Japan's Double Bind: 'Civilised' Punishment in Colonial Taiwan.

The article discusses Japan's colonial policies in Taiwan, focusing particularly on penal reforms which included the building of a modern prison in Taipei (Taihoku) and the reintroduction of flogging as a method of punishment. The author argues that after the Meiji Revolution, Japan faced political and intellectual challenges regarding Western civilization, civilizing missions to colonies, and the adaptation of colonialism to better fit with their ideas of becoming the Asian colonial power. Other subjects considered include Japan's attitudes regarding China, colonial historiography, and postcolonial studies.