Taiwan became a Japanese colony in 1895, so by 1930 they honestly thought it was pretty great up until they lost everything as most resistance was dealt with much earlier🫠 Taiwan didn't nearly experience the atrocities that happened in mainland China (Manchuria was in 1932) and throughout South East Asia as the japanese empire expanded.

In Taiwan, the japanese colonizers ended foot binding, opium trade, helped end many of the diseases on the island, built railroads, basically industrialized the island exporting lumber, coal, and gold. Many of Japan's influence on the island from then are noticeable and have melded into Taiwanese industry and culture today.

Not all rainbow and sunshine, the japanese imperial army killed aborigines, chased opponents up into the mountains, which they eventually recruited to fight in the jungles in southeast Asia toward the end of WWII. (Takasago Volunteers)

Fun fact: the japanese imperial soldier Teruo Nakamura who hid out in Indonesia for decades after WWII being last to surrender in the 70s was actually originally from Taiwan. Accepting that the war was over meant the poor guy had no home to return to 🥲