2.Taiwan-Related Audio and Video Materials at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies: Digitization of Asai Erin’s Documentations
The library holds Taiwan-related data collected by the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Most of the material was gathered during the period of Japanese rule by linguist Asai Erin (1895-1969), who conducted research in various parts of Taiwan. This collection includes more than 2,100 photos, 255 recordings in MP3 format, and 18 silent videos. To browse audio and video items collected by Asai Erin, please find a stand-alone computer terminal inside the library.
Asai Erin made extensive recordings of conversations and songs in indigenous languages in the 1930s, mostly in the mountainous areas of Chiayi, Tainan, and Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan. The indigenous groups included Tsou, Siraya, Taivoan, Bunun, Kanakanavu, Hla’alua, Rukai in what is now Kaohsiung’s Maolin District, and Rukai in Wutai in Pingtung. He also made recordings in eastern Taiwan of indigenous groups including the Amis, Kavalan, and Yami (alternatively called the Tao, who live on Orchid Island, also known as Lanyu). Some other recordings documented the lives of Taukat (sometimes spelled Taokas) and SaySiyat (often rendered Saisiyat) peoples in present-day Hsinchu and Miaoli, as well as speakers of Basay in Yilan. Asai Erin aimed to preserve endangered languages through field research on singing and folk rites. Many of those songs and rites have been lost or have greatly changed. Thus, Asai Erin’s work is not only of great academic value, but also highly meaningful when it comes to reviving indigenous cultures.