Bank of Taiwan

Following the Sino-Japanese War, when Taiwan was taken over by Japan and colonized, this special bank was established in 1899 under the Taiwan Banking Act, which was promulgated in 1897 (Meiji 30). Its capital at the time of establishment was 5 million yen, of which 1 million yen was contributed by the government. It was granted privileges such as issuing banknotes and handling national treasury funds, and played the role of the central bank of colonial Taiwan, while also carrying out regular banking operations such as deposits and loans, foreign exchange, and movable and real estate financing. At the time of its establishment, it sorted out the monetary confusion that had existed since before its occupation, leading to a gold-based Japanese currency system, and also achieved great success in providing development financing on the island. After World War I, it expanded its activities both in the mainland and overseas, setting up branches especially in southern China and the South Sea Islands, and responding to Japan's imperialist policies such as the Japan-China joint venture and loans to China. On the other hand, the bank's performance in the mainland also expanded greatly due to the economic boom during World War I, and it strengthened its tendency to become a commercial bank, but it hit a deadlock when the business of large borrowers such as Suzuki Shoten, which had emerged in the wake of the postwar depression of 1920 (Taisho 9), deteriorated, and the bank's inability to raise funds by taking in call money was exposed during the financial depression of 1927 (Showa 2).The bank underwent management restructuring in the mid-1930s, and was active in Japanese-occupied territories such as southern China and Southeast Asia during World War II, but was closed down in 1945 after the war by order of GHQ (Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers).

[Kazuyoshi Okada]

"Taiwan Bank History Compilation Office, ed., 'Taiwan Bank History' (1964)" ▽ "Ministry of Finance, ed., 'Meiji Taisho Financial History, Volume 16' (1938, Financial and Economic Association)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

日清(にっしん)戦争後日本の台湾領有、植民地化に伴い1897年（明治30）公布の台湾銀行法に基づいて99年に設立された特殊銀行。設立時の資本金500万円、うち100万円は政府が出資。銀行券発行、国庫金取扱いなどの特権を付与され、植民地台湾の中央銀行としての役割を果たすとともに、預貸金、外国為替(かわせ)、動産・不動産金融など普通銀行業務もあわせ行った。設立当初は、領有前以来の幣制混乱を整理して金本位の日本通貨体制へと導き、また島内の開発金融にあたっても大いに業績をあげた。第一次世界大戦後より内地および海外での活動を進展させ、なかんずく中国南部、南洋諸島などに支店を設置、日華合弁事業、対華借款など日本の帝国主義政策に対応した。他方、内地での業績も第一次世界大戦時の好況で大いに拡大、普通銀行化の傾向を強めたが、1920年（大正9）戦後恐慌を契機に現れた鈴木商店など大口貸出先の経営悪化と、コール資金取入れによる資金調達の無理が27年（昭和2）の金融恐慌時に暴露され、行き詰まった。1930年代なかばに経営再建がなり、第二次世界大戦中は中国南部、東南アジアなどの日本占領地で活躍したが、戦後1945年にGHQ（連合国最高司令部）の指令によって閉鎖された。

［岡田和喜］

『台湾銀行史編纂室編・刊『台湾銀行史』（1964）』▽『大蔵省編『明治大正財政史　第16巻』（1938・財政経済学会）』

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