Establishing Children’s Legal Rights: Children, Family, and the State in Taiwan under Japanese Colonial Rule (1895–1945)

Before 1895, traditional Chinese legal culture prevailed in Taiwan, and the legal status of children was governed under the concept of familism and the senior–junior relationship. However, the Japanese seizure of power in Taiwan in 1895 marked a dramatic shift in the legal landscape. By imposing a modern colonial legal system on the island, the Japanese government greatly reshaped legal regulations for children and family there. This article investigates how the modern legal system changed the legal status of children and how the establishment of both the child–parent–state relationship and the concept of parens patriae affected children