台湾の日本統治時代における仏教系雑誌の嚆矢：『台湾教報』刊行背景に関する一考察=The Beginning of Japanese Buddhist Journals in Taiwan during the Japanese Colonial Period: The Background of the Newsletter Taiwan Kyō-hō
This paper examines the publication history of the newsletter Taiwan Kyō-hō. At the start of Japanese rule in Taiwan, which began in 1895, monks from various schools—including the Sōtō, Jōdo, Jōdo Shinshū Honganji-ha, and Shingon sects—accompanied the Japanese military to Taiwan and competed for local followers. One of the most active monks was Chinryu Sasaki of the Sōtō school. Sasaki not only established the Dainippon Taiwan Library and Dainippon Taiwan Buddhism Association, he also founded a school to teach local children Japanese to contend against the Taiwan Buddhist Association formed by the other three schools.
This paper, after investigating official publications, comes to a significant conclusion: Sasaki published the Taiwan Kyō-hō, a representative publication, with the intention of magnifying the influence of Buddhism in Taiwan through the Dainippon Taiwan Buddhism Association. However, only the first issue of this newsletter has been found. The Taiwan Kyō-hō is thus a precious record of the Japanese Buddhist missionary movement in Taiwan. It also marks the beginning of Japanese Buddhist newsletters in Taiwan.
