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The future is yet in your power

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Written by Peter Li-Chang Kuo ( Chinese ) Today, July 8 marks the fourth anniversary of the passing of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (1954–2022). A simple yet solemn memorial flower-offering ceremony was held at Bao-An Temple in Hongmaogang, Fengshan, Kaohsiung . Friends from various sectors gathered to pay their respects. Fig 1: Statue of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Linda Din, internationally known as the “ Mother of E-commerce ,” presented flowers on behalf of the families of Taiwanese veterans. Fig 2: Linda Din presenting flowers on behalf of Taiwanese veteran families In 2016, while we found the way of welcoming the spirit of my uncle Kun-Yi back to Taiwan , we visited Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo . Fig 3: On the way to Tokyo to welcome the spirit of my uncle Along the way, someone promoted Japanese sake—claiming it was brewed with water from Mount Fuji . Linda unexpectedly bought two bottles and carefully carried them throughout the journey. Upon returning ...
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My Uncle, A Taiwanese Soldier in the Japanese Army

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Written by Peter Li-Chang Kuo ( Chinese ) Before my grandmother passed away, she would often sit alone, lost in thought. On October 25, 1970, in her final moments, she faintly murmured, “ Find… find Kun-Yi… ” Kuo Kun-Yi was my older uncle. During Pacific War, he was forced by the Japanese military to sign a so-called “ Volunteer Form ” and was conscripted into the army. He was sent from Cijin, Kaohsiung , by ship to Southeast Asia , and from that point on, no further news was ever received. Only a group photograph sent by the military remained, becoming my grandmother’s sole consolation for the rest of her life. Today, I have used AI to restore my uncle Kun-Yi’s youthful image (Fig 1). Fig 1: Kuo Kun-Yi — “voluntarily” enlisted in the Imperial Japanese Army (circa 1942) Life is a Continuum of Karma: I often heard my grandmother say during prayers, “ Kuo Kun-Yi passed away at 19 …” Since 1923 plus 19 equals 1942, yet the records I later found state that “ Kuo Kun-Yi died in ba...
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A Century of the Kuo Family

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Written by Peter Li-Chang Kuo ( Chinese ) In 1926, many significant events took place. Kuo Biao, the richest man in Tainan , assisted the Taiwan Governor-General’s Office in completing the Tainan Canal , which was opened to navigation and became an important symbol of the city’s modernization. In the same year, his third son, Kuo Kun-Cheng — my father — was born. That year also marked the death of the Taishō Emperor and the enthronement of the Shōwa Emperor. According to the statement of my grandmother, Kuo Chen Shu-Chen: my grandfather devoted both financial resources and personal effort to assist the Japanese in completing numerous major infrastructure projects, including land reclamation of the Taijiang Inner Sea, canal construction, reservoirs, and light rail systems. In 1926, to celebrate the enthronement of Emperor Shōwa and the birth of his son, he hosted a grand banquet stretching from the canal to the He-Mei headquarters on Ximen Road , with continuous feasting and deco...
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