Communiqué of the Taiwan Sōtokufu Digital Archive
Official publication of the office of Taiwan’s Governor-General during Japanese colonial occupation
Japanese colonization of Taiwan began in 1895, with Japan establishing the Sōtokufu, or Office of the Governor-General, shortly thereafter. The Office of the Governor-General wielded supreme authority over military and civilian affairs until the end of Japanese colonial rule in October 1945. The Communiqué of the Taiwan Sōtokufu (台灣總督府府報資料庫) was the official gazette of the Office of the Governor-General, in which laws and decrees were published during the 50-year Japanese colonial occupation of Taiwan. Material in the database covers the period of 1896-1945, including the Meiji, Taishō and Shōwa eras. The Communiqué of the Taiwan Sōtokufu is an important source for understanding the mechanics of government and law, business, and the military under colonial rule, and illuminates the workings of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Taiwanese government throughout the period.
