- Date: Sept. 8, 2016
- Venue: National Museum of Taiwan Literature
- Address: No.1 Zhongzheng Rd., West Central District, Tainan City, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
- Website: www.nmtl.gov.tw
Twenty seniors who were born in Taiwan during the Japanese colonial era were invited to tour the"Sparkling Encounters: Taiwan-Japan Literary Exchanges” held at the National Museum of Taiwan Literature on Sept. 8.
The tour included an introduction to the book "Wansei Back Home (灣生回家)” and a documentary of the same title. Author and producer Chen Xuan-ru (陳宣儒), as well as four seniors who appeared in the documentary, also attended the special film screening.
"Wansei” refers to people of Japanese descent who were born in Taiwan during 1895 to 1946, as well as those who are of mixed Japanese and Taiwanese descent. Chen, a Wansei descendant who is also known by her Japanese name Mika Tanaka (田中實加), spent twelve years visiting more than 200 Taiwan-born Japanese individuals and documenting their stories.
The book and film reveal the lives of the Wansei in eastern Taiwan, as well as their lives as social outcasts after they were deported to Japan following the end of the Second World War.
During the visit, one Japanese senior told students in the museum's study hall that he was an alumnus of the National University of Tainan. He also used the Taiwanese language to encourage them to study hard.
The visit to the museum is part of the "Never-ending Japanese Dream, Taiwanese and Japanese Reunion” event, which was made possible by the Tainan City Taiwan-Japan Friendship Association (台南市台日有好交流協會) and the Hondao Senior Citizen's Welfare Foundation (弘道老人福利基金會).