Abstract：
In 2012, a late-Ming military map was partially reprinted in A descriptive catalogue of the antique maps collected in the Library of Chinese Academy of Sciences “輿圖指要”. This large map depicts the waters around Fujian and Ryukyu, Taiwan as well as Luzon as outlying islands. Despite little attention by contemporary historians, the map is actually a rare and precious historical material that demonstrates knowledge of Fujian officials on the maritime geography in the early seventeen century. To explore the map-making historical background, this study examined issues regarding when the map was drawn, who drew it, and what was depicted including harbors, forts, bays and offshore islands. Analyzing the geographical representations and spatial configuration of the map indicated that it was made around 1616 A.D. by officials or related personnel of Fujian government in response to frequent attacks by Japanese pirates in the coastal region. Moreover, the map portrayed vividly the ideas of Fujian officials on coastal defense, as well as their knowledge of offshore topography and pirate activities in the eastern islands. In addition, the depiction on the map not only revealed commercial interests of neighboring countries in the coastal region but also shed light on the political situation of Fujian waters in the 1610s.

Keywords：Coastal Defense, Fujian Navy, Governor of Fujian, Map of Taiwan, Japanese Pirates

Abstract：
The Taisei Fire and Marine Insurance Company, founded in 1920, was the most important property insurance company established in Taiwan during the Japanese colonial era. Moreover, it was among the few companies jointly established by the then five most powerful families and local tycoons. Previous studies from the perspective of economic history focused mainly on the restructuring of shareholding members in this company. For example, changes in shareholding ratio between Taiwanese and Japanese investors were considered a reflection of the growing domination of Japanese capital over Taiwanese investment. From the perspective of family history, Taisei Fire and Marine was regarded by each shardholding member as part of their family business and investments. However, details on its internal operations and personnel have not yet been thoroughly investigated. Through examining relevant records pertinent to key long-tenured board members, such as Hsien-Tang Lin and Teisuke Mashi, this study explored ongoing internal disputes over operations and personnel. The experiences of those involved in Taisei Fire and Marine reveal the existence of a gap between the ideal and reality of corporations purported to be successful Japanese-Taiwanese joint ventures during the colonial era. The networking, company operations, and feelings expressed by key board members recorded in the literature indicate that Taiwanese investment was not subordinated or in opposition to Japanese capital. Rather, Taiwanese investors cooperated and competed with their Japanese counterparts and constantly strived to adjust their own status.

Keywords：Taisei Fire and Marine Insurance Company, Property Insurance, Insurance History, Japanese Colonial Period

Abstract：
The surrender of Japan was on August 15, 1945 is generally deemed the end of World War II and the beginning of the post-war era. However, according to international law, it signified only a ‘truce’ between the Allies and the Axis Powers. Not until the Peace Treaty of San Francisco took effect on April 28, 1952 did the war really come to a close. Hence, strictly speaking, Taiwan was still under the sovereign power of Japan from August 1945 to April 1952. Nevertheless, such fact and history had been distorted by the KMT whose military occupation of Taiwan was ‘glorified’ as the retrocession or ‘return to China’. From the perspectives of international law and historical facts, this article reconstructed what actually happened during that era. Between 1945 and 1947, Taiwan was occupied by both the Republic of China and the United States Armed Forces. With the signing of San Francisco Peace Treaty, Japan renounced sovereignty over Taiwan. The supposed ‘temporary’ occupation of Taiwan by the ROC Army on behalf of the Allied forces subsequently became the authoritarian rule of KMT until the lifting of Martial Law in 1987. While the ROC did obtain and maintain control of Taiwan after the surrender of Japan, whether it has legal sovereignty of Taiwan remains to be justified.

Keywords：Formosa Liaison Group, Office of Governor-General of Taiwan, Taiwan Sōtokufu, 228 Incident, Occupation of Japan

Abstract：
The article analyzes the development of research on allergy and treatment in Taiwan, focusing on the introduction and evolution of concepts, the production and circulation of knowledge on allergy, the recruitment and cultivation of specialists, and the practices and transformation of its treatments. It aims to decipher the multiple actors and unique historical contexts that facilitated the rapid development of allergy research in Taiwan. Unlike studies on allergy in Western societies that highlight the importance of class, urbanization and modernization, research on allergy in Taiwan was closely related to its colonial past and the immigrants from Japan and China. Exploration reveals that research on allergy in Taiwan began with the bacteriology and tropical medicine during Japanese colonization. On the one hand, during the colonial era, allergy was identified as a long-term and systematic immune response to infectious diseases, rather than an abnormality. On the other hand, allergy was also considered a nervous system disorder, one of the many symptoms of tropical neurasthenia. The discourse of allergy as a neurological disorder gradually lost its popularity after WWII while that of allergy as a malfunction of immune system became increasingly dominant. In terms of its treatment, multiple strategies had been applied since the colonial era, including surgeries, medications and desensitization therapies. At the same time, there had been growing attention paid to the relationship between immigrants, environment and allergic diseases. It was not until the 1970s that allergy was seen as a common disease among the general population on the island, and specialists with training of immunology and immunotherapy gradually became available. US aid solicited by civilian allergy sufferers that contributed to fund research and training as well as the establishment of the Taiwan Allergy Center in the 1970s were crucial for the promotion of allergy research in that period.

Keywords：Allergy, Immunology, Nerve, Colonial Medicine, Tropical Medicine