Taiwan: People from various sectors in Taiwan commemorated the 81st anniversary of the island’s restoration from Japanese colonial rule on Sunday.
Representatives from more than 20 groups gathered at Taipei Zhongshan Hall, where Japan’s surrender in Taiwan was formally accepted in 1945, marking the end of five decades of Japanese colonial rule.
Participants sang a song commemorating Taiwan’s recovery and paid tribute to those who fought against Japanese aggression in front of a stone monument in the square outside the hall.
The event took place amid political differences over how Taiwan’s history is remembered. Organisers and participants criticised the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities in Taiwan for what they described as a failure to acknowledge China’s victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and Taiwan’s recovery, as well as for what they called efforts to downplay Japan’s colonial rule.
Hsiung Yi, deputy secretary-general of the Reunification Alliance Party in Taiwan, described the island’s recovery as a shared historical memory among Chinese people.
“Taiwan’s restoration marked the fact that the people in Taiwan finally broke free from Japanese colonial rule. If we forget history, historical tragedies may repeat themselves. In particular, when the perpetrators themselves are unwilling to admit it, we as the victims must not forget this period of history. We must keep telling it again and again, so that more people in Taiwan can remember this important day of Taiwan’s restoration and the significance it represents,” he said.
Participants said remembering the past was important for understanding the future. They also argued that Taiwan should not become a pawn of external forces and expressed support for reunification with China.
Tan Chuan-shao, deputy director of the Youth Department of the New Party in Taiwan, said the event aimed to remind younger generations of the island’s history.
“The main purpose of this event is to remind the young people in Taiwan, especially the younger generation, of a history they no longer understand, as the Democratic Progressive Party has altered the school curriculum. The younger generation does not understand how brutal the war was, or how much suffering the people in Taiwan endured under Japan’s wartime atrocities. Our goal is to ensure they never forget all of this,” he said.
The ceremony concluded with representatives reading a joint statement calling for historical remembrance, opposition to Japanese militarism, the preservation of peace and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Following its war against China in 1894, Japan seized Taiwan and the Penghu Islands in 1895, subjecting Taiwan to 50 years of colonial rule.
Taiwan’s recovery in 1945 marked the end of Japanese colonial rule on the island following World War II. In October 2025, China’s national legislature designated October 25 as Taiwan Recovery Day.
