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere in 1940.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of opium in China</span>

The history of opium in China began with the use of opium for medicinal purposes during the 7th century. In the 17th century the practice of mixing opium with tobacco for smoking spread from Southeast Asia, creating a far greater demand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taiwanese Resistance to the Japanese Invasion (1895)</span> Conflict between Taiwan and Japan

The Taiwanese Resistance to the Japanese Invasion of 1895 was a conflict between the short-lived Republic of Formosa (Taiwan) and the Empire of Japan. The invasion came shortly after the Qing dynasty's cession of Taiwan to Japan in April 1895 at the end of the First Sino-Japanese War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opium in Singapore</span>

Opium was first recorded in Singapore by a written document that record Stamford Raffles gifting opium to a local ruler in 1819 to establish Singapore. Opium then became accessible through trading and the opium farms in Singapore in the 19th century. It is one of the most traded good along the Sea Trade route after the end of the Opium Wars. With the rise of opium farms in Singapore, they acted as the middleman that help to process raw opium imported from British India, Persia, and Turkey to consumable opium and retail them to the Chinese coolies in local. In 1946, opium, including the tools, and opium dens are completely banned in Singapore. To treat the opium addicts, an Opium Treatment Centre was opened in 1955 and in 1989, the Singapore government extends the death penalty for opium traffickers.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Taiwan - Taiwan as part of the Japanese empire". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Taiwan in Time: The 'war' on opium - Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. 15 January 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Taiwan | History, Flag, Map, Capital, Population, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  4. ↑ Affairs, Ministry of Foreign (11 July 2020). Ministry of Foreign Affairs http://www.taiwan.gov.tw/content_3.php . Retrieved 10 July 2020.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. 1 2 3 Drugs, alcohol and addiction in the long nineteenth century. Volume IV, Efforts to control, restrict, and prohibit: drugs. Malleck, Dan, 1968-. Milton: Routledge. 2020. ISBN   978-0-429-43607-9. OCLC   1139895713.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. 1 2 A century of international drug control. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Policy Analysis and Research Branch. Vienna, Austria: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. c. 2010. ISBN   978-92-1-055806-8. OCLC   839909621.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "Heroin, Morphine and Opiates". HISTORY. 10 June 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Derks, Hans (1 January 2012). "Glossary". History of the Opium Problem. BRILL. pp. 773–776. doi: 10.1163/9789004225893_041 . ISBN   978-90-04-22589-3.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Hsu, Hung Bin. (2008). From smokers to addicts : a history of opium and its users in Taiwan. School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. OCLC   760287699.
  10. 1 2 Derks, Hans, 1938- (2012). History of the Opium problem: the assault on the East, ca. 1600-1950. Leiden: Brill. ISBN   978-90-04-22589-3. OCLC   794328506.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ Derks, Hans, 1938- (2012). History of the Opium problem: the assault on the East, ca. 1600-1950. Leiden: Brill. ISBN   978-90-04-22589-3. OCLC   794328506.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. 1 2 3 Hsu, H. B. (1 January 2014). "The Taste of Opium: Science, Monopoly, and the Japanese Colonization in Taiwan, 1895-1945". Past & Present (suppl 9): 227–246. doi:10.1093/pastj/gtt036. ISSN   0031-2746.
  13. 1 2 Madancy, Joyce A.; Jennings, John M. (1998). "The Opium Empire: Japanese Imperialism and Drug Trafficking in Asia, 1895-1945". Pacific Affairs. 71 (3): 425. doi:10.2307/2761435. JSTOR   2761435.
  14. ↑ "Treaty of Shimonoseki | 1895, China-Japan". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 Kerr, George (1976). "Formosa: Licensed Revolution and the Home Rule Movement, 1895–1945</italic>. Honolulu: University Press of Hawaii. 1974. pp. xviii, 265. $12.50". The American Historical Review: 32–50. doi:10.1086/ahr/81.5.1210. ISSN   1937-5239.
  16. ↑ "Meiji Restoration | Definition, History, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  17. ↑ Martin, Brian (1 December 2003). "'in My Heart I Opposed Opium': Opium and The Politics of the Wang Jingwei Government, 1940-45". European Journal of East Asian Studies. 2 (2): 365–410. doi:10.1163/157006103771378464. ISSN   1568-0584.
  18. ↑ Hirano, Katsuya; Veracini, Lorenzo; Roy, Toulouse-Antonin (7 March 2018). "Vanishing natives and Taiwan's settler-colonial unconsciousness". Critical Asian Studies. 50 (2): 196–218. doi:10.1080/14672715.2018.1443019. ISSN   1467-2715. S2CID   149211285.
  19. ↑ Hui-Yu Caroline Tsai, Huiyu Cai (17 December 2008). Taiwan in Japan's empire building: an institutional approach to colonial engineering. Taylor & Francis, 2009 pp. 114 - 116. ISBN   9780203888759 . Retrieved 12 April 2010.
  20. ↑ Chu, N. S. (2008). "Eradication of opium smoking in Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945)". Acta Neurologica Taiwanica. 17 (1): 66–73. PMID   18564831.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.