During colonial rule, while the Taiwanese faced systematic discrimination and economic exploitation, the Japanese endeavoured to assimilate and "Japanize" the Taiwanese population. This was reflected in the state of public education, which was conducted only in Japanese, and where the study of subjects such as history, literature and philosophy were discouraged.
When Japan invaded China in the 1930s, these assimilation measures were given heightened emphasis. Taiwanese were encouraged to adopt Japanese names, to erect a Shinto shrine in their homes, school curricula were rewritten to encourage loyalty and patriotism, and by the 1940s even military conscription was introduced.
