A special exhibition showcasing the history of Taiwan's human rights was well received in Japan. The event, which was held in Tokyo from September to November last year, was extended for two additional weeks and even received front-page coverage on the Asahi Shimbun (Japanese-language newspaper).
Co-organized by the Taiwan Cultural Center in Tokyo and National Human Rights Museum, the exhibition, titled "Human Rights in Everyday Life (生活中的人權)," surprised the Japanese public with the historical period during which many Japanese aided the democratization of Taiwan. Following Tokyo, the exhibition was invited by Hokkaido University to tour in Books Kinokuniya, a Japanese bookstore chain, from Feb. 12 to 17.
To provide the Japanese public with a deeper understanding of the development of human rights in Taiwan, the exhibition also hosted a forum featuring associate professor Miwako Akamatsu (赤松美和子) of Otsuma Women's University to explain the history.
The exhibition introduces the development of democracy in Taiwan and the history of the Taiwan Political Prisoner Rescue Association (台灣政治犯救援會) in Japan. Founded in Tokyo in 1977, the rescue association was formed by a group of office workers, housewives, and intellectuals, who reached out to help Taiwan's oppressed democracy activists so that the democratization movement could proceed in the face of difficulties. To help Taiwan fight for human rights, the association collected information in the efforts to aid Taiwan's political prisoners.
The tour was made possible with the help of the National Human Rights Museum, Scholars Network for Engaging Taiwan, and Hokkaido University, which hopes to help the public learn about the process through which the political regime became democratic in Taiwan.