On the critical sight of judges to Taiwanese custom and resistance of Taiwanese to this sight in the Japanese colonial period

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K03327
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Fundamental law
• Research Institution: Toyo University
• Principal Investigator: GOTO TAKEHIDE 東洋大学, 法学部, 教授 (90186891)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 慣習法 / 一夫多妻制 / 妾 / 祭祀公業 / 族譜

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the Japanese colonial period of Taiwan,the custom on land and family had already deeply rooted.Although the colonial authorities legally claimed to respect the custom,the Japanese judges showed critical sight or denied to judge the unfavorable custom as violation of public order and morality in the judgements.It was believed that the custom might change gradually in order to cope with this kind of court.However the Taiwanese people actually tried to sustain the custom while changing its form.Looking from the custom on one husband one wife,even many of the Japanese judges showed critical sight on this marriage form,through analyzing several genealogical records,it was clear that the number of this marriage form did not decrease in the Japanese colonial period.

Free Research Field

法制史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本統治時期の台湾において、領有当初に発布された六三法の下で特別統治主義が採用されたことにより、慣習の存続が認められた。その後、法三号実施に伴い日本内地法直接適用へと転換されたが、家族、祭祀公業、合股の慣習は従来通り存続が認められた。従来の研究では、このような統治原則の転換にもかかわらず慣習が維持されたと解されてきた。ところが、裁判の場では好ましくないと考えられた慣習は批判され、拒否されることもあった。台湾の人々は批判された伝統的慣習を形を変えながら維持していったことを族譜などの資料を基に明らかにした。これは従来の見解を修正する意義を有する。