Shinto in Taiwan

<h2 id="japanese-colonial-rule">Japanese colonial rule</h2>
<p class="note">Main article: <a href="/facts/Taiwan_under_Japanese_rule/42jbyfMc">Taiwan under Japanese rule</a></p>
<p>Between 1919 and 1936, the <a href="/facts/Governor-General_of_Taiwan/lxz3uqPJ">colonial government in Taiwan</a> began compulsory education of Taiwanese and emphasized <a href="/facts/Cultural_assimilation/hwrCtR9q">cultural assimilation</a>. In 1937, the Japanese Empire in Taiwan began the Kōminka Movement (皇民化運動, <i>kōminka undō</i>), a policy of converting and fully integrating the Taiwanese as Japanese citizens.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> This was to be achieved by denying the Taiwanese of their Chinese heritage through the adoption of <a href="/facts/Japanese_name/MuvehI9K">Japanese names</a> and through use of the <a href="/facts/Japanese_language/EEv485a5">Japanese language</a> as their national language (國語, <i>kokugo</i>); adopting Japanese aspects of life such as <a href="/facts/Japanese_clothing/snfkaE2N">Japanese clothing</a>, <a href="/facts/Japanese_cuisine/xIM9GWR6">Japanese cuisine</a>, and <a href="/facts/Shinto/HAAJ0D9C">Shinto</a>. The use of Chinese dialects and practice of Chinese customs were discouraged and Chinese-language schools were closed. The Japanese sought to convert the aborigines by promoting the story of <a href="/facts/Sayon%27s_Bell/RoKAyaCd">Sayon</a> as a patriotic Taiwanese.
</p>
<h3>Shinto shrines</h3>
<p class="note">Main article: <a href="/facts/List_of_Shinto_shrines_in_Taiwan/jvjm50Ke">List of Shinto shrines in Taiwan</a></p>

<p>The first Shinto shrine to be established in Taiwan was the Kaizan Shrine in <a href="/facts/Tainan_Prefecture/botKXhLN">Tainan Prefecture</a> in 1897 but the most notable was the <a href="/facts/Taiwan_Grand_Shrine/BBBgjCT5">Taiwan Shrine</a> in <a href="/facts/Taihoku_Prefecture/eWcWxJNo">Taihoku Prefecture</a> (now <a href="/facts/Taipei/uxB89v54">Taipei</a>) which was built in 1901 to honor <a href="/facts/Prince_Kitashirakawa_Yoshihisa/hogt91IW">Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa</a> who died from illness whilst on a mission in Tainan to subjugate the Taiwanese rebellion. In 1932, Crown Prince <a href="/facts/Hirohito/3KxRqgae">Hirohito</a> (later Shōwa Emperor) visited Taiwan on a tour to celebrate his inauguration as regent. In total, 204 Shinto shrines were built throughout Taiwan, but only 66 were officially sanctioned by the state. After <a href="/facts/World_War_II/2efV5L1U">World War II</a>, many of the Shinto shrines were torn down by the <a href="/facts/Kuomintang/jxHMXkAo">Kuomintang</a> from <a href="/facts/Mainland_China/HFXJcUky">mainland China</a>, while others were replaced by martyr's shrines.
</p><p>In modern times, two Shinto shrines were rebuilt: <a href="/facts/Gaoshi_Shrine/01hjmXwx">Gaoshi Shrine</a> and <a href="/facts/Luye_Shrine/xTfSmq4j">Luye Shrine</a>. Only Gaoshi Shrine is still active, while Luye Shrine is not used to venerate any kami. Today, some Shinto-based <a href="/facts/Japanese_new_religions/WLIIFLyW">Japanese new religions</a> have a presence in Taiwan.
</p>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/List_of_Shinto_shrines_in_Taiwan/jvjm50Ke">List of Shinto shrines in Taiwan</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Taiwan_under_Japanese_rule/42jbyfMc">Taiwan under Japanese rule</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Political_divisions_of_Taiwan_(1895-1945)/xjE7bPkR">Political divisions of Taiwan (1895-1945)</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Governor-General_of_Taiwan/lxz3uqPJ">Governor-General of Taiwan</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Formosan_Army/0pwvDufV">Formosan Army</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Tenrikyo/fGvwBBIk">Tenrikyo</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="http://home.kyodo.co.jp/modules/fstStory/index.php?storyid=291684">Shinto weddings become attractive to Taiwan couples</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>Cook, Steven. "Highways and Byways: Traces of Shintoism in eastern and southern Taiwan". taipeitimes.com. Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 April 2022. <a href="https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2022/04/22/2003777015" target="_blank">https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2022/04/22/2003777015</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

Shinto in Taiwan open-in-new

Shinto in Taiwan