COMPLETION REPORTTechnology and Taste: The Making of Dried Skipjack Tuna Products and the Evolutionof Taste in Modern Taiwan
Chung hao Kuo(+1)
Assistant Professor and Research Fellow
Center for General Education
Taipei Medical University
My research explores the production of dried skipjack tuna (known as 鰹節, hereinafter ‘katsuobushi’ )in the Keelung area of Taiwan during the Japanese colonial era (1895–1945). To conduct this research,
I first examined the evolution of katsuobushi in Japan. Between August 20 to 27, 2019, I visited
Makurazaki in Kagoshima Pref., where I spent time at a factory (的場水產株式會社) specializing in theproduction of katsuobushi and then familiarized myself with the specific procedures for the productionof katsuobushi flakes.
After conducting my research, I found there are3main reasons why Japanese imperial government
considered Keelung to be the most important city for the production of katsuobushi. First, with its natural
marine surroundings, Keelung simplified producers’ access to skipjack tuna; second, Keelung had an
attractive harbor, which convinced Japan to build Taiwan’s first factory devoted to the production ofkatsuobushi; third, in considering the distribution network for katsuobushi products, Japan concluded
that, of all the cities under consideration, Keelung was the best one for shipping katsuobushi products toNagasaki, Fukuoka, Kobe, and other Japanese cities. Consequently, during the Japanese colonial era,over 70 percent of all katsuobushi products from Keelung were shipped to Japan .
However, because Taiwan was new to the business of making katsuobushi, Japanese in Keelung
encountered 3major types of hardship related to the production process: first, in contrast to Japaneseskipjack tuna, Taiwanese skipjack tuna was very fatty and thus would easily decay, even when dried;second, because Japanese demand for Taiwanese skipjack tuna was so high, the product was sometimes
in short supply for Taiwanese market; third, Keelung’s skipjack-tuna sector lacked funds to invest in
efficient processing facilities and to hire sufficient workers.
I also found , during the Japanese colonial era, the Institute of Katsuobushi located in the Bachimen area
(八尺門) of Keelung, played a significant role in this Taiwanese industry. Established on August 18,
1923, the institute conducted experiments in the production of katsuobushi: the most important
experiments involved the removal of fat from skipjack tuna to ensure a uniformly high-quality product.
Also, the institute was a major source of internships for Taiwanese students attending the local aquaticschool. The institute’s existence reflected the special importance that Japanese colonial government
assigned to the task of improving the quality of katsuobushi in Taiwan. In fact, government officials held
seminars on the subject to instruct workers at processing facilities regarding how to make good-quality
products that would meet Japanese standards for katsuobushi.
In conducting this research, I made 4central findings. First, I found that Keelung during Japanese colonial
era had been a pioneer in the production of katsuobushi. Second, I found the Institute played a crucialrole in promoting the business of katsuobushi. Third, I found that the problem of removing skipjack
tuna’s fat had attracted considerable attention in the industry because of the fat’s negative effects on thequality of dried Taiwanese skipjack tuna. Finally, I found colonial Taiwan shipped tremendous amountsof locally caught skipjack tuna and katsuobushi to Japan to meet the country’s ever-growing demand forthe product.
My research on colonial Taiwan’s production of katsuobushi reflects the fecund technological, economic,and intellectual interactions between Taiwan and Japan at the time. My trip to Makurazaki in Kagoshima
in 2019 has convinced me that Japan holds many more secrets about various important issues related tomy research. Of these issues, perhaps the most fascinating concerns the migrant workers involved in theproduction of katsuobushi in colonial Taiwan. Thus, when the COVID-19 pandemic is under control, I
plan to visit Miyazaki, Shizuoka, Kochi, and Okinawa, where I will conduct more research on thekatsuobushi industry.

Publication of the Results of Research Project:Verbal Presentation (Date, Venue, Name of Conference, Title of Presentation, Presenter, etc.)
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, all conferences (e.g., AAS in Asia) have been cancelled, so I have notattended any conferences. However, I will prepare to present my research for conferences in 2022.

Thesis (Name of Journal and its Date, Title and Author of Thesis, etc.)
I will be ready to submit a paper to international peer-reviewed journals in 2022.

Book (Publisher and Date of the Book, Title and Author of the Book, etc.)
I am going to write a chapter on this subject for publication in an edited book devoted to the history offood in East Asia.