八十年後對日治台灣史的反思：歷史經驗、敘事與記憶

Taiwan under Japanese Rule Revisited: Historical Experience, Narratives, and Collective Memory

在此先從知識史的角度，釐清二戰終結80年後，回顧日治50年的意義，再就日治台灣法律經驗進行歷史敘事，期盼其進入台灣人民的歷史記憶。日本帝國視殖民地台灣為自成一個法域、不同於日本內地的「外地」。日治50年使台灣人形成台灣／殖民地共同體意識，雖自知有日本國籍，但次等國民的待遇讓台灣人感受到那不是「自己的國家」。蓋日本在台灣一直遂行少數族群的專制政治，台灣人經日治前期慘烈的武裝抗日後，從1920年代起展開現代型的政治反對運動，日本統治當局也相應地改為依通常司法程序，不再如前期般嚴厲懲治台灣人政治異議者，且以犧牲人權為代價，造就一個「治安良好」的殖民地。在廉潔的法院支持下，日治時期展開民商法的現代化，成為戰後繼續發展資本主義民商法的基礎。台灣在1990年代民主化之後，就日治時期已形塑出有別於過往的歷史記憶。按殖民統治者當時的動機應被批判，但遺留的統治結果須面對及善用。從日治台灣法律經驗出發的歷史記憶，固然有助於今日法律問題的解決或倡議，但更重要的意義在於：理解當今人們生活所在的周遭環境，尊重每個生命之存在。

From the perspective of intellectual history, this article first clarifies the significance of reexamining Taiwan’s 50 years under Japanese colonial rule, 80 years after the end of World War II. It then turns to a historical narrative of Taiwan’s legal experience during this period, aiming to integrate this experience into the broader historical memory of the Taiwanese people. The Japanese Empire regarded colonial Taiwan as an“outer territory,”a jurisdiction separate from metropolitan Japan. Over five decades, Japanese rule cultivated among Taiwanese a consciousness both of being colonial subjects and of belonging to a distinct Taiwanese community. Although Taiwanese were legally Japanese nationals, their treatment as second-class citizens reinforced the sense that Japan was not“their own country.”Throughout the colonial era, Japan maintained an authoritarian minority regime. After intense armed resistance in the early years, the Taiwanese began launching modern political movements in the 1920s. In response, colonial authorities shifted from harsh punitive measures to prosecuting political dissidents under ordinary criminal procedures. This transformation of criminal justice, achieved at the expense of human rights, contributed to the making of a“well-ordered”colony. Meanwhile, supported by an increasingly impartial judiciary, the modernization of civil and commercial law under Japanese rule laid the foundation for Taiwan’s postwar capitalist legal development. Since Taiwan’s democratization in the 1990s, historical memory of the Japanese era has diverged from earlier narratives. While the motivations of colonial rule merit critical scrutiny, its institutional legacies must also be confronted and constructively engaged. The historical memory derived from Taiwan’s legal experience under Japanese administration not only informs contemporary legal debates and reforms, its greater significance lies in deepening our understanding of the social environment in which we live and fostering respect for the lives of all individuals.