General accounts of the Pacific War are abundant in many books published in Japan. The fullest accounts of the Pacific War are in Hayashe Eidai‟s Testimonies--Taiwan Takasago Giyuti.(1998). It covers twelve interviews, as the result of six times of visits to Taiwan, of Takasago Giyutai from different tribes, such as Bunun, Paiwan, Amis, Atayal, etc. respectively as well as their commanders and leaders in different places in Japan who had combated together and returned alive. Most of the testimonies reveal their volunteerism, patriotism and loyalty to the Emperor of Japan. Their commanders lavish high praise and admiration on Takasago Giyutai. Here is a short excerpt: ( Hayashi 1998: 7, 43-45)
These men were gifted warriors. They had superb hearing which enabled them to tell enemy‟s approach from passing wild animals.
They could see meters ahead at the pitch dark night. Aside from this, they could move silently through the clumps of bushes in the jungle, which proved to be extremely advantageous for guerilla warfare.
They were capable of amazing feats of physical endurance.
The Testimonies is the thickest book in Takasago Giyutai’s history, and the most thought-provoking book as the evidence of the author‟s interest in the field of Takasago Giyutai‟s life history. Hayashi is unquestionably one of the pioneers in the field study of Takasago Giyutai and his firm belief in Takasago Giyutai‟s contribution is expressed in the following statement: (ibid.: 302-303)
Rarely is there anyone who could not be moved by their ultimate
sense of responsibility and spirit of fight. Whether in Munda or Wewak, their exploits erected like the Pyramids which would last forever, would be handed down generation after generation in Japan‟s history for ever and ever.
After reading many parts of the Testimonies, one may be led to wonder if it would be possible for the whole profile of Takasago Giyutai to represent the authority to have it incorporated in the history textbooks in Taiwan as well as in Japan.
There are general histories of the war partly depicting Takasago Giyutai‟s fabulous actions by Ishibashi Takashi, Kadowaki Tomohide, Tsauchibashi Kazunori, etc., stressing Takasago Giyutai‟s volunteerism in addition to various exploits.
All about the Pacific War (Taiheiyo Senso no Subete) by the Research Institute of the Pacific War, Tokyo, Japan (2012), reveals crucial battles on land and sea many of which Takasago Giyutai‟s virtual supports and daring actions were worthy of acclamation.
Churetsu Batsugun, Distinguished Loyalty (Tsuchibashi Kazunori 1976), uncovers dramatic accounts of Takasago Giyutai on diverse coasts, jungles and battlefronts.
A candid description of cannibal feast in From A’tolan to New Guinea by Futuru Tsai (2011) should be one of the rare accounts about the war. It is Ro‟eng‟s, the author‟s grandfather, true life history. Ro‟eng thought it
“unfortunate” to be selected among many to be the Fifth Round Takasago
which obviously meant death. It was not until he got to know one Amis, Haruta, from Ikegami, who also volunteered and selected to be Takasago Giyutai that his worry and fear began to vanish. Ultimately he became pleased to accept volunteerism. Ro‟eng and Haruta became good friends in the battlefield. Many a section reveals the skill of „thick description‟ (Clifford Geertz: 1973). For example, the keen observation and the gentle humor with which the small affair of cannibalism is described in a dialogue style makes From A’tolan to New Guinea one of the most delightful stories in the realm of anthropological studies.
Suzuki, Akira, Takasago-Zoku ni Sasageru, Dedicated to Takasago-Zoku , and Sato Aiko (1984), Sunion no Issho, Sunion’s Life, give details of Takasago Giyutai‟s life both at war and at home until death.
Chou Wan yao (2013), Taiwan no Rekishi, History of Taiwan (Japanese edition), shows Takasago Giyutai‟s background, volunteerism and loyalty in favor of aborigines. She touches the Takasago Giyutai‟s volunteerism under the political background paralleled by the Conscription System enacted shortly later. She reflects much sympathy by condemning the Japanese government‟s postwar cold and discriminative attitude toward Takasago Giyutai.
An opposite interpretation permeates such indigenous studies as Sun Dachuan (2005) points out that Takasago Giyutai was “coerced to concede their bodies” to Japan. Sun strongly states his conflicting opinions on how willing these young men were to leave Taiwan and go to support their colonial masters.
After the outbreak of the war, Japan required men between the age of 18 and 45 to register for military service. The nation actually drafted all men eligible into the army, not solely aborigines but Taiwanese and Japanese in
Taiwan as well as in Japan under the policy of National Mobilization (April 1, 1938). At the time they received Akagami Shoshurei ( 赤紙召集令), no reluctant actions were allowed otherwise they were to be scorned as slackers or enemy sympathizers (Tsuchibashi 1994; Hayashi 1995). For example, I know two of my teachers in the same elementary school, and a few fathers of my schoolmates, all of them Japanese, were equally called up for service in the army—there were almost no draft exemptions to any ethnic groups, that is, aborigines, Taiwanese and Japanese. Even if the volunteerism or draft was called coercion at all, it was fairly exerted nationwide, not spotlighted upon the aborigines only.
Almost all of the contents of the literature about the history of Takasago Giyutai is favorable to them in many ways. (Chou 2013:190)
In 1941, General Governor of Taiwan and Military Commander-in-Chief had the Army Volunteerism System enacted. In appreciation of the past benevolent colonial policies despite the sad conflicts, people all over Taiwan held celebration after celebration that young men were allowed to serve for the Japanese army. Instantly volunteerism caused an enormous sensation throughout Taiwan. It was amazing that many applied by submitting blood pledge to oath their passion, enthusiasm and loyalty. It is by no means easy to understand this sort of social phenomena of that time. Nevertheless, it would be considered a terrible way of thinking if it were taken for granted that the Taiwanese young males were coerced to volunteer. (Tsuchihashi 1976: 132) At the first recruitment of Army Volunteers, over 420,000 applicants swarmed up and it made the policemen in charge extremely difficult to select
When National Mobilization was enacted in 1938 (April 1), Taiwanese males thought they were fulfilling their duty as loyal subjects and later citizens of the Japanese realm. They were taught, “All Taiwanese, as loyal subjects, are equal to the Japanese.‟‟ Recruitment was voluntary and the number of applicants greatly exceeded the number required. (Miyazaki 1944)
One survivor, who joined the Third Round of Takasago Giyutai, which was said to have nearly1000 aboriginal youths, said:
“We virtually had an extremely hard time but never did we hate the Japanese. We were shouted and yelled at and beaten, but hard punishments were equally given to everybody whether you were aborigines or Japanese. I mean when it comes to the crisis of the bitterest and the most intolerable, nothing like discrimination was seen. At the very front, fighting was really hard and dangerous work; and the hard work and danger fell on everyone of us no matter you were Giyutai or not. Death under the fire came to all equally because bullets and bombs had no eyes. The harder, and the more dangerous, the more tightly we were united. At home, our life was made easier and better than our parents‟ time. So there is nothing to complain about (the Japanese colonization).”
(Suzuki, 1976; Sato, 1987).
In response to the question, “Do you think Takasago Giyutai was brave and strong?” Kamimura of Bunun said, “Strong or weak would turn out to be nothing before such fierce weapons of America. I can only say that I‟m lucky to be back alive.” (Suzuki 1976: 205)
overpraised. There are compliments given to Takasago Giyutai by Japanese commanders as follows (Hayashi 1998):
1. They all communicated in one common language—Japanese. Takasago Giyutai are composed of diverse ethnic groups, e.g. Puyuma, Paiwan, Amis, Bunun, Atyal and so on, and fatally those languages are utterly unintelligible to each other. So it is essential to have a common language to rely on. That is Japanese. Fortunately they had learned it before they became Takasago Giyutai. It surely was the most powerful thing to tie them together.
2. They had a strong sense of responsibility in accomplishing missions without fail.
3. Nothing would prevent them from finding the accurate direction and location however primitive and entangled the jungle might appear. They were able to see in the pitch dark at night, and therefore advantageous for night guerilla warfare.
4. They performed as excellent hunters when the other soldiers desperately fell in need of food.
5. Accustomed to walking barefooted by nature, they were fitted for moving in silence beyond belief. They turned out to be a most advantageous for night guerilla warfare.
6. Their tremendous physical stamina made them capable of discharging arduous duties with conspicuous ability. They were a most wonderful guys.
8. They gave top priority to honor and share adversity, never shaking it off.
9. There was not the slightest trace of selfishness or unreliability in their characteristics.
10. They feared no death, yet pursued death of glory for the “mother country.”
In addition, Takasago Giyutai left with them indelible impressions of the Japanese leaders and soldiers:
1. We had really hard time, but it fell not only upon us but upon the Japanese as well. The leaders absolutely never chose only Takasago Giyutai to head forward for danger or hardships. It is entirely true that we are of one family (people of the Emperor). Now at home our life has become much better-off than our father‟s time. So how come the hell I should say I hate Japan?
2. The Japanese and Takasago Giyutai were united tightly together until the last minute. “United, we stand. Divided, we fall.” It became our everyday motto. We now and then sang in chorus TAIWAN TAKASAGO GIYUTAI, and TAIWAN-GUN (Taiwanese Troops) in excitement with the commander among us. Everyone was greatly encouraged, cheered up and fell in ecstasy. All that was formerly taught, such as the Japanese language, and the Japanese way of life as well, paid off at the battlefield, and it has even been lasting up to present. Only the fluency in speaking Japanese may account for it.
3. When asked what his last impressive scene of the war time was, an Amis Takasago Giyutai replied, “It is my last recall that I bid farewell to my Japanese comrades when I disembarked at the Keelung Port. It was very
hard and sad to say farewell to my comrades with whom I had had the hardest times in my life.” (Ishikawa 1999)
The following are the results of participant observation and they may offer some implications for interpreting why Takasago Giyutai responds invariably in appreciation of the Japanese.
1. They discern an affectionate sense of nostalgia instead of hatred to the Japanese.
2. They have planted in them a feeling of being treated with rigid impartiality.
3. Their patriotism is based on the philosophy of life that they traditionally had a native spirit of obligation to protect their own homeland from enemies, no matter who they worked for.
4. The Takasago Giyutai is definitely keeping precious memories rarely talked.
5. The society should not isolate their collective memory. It is the anthropologists and historians that are obliged to be responsible for bridging the gap between Takasago Giyutai and the society.
6. They are now increasingly advancing in age. Once they disappear, the chance will never return forever.
The above points 4, 5 and 6 may be worth discussing from the viewpoints of history and anthropology.
Method
Subjects
More than 10 aborigines are involved in this study: Man A, Paiwan, Taxi;
Woman B, Bunun, Yenping; Couple, Paiwan, Tanyao; Woman D, Amis, Malan;
Man E, Pailang, Chishang; Woman F, Amis, Taitung Bridge; Woman G, Amis, Harapawan; Kulian, Paiwan, Kanarung; Alianus, Amis, Meilan, and others.
Except Alianus, who is Takasago Giyutai himself and still alive, a few are widows of Takasago Giyutai, the others are relatives of the ones who died at the battlefields.
All the participants are considered equivalent because they all look similar in age, over eighties, and by appearance they sure are Takasago Zoku, indigenous. You do not get chances very often. When you do, they must be seized.
Even though they speak languages utterly unintelligible to each other (I do speak a bit of Amis but none of others), they all speak Japanese appropriately about the same level. Yet they were not selected by strict randomization. Moderate factors such as age, name, the relationship with Takasago Giyutai, etc. were omitted here because all happened in an accidental encounter and not convenient to record. Here are a handful of informants who were able to provide a bit of info at the encounter.
Man A Paiwan 80+ Taxi Woman B Bunun 80+ Taniao Couple C Paiwan 85, 86 Taxi Woman D Amis 85 Malan
Man E Pairan 88 Chishang
Woman F Amis -- Taitung Great Bridge Woman G Amis 88 Harapawan
Procedures
A diagnostic set of questions was constructed to shape a figure of the Takasago Giyutai they know in mind. Like piano-trio, Quest-trio was designed. It is composed of three parts:
WHO—Do you know anybody who once was Takasago Giyutai? If yes, who?
WHERE—Where was he dispatched to?
HOW—Did he volunteer? Did his family support the thought?
If more time is permitted, each item of the Quest-trio can be continued with subquestions. For instance, WHO: What age was he when he became Takasago Giyutai? Did he return alive? How many went from his nyaro? etc.
so that the description of the target Takasago Giyutai get more and more specific and perfect. The most critical question should be the last item to get the info about his willingness to volunteer. Each of the questions was asked in random order within an ultra-short time.
The total interviewing time for each person at the hospital lobby was
leave the hospital to be taken home in the courtesy van of the hospital waiting right at the front keeping the engine running or on a wheelchair aided by an alien helper.
Couple C live in Taxi and on Mahengheng Avenue, Taitung City alternately. The husband‟s older brother was the Third Round Takasago Giyutai.
When he volunteered for service, his mother was sad but he sent letters (postcards) home three times. He died when his ship was attacked by the US planes and sunk on the way back to Taiwan. When asked if I could see the letters, he said the letters were buried with his mother when she died because they were his brother‟s only keepsakes left at home.
Alianus is the only exception that I have paid several visits with a camera, a tape recorder, a notebook, etc. and even keeping in close touch sometimes by calling. He is the main informant of this thesis.
The data gained by interviewing the casual and regular informants are put into words according to many facets of experiences, synthesis, integration and interpretation which lead to general comments.
Apart from the publications in both Chinese and Japanese as well as informants, a DVD entitled “To Unforgettable Friends—Takasago Giyutai”
(Director Hayashi Eidai, June 23, 2006) borrowed from Lifok‟s house library--provides strong verbal evidences of the war history.