臺灣文學虛擬博物館

 

 

Pure vs. Horrific

"Trip to Sun Moon Lake"(1921) and "Traveler" (1924) were travel prose Sato wrote during his travel to Sun Moon Lake. In these two works, Sato enters Shuishe via Erbashui (now Ershui), and along the way, he feels as if he were an important official going on a royal trip. He falsely assumes he can finally see the real indigenous peoples in the mountains, but only finds out later that the indigenous peoples there perform dancing and singing solely for touristic purposes.

As he witnesses how Japanese people harasses the indigenous women, he realizes that the reason he can be so comfortable during the entire trip is that the tribes have become "the territories of the empire".

In "Musha" (1925), Sato enters Musha tribe from Puli, which is undergoing the turmoil caused by the Slamaw Incident; he also climbs Nenggao Mountain. During this trip that lasts around five days, Haruo Sato has close interactions with indigenous residents including children, young men, young girls, and married women.

He witnesses brainwashing education, trades involving lies and pillage, coerced labor, and the cruelty of interracial marriage. At the end of the article, Sato suspects that he has fallen into a honey trap. After he hastily escapes the indigenous house, he takes a breath at the hill under the bright moon.

When he turns around, he finds the mysterious indigenous girl suddenly appearing behind his back. Her childlike voice, dazzling deep eyes, and contradictory behavior fill him with great fear. This depiction of uncontrollable "horror" for self-satirizing and criticizing colonialism is prevalent in Sato's writing on Taiwan, which is unique among Japan's colonial literature.

 

"A Locust's Journey" Haruo Sato, Fairytales September 1921. The story delineates Sato's observation of a locust on the train from Chiayi to Sun Moon Lake. (From the collection of Tatsuya Kono)

 

"A Locust's Journey", Haruo Sato,1921, Newly Discovered Document. This is a rough draft written on the back of a piece of waste paper titled "My Father." In the final draft, the first-person singular pronoun in Japanese was changed from "私(watashi)" to "僕(boku)". (Kept by Jissen Women's University)

 

"A Locust's Journey" Haruo Sato, September 1926, Kaizosha.Designed by Uio Tomisawa. (From the collection of Tatsuya Kono)

 

"A Locust's Journey" Haruo Sato, January 1950, Shiba Publishing House. "A Locust's Journey" is one of Sato’s most representative fairy tales. It is also the name of Sato’s book of fairy tales published after the war. It has enjoyed long-lasting popularity among readers. (From the collection of Tatsuya Kono)

 

"Trip to Sun Moon Lake" Haruo Sato, Kaizo Summer Special Issue July 1921. An introductory article contributed to the special report on "new summer retreats" of Kaizo magazine. The article illustrates the history of mountain development and safety in travel destinations. (From the collection of Tatsuya Kono)

 

Sato's Letter to Matsuyama Etsuzō, November 22, 1921. Sato instructs instructed the editor to include "Trip to Sun Moon Lake" in  "Joy of An Artist." (March 1922, Kinseido) (Donated by Ryoko Morina )

 

Shinosamu Zawa from Ershui (1878-1942) and Taiwan Power staff, October 22, 1924. The first person from the left is the transportation operator, Shinosamu Zawa in "Traveler". He gathered almost all types of plants in his house in Ershui and named it Luxriant Tree Garden, providing a place to relax for high-ranking officials that came to inspect the electrical construction at Sun Moon Lake. The person sitting in the middle is Governor-General Takio Izawa. The person behind him on the right is Tomoe Takagi, President of Taiwan Power Company. (Provided by Kazue Ito)

 

The Lalu.Founded in April 1916 by Nantou Sub-prefecture. After the start of Taiwan Power Company's dam construction in 1919, the place once bustled with construction workers. Sato stayed here on September 19, 1920. It is where the story of "Traveler" takes place.

 

Shuishe's Song of Pestle. The Thau people from Shiyin Tribe were known for their hospitable reception of guests staying at the Lalu by dancing and singing. Sato also expressed his concern about the civilization of the tribe in "Traveler."

 

Traveler, Haruo Sato, October 1924, Shinchosha.Designed by Haruo Sato, it describes Sato's sympathy for the unfortunate waitress at the Sun Moon Lake hotel and his concern about indigenous people's gradual loss of traditions. (From the collection of Tatsuya Kono)

 

“Musha”, Haruo Sato, Kaizo, March 1925. This article illustrates the reality of indigenous people being suppressed by weapons and a monetary economy. His sharp observation in a way forecast the Musha Incident in 1930. (From the collection of Tatsuya Kono)

 

Young Woman of Musha，Around 1920. The indigenous women in "Musha" went through great hardships under Japanese rule. The young woman in the photo plays a Jew's harp made of bamboo and metal.

 

 

Poet vs. President

"If there are any writers or poets here, I would like to visit them".This was the second purpose of Haruo Sato's trip, apart from visiting the mountains in Taiwan. In the prose "Trip to the Colony"(1932), Sato is allured by the literary atmosphere of calligraphy, reclusion, and books, and under the guidance of the local guide A (Xu Ma-Kui), arranged by The Government-General of Taiwan, he visits Hong Qisheng in Lugang and eventually arrives in Azhaowu (now Wufeng), where he converses with Lin Xian-Tang ("…a member of the most distinguished family in Taiwan; if a republic were established in Taiwan, he should be appointed as the President.")

 

This was another aspect of this trip; Sato was able to experience cultures different from those of the mountains and Xiamen. However, as Hong Qisheng rejected his visit and Lin Xian-Tang questioned his views about the cultural assimilation policy, he saw firsthand the harm colonialism caused to Taiwan.

 

Notes for "Trip to the Colony" Haruo Sato Around 1932 Newly Discovered Document. Sato wrote about Han people's harsh criticism of the Japanese colonization in "Trip to the Colony" (Kaizo, September-October 1932). (Kept by Jissen Women's University)

 

Jihezhai Poetry Qisheng Hong, 1917, Nantou Huobanshe.Sato met Ma-Kui Xu's old friend from school, Yanqiu Hong, in Lugang. After hearing that Hong's father was Qisheng Hong, a famous poet, Sato was eager to pay a visit. However, he was refused by Qisheng Hong, who detested the Japanese colonial government. Ma-Kui Xu gave his private collections of these works to Sato, who was extraordinarily fascinated by the contents. The works were kept in his living room for a long period of time. (From the collection of National Museum of Taiwan Literature)

 

"Trip to the Colony" Character 1, Ma-Kui Xu (1900-1968) Yearbook of First Graduates of Taichung Middle School (March 1919). Born in Lugang and after graduating from Taichung Middle School in 1919, Xu worked as a clerk and interpreter at Taichū Sub-Prefecture (later on changed to Taichū Prefecture). He had a spirit of resistance against authority and powerful people. (Provided by Isao Kawahara)

 

"Trip to the Colony" Character 2, Qisheng Hong (1866-1928). Born in Lugang. As a Certified Scholar in 1889, Hong participated in the Republic of Formosa's resistance against Japan. He adopted "Qisheng" as his name after the resistance failed. Sato was unable to meet Hong, but was impressed by Hong's integrity as a man of learning. (Provided by National Museum of Taiwan Literature)

 

 

"Trip to the Colony" Character 3, Yanqiu Hong (1899-1980). Born in Lugang, he once taught at Beijing Normal University. After the war, he worked as a professor in the Department of Chinese Literature, National Taiwan University. He took part in the establishment of Mandarin Daily News. As an intellectual of the new generation, he was a sharp contrast to his father Qisheng Hong. (Provided by National Museum of Taiwan Literature)

 

"Trip to the Colony" Character 4, Yi-Lin Zheng (1859-1927) Talents Gathering (July 1921, Endou Photo Studio). Zheng's ancestral hometown was Fujiang. He moved to Lugang in 1879. In 1897, he founded a poetry society with Qisheng Hong and many others. He was good at writing calligraphy in the style of clerical script and was well known together with Lugang's Hong-You Zheng.

 

  

"Trip to the Colony" Character 5, Xian-Tang Lin (1881-1956) Talents Gathering (July 1921, Endou Photo Studio). Born in Ataabu (now Wufeng, Taichung City), he presented a "petition for the establishment of a Taiwanese parliament" to the Imperial Diet in 1921; in the same year, he established the Taiwanese Cultural Association. In 1927, he established the Taiwanese People's Party together with Wei-Shui Chiang and Pei-Huo Cai. In 1949, he moved to Japan to regain his health.

 

Final Draft of "My Trip to China" (Life and Culture, July 1943) Haruo Sato Newly Discovered Document . Through this piece, Sato looked back on his trip in Taiwan and expressed that classic Chinese culture is was more perceivable in Lugang, Qihou (now Qijin) and mountain areas, in comparison with China. (Kept by Jissen Women's University)

 

Original Proposal of Collected Works I, Haruo Sato, 1921, Newly Discovered Document. This document shows that Sato intended to combine his travel writings on Taiwan and Fujian together. (Kept by Jissen Women's University)

 

Original Proposal of Collected Works II, Haruo Sato, 1921, Newly Discovered Document. In fact, Trip to the South only includes the writings on Fujian. Musha, the book of collected works on Taiwan, was only published 16 years after his trip. (Kept by Jissen Women's University)

 

 

Haruo Sato's Letter to Father Toyotarou Sato, October 27, 1921. The letter describes the publication process of Trip to the South; for example, he wrote about "…want[ing] to turn the Chinese colored fabrics into the book cover," "…among all the travel writings, the part on China already consists of 200 pages. Since the publisher is hurrying me up, I've finished compiling this part first.” (From the collection of  Ryoko Morina )

 

Musha (Special Edition), Haruo Sato, July 1936, Shoshinsha. Designed by Umehara Ryuzaburo, this special luxe edition is the first book of the limited edition. It has Sato's signature and was given to Kin Moriya from Shoshinsha. (From the collection of Tatsuya Kono)

 

Musha Reissue, Haruo Sato, November 1943, Shoshinsha.Due to the sensitive circumstances during WWII, "Trip to the Colony," which illustrates Taiwanese locals' dissatisfaction, was deleted in this reissue. (From the collection of Tatsuya Kono)

 

Preface, Musha Reissue, Haruo Sato, October 1943, Newly Discovered Document. This preface was written when Sato joined the army and went to Java for an inspection. In the preface, he mentioned, "…perhaps from the sky, I can see Taiwan, which I have long not visited." (Kept by Jissen Women's University)

 

 

Abandoned harbor and Wandering Ghost

The story "Strange Tale of the Precepts for Women's Fan" (1926) was one of the prolific Haruo Sato's favorite works. The story takes the form of a detective novel and describes a truth-finding process after a Japanese person ("I") and Taiwanese person ("The person outside the boundaries") accidentally break into an abandoned mansion in Tainan and hear a mysterious voice saying "Why didn't you come earlier?" "The person outside the boundaries" believes that it is the voice of a ghost from the wealthy Shen family. "I", however, insists that this is the voice of lust by a woman waiting for her lover.

In the end, the truth turns out to be completely different from how "I" has expected. Not only is their riddle solving unsuccessful, but a secret meeting of two lovers ends in tragedy. As a result, "I" leaves Taiwan.

In the Tainan depicted in"Strange Tale of the Precepts for Women's Fan", the door to the mansion is covered with endless fatigue and sorrow; the once profound Anping inland sea is now stagnated with deposits of sediment. As an outsider who walked along the sea to find the facts and historical truths, Sato created an excellent piece imbued with lyricism and rationality. Not only was it an exemplar for the Taiwanese narrative tradition at the time, but still remains a highlight in the studies on Taiwanese literature.

 

Notes on Reference Literature, Newly Discovered Document. This probably contains the notes on "The Battles of Coxinga" (Bungeishunjū, July 1934), showing Sato's continuous attention to the history of Taiwan. (Kept by Jissen Women's University)

 

"New Translation of Strange Tale of the Precepts for Women's Fan" Painted by Kiyo Mitani 1931 (Oil Painting, Canvas). Painted by Mitani, an admirer of Sato, when he visited Anping. It was hung in Sato's living room. The painting features the original British Consulate and Taiwanese girl. (From the collection of Sato Haruo Memorial Museum)

 

"Strange Tale of the Precepts for Women's Fan", Haruo Sato, Women, May 1925. This novel is the best among Sato's writings on Taiwan. It has an artistic sense of mysterious beauty as well as social implications brought by the criticism of colonization. (From the collection of Tatsuya Kono)

 

Strange Tale of the Precepts for Women's Fan Reissue, Haruo Sato, November 1948 Monteisha.The book cover design was based on the "Ancient Map of Taiwan Prefecture" mentioned in the novel (the simplified version of Map of Taiwan during the reign of Kangxi Emperor of Qing Dynasty). (From the collection of Tatsuya Kono)

 

Overlooking Anping from Chihkan Tower. The beginning of "Strange Tale of the Precepts for Women's Fan" illustrates the scene of overlooking Anping Harbor from Chihkan Tower. Anping was once the biggest harbor in Taiwan; it declined due to the end of wooden sailboats. It waxed and waned while witnessing the Dutch colonial period, Kingdom of Tungning, the Qing dynasty, Long-fu Liu's defense against Japan, and the Japanese colonial period.

 

Topographic Map of "Tainan" (1:20,000) Land Surveying Division and Temporary Surveying Division 1895. It was made shortly after the Japanese troops occupied Taiwan. Judging from the map, the sea bays were replaced by fishponds and salt pans, and the streets between Tainan and Anping were later paved with the handcar railroad (now Anping Road). In "Strange Tale of the Precepts for Women's Fan," Sato writes "…the journey takes about 40 minutes from Tainan, and you just need to see yourself as mud or stone carried by the handcar." (From the collection of the National Diet Library of Japan)

 

Wutiaogang Enlarged Map. The channel from Anping to Tainan were separated into five before entering the City center. Therefore, they were called Wutiaogang (five channels), including "Tutou Gang (bold channel)." In the beginning of "Strange Tale of the Precepts for Women's Fan," this unfathomable name is mentioned. (From the collection of the National Diet Library of Japan)

 

Fotou Gang (formerly Tutou Gang) Around 1910. The abandoned house in the novel is located at the deep end of Tutou Gang. Up until the 1910s, Tutou Gang (aka Fotou Gang, on the left) had held the dragon boat competition during the Dragon Boat Festival. Later on, due to sediment deposition, Tutou Gang was no longer usable. The alley in front of Jingfu Shrine is where the port was situated.

 

Overlooking Anping from Daximen, October 25, 1895.The outer part of Daximen shortly after the occupation of Japanese troops. The long pole in the middle slightly to the right is Shuixian Temple. Anping is located to the left at a distance. After the Treaty of Tientsin came into force in 1860, foreign trading companies arrived. However, as the Japanese colonization began, these companies withdrew from Taiwan and only left the relics of their western-style houses behind. (From the collection of the National Diet Library of Japan)