Liu Yao-tsu (劉耀祖) , chairman of the Research Society of Dr. Ikegami Ichiro Memorial Library in Pingtung, southern Taiwan, was among the 141 foreign recipients of the 2020 Autumn Imperial Decorations by the government of Japan, Japan's Foreign Ministry announced on Nov. 3, 2020. Liu receives The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, for his contributions to the promotion of understanding of Japan in Taiwan and friendship between Japan and Taiwan.
The Information and International Affairs Department of the Pingtung County Government said three persons from Taiwan are among the honored. The other two are Professor Shieh Mu-chang (謝牧謙)of Fu Jen University, who receives The Order of Rising Sun, Golden Rays with Neck Ribbon, and Chiu Ru-hwa(丘如華), secretary-general of the Institute of Historical Resources Management, who receives The Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays.
Director of the Kaohsiung Office of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association will present The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays to Liu at a ceremony on Jan. 16 at the Dr. Ikegami Ichiro Memorial Library at Zhutian Yiyuan, Pingtung County.
Liu founded the library 20 years ago in commemoration of Dr. Ikegami Ichiro, a combat medic who served as director of a field hospital in Zhutian Township during the Second World War. Dr. Ichiro organized a 13-member surgical team to treat wounded Japanese soldiers and to provide free care to villagers. His benevolence was remembered by the locals, even after he returned to Japan. He had also provided assistance to some Taiwanese students in Japan.
The 89-year-old Liu obtained a master's degree in business from Waseda University. During the years when he studied in Japan, some villagers at Zhutian Township asked him to try to find Dr. Ichiro. He was lucky, to have not only established contact but also developed profound friendship with Dr. Ichiro.
In 2001, he was told that the then 90-year-old Dr. Ichiro had made anonymous donation of scholarship and books to Zhutian Township. Deeply moved, Liu decided to initiate an action to establish the Dr. Ikegami Ichiro Memorial Library.
The library, which currently has a collection of approximately 16,000 books, mostly Japanese books, is housed at the old warehouse of the Japanese-styled building of Taiwan Railway's Zhutian station. Since its establishment, organizations, including the Kaohsiung Office of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, and some individuals as well as civic groups have donated books.
In October 2019, the library together with the Zhutian railway station was registered by the Ministry of Culture as a heritage site.
The library has been described as the southernmost Japanese-language book library of in Asia, contributing to the understanding of Japan and popularizing of the Japanese language in southern Taiwan. The government of Japan believes that by passing on Ichiro's legacy to younger generations, it can help nurture the next generation of Taiwanese to become experts on Japan.
The library has been proactively receiving gap year students, members of the media, academia and government officials from Japan.
Liu would be present to introduce the history of the library and Ichiro's legacy in Japanese. He would also invite elders who know about Dr. Ichiro’s achievements to share their thoughts. The library has served as an important platform for cultural exchange between Taiwan and Japan.
Saying that he would like to share the honor of receiving The Order of the Rising Sun with everyone involved, Liu expressed his appreciation toward the many long-year supporters and welcomed suggestions regarding the library.