Administrative divisions of Taiwan by types and times. Like the administrative divisions in mainland Japan, most of them are translated to "prefectures" in English.
The political divisions changed frequently between 1895 and 1901.
Date
May. 1895 – Aug. 1895
Aug. 1895 – Mar. 1896
Mar. 1896 – Jun. 1897
Names
Taihoku Ken
臺北縣
たいほくけん
Taihoku Ken
臺北縣
たいほくけん
Taihoku Ken
臺北縣
たいほくけん
Taiwan Ken
臺灣縣
たいわんけん
Taiwan Minseishibu
臺灣民政支部
たいわんみんせいしぶ
Taichū Ken
臺中縣
たいちゅうけん
Tainan Ken
臺南縣
たいなんけん
Tainan Minseishibu
臺南民政支部
たいなんみんせいしぶ
Tainan Ken
臺南縣
たいなんけん
Hōkotō Chō
澎湖島廳
ほうことうちょう
Hōkotō Chō
澎湖島廳
ほうことうちょう
Hōkotō Chō
澎湖島廳
ほうことうちょう
Div. No.
3 Ken, 1 Chō
1 Ken, 2 Minseishibu, 1 Chō
3 Ken, 1 Chō
Date
Jun. 1897 – Jun. 1898
Jun. 1898 – Apr. 1901
May. 1901 – Nov. 1901
Names
Taihoku Ken
臺北縣
たいほくけん
Taihoku Ken
臺北縣
たいほくけん
Taihoku Ken
臺北縣
たいほくけん
Shinchiku Ken
新竹縣
しんちくけん
Taichū Ken
臺中縣
たいちゅうけん
Taichū Ken
臺中縣
たいちゅうけん
Taichū Ken
臺中縣
たいちゅうけん
Kagi Ken
嘉義縣
かぎけん
Tainan Ken
臺南縣
たいなんけん
Tainan Ken
臺南縣
たいなんけん
Tainan Ken
臺南縣
たいなんけん
Hōzan Ken
鳳山縣
ほうざんけん
Kōshun Chō
恆春廳
こうしゅんちょう
Giran Chō
宜蘭廳
ぎらんちょう
Giran Chō
宜蘭廳
ぎらんちょう
Giran Chō
宜蘭廳
ぎらんちょう
Taitō Chō
臺東廳
たいとうちょう
Taitō Chō
臺東廳
たいとうちょう
Taitō Chō
臺東廳
たいとうちょう
Hōko Chō
澎湖廳
ほうこちょう
Hōko Chō
澎湖廳
ほうこちょう
Hōko Chō
澎湖廳
ほうこちょう
Div. No.
6 Ken, 3 Chō
3 Ken, 3 Chō
3 Ken, 4 Chō
Chō (1901–1920)
The former system was abolished 11 November 1901, and twenty local administrative offices (chō) were established.[1] Usage of Ken divisions was discontinued.
Structural hierarchy
Administrative divisions of Taiwan in 1901.[2] The red line marks the approximate boundary separating Aboriginal areas and territories under actual Japanese administration.
Under a "Dōka policy" (同化) in which the Japanese considered the Taiwanese to be separate but equal, the political divisions in Taiwan became similar to the system used in mainland Japan in 1920.
Hōko Prefecture was divided from Takao Prefecture in 1926
Cities
There were 11 cities in Taiwan in 1945. Most of them are still the most populous municipalities in the country today. The ōaza (大字) in the city center may be named chō (町).
The 1941 (Showa 16) census of Taiwan was 6,249,468. 93.33% of the population were Taiwanese which consisted of both Han Taiwanese and "civilized" Taiwanese aborigines. Tainan had the largest population followed by Taichū and Taihoku. The largest concentration of ethnic Japanese were in Taihoku followed by Takao and Tainan.
When the Republic of China began to rule Taiwan in 1945, the government simply changed the names of the divisions, and named the Aboriginal areas. Those changes were not recognized by the Allies after the surrender of Japan.
^Davidson (1903), pp. 597–8: "In place of the former system, which divided the island into 3 prefectures and 3 prefectures of second class, and which was abolished November 11th, 1901, local administrative offices known as "Cho" have been established at the following points: Taihoku, Kelung, Giran (Gilan), Shinko (Chim-hua), Toshien (Tao-hong), Shinchiku (Teck-cham), Bioritsu (Maoli), Taichu, Shoka (Chang-wha), Nanto (Nam-tau), Toroku (Tau-lak), Kagi, Yensuiko (Kiam-tsui kang), Tainan, Banshorio (Han-chu-liao), Hozan (Fang-shan), Ako (A-kau), Koshun (Heng-chun), Taito (Tai-tong), and Boko (Pang-hoo). The Administrative or District Offices (Cho) are in charge of chiefs of Sonin rank, who are assisted by clerks, police inspectors, assistant experts, interpreters, and assistant police, all of Hannin rank. These officers of Hannin rank number 1230 for the whole island. The administration of Formosa, under the direction and superintendence of the Governor General, is entrusted to these district offices."
