That a great-grandfather of Japan’s next prime minister operated stores in Keelung in the late 19th century has sparked hope that the historical link could bring the two nations closer together.
The election of former Japanese minister of foreign affairs Fumio Kishida as the Liberal Democratic Party’s leader on Wednesday has sparked excitement in Taiwan, as he has repeatedly expressed support for Taiwan.
However, Kishida’s connection with the nation runs deeper than words, with traces of his family’s business still standing on a street corner in central Keelung.
Photo: Yu Chao-fu, Taipei Times
At the intersection of what is now Sin 2nd Road (信二路) and Yi 2nd Road (義二路) stands a shopfront that once housed a cafe and kimono store owned by Kishida’s great-grandfather Ikutaro Kishida, Keelung Mayor Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) said on Thursday.
Ikutaro Kishida was born in Hiroshima Prefecture’s Higashihiroshima, Keelung Cultural Affairs Bureau Director Chen Ching-ping (陳靜萍) said.
In 1895, at the age of 28, he moved to Keelung, where he and his brother, Taichiro Kishida, opened the businesses that bore their family name, Chen said.
Four years later he returned to his home prefecture to live in Kure, which became a sister city of Keelung in 2017, she said.
During the Japanese colonial era, the Port of Keelung was Taiwan’s gateway to the world, Lin said.
As it was close to the port, many Japanese people lived and shopped on Yi 2nd Road, earning it the nickname “Keelung’s Ginza,” he said.
The Victorian-style buildings that once housed the Kishida family businesses have been well preserved, Lin said.
Today, visitors can eat at a pasta restaurant or peruse an independent bookstore in the historic buildings, he added.
The two structures are still very stable, Lin said, adding that the owners have been granted a restoration subsidy from the Ministry of Culture, with plans still being drafted.
Through this historical connection, Lin said he hopes feelings of mutual affinity between Taiwan and Japan will deepen.
Additional reporting by CNA
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