Page 157 - An Overview of Penghu

Epilogue

Ihara the Jyugyu was born in Penghu, died in Penghu, and was resurrected in Penghu. What do I mean by “born
in Penghu?” Ihara was a soldier who had served at the Penghu Heavy Artillery Battalion between December 1911
and November 17, 1914. Retired after serving a full term, Ihara opened a store in Magong and continued to serve his
country with the spirit of a soldier. He had received recognition from the army, the navy, and the general public
early on, which granted him an advance in his career without much hindrance and foreseeable success in the future.

What do I mean by “died in Penghu?” Ihara violated the Fortress Zone Act in June 1927, and was detained for
171 days before his trial. During his detention, a tragic incident occurred in his family, inflicting severe damage to
his business. The double blows not only took away the social status he enjoyed in Magong, but also turned his
business upside down. In the end, Ihara had no choice but to move to Kaohsiung, which is why we can say that he
died in Penghu.

And what do I mean that he was resurrected in Penghu? As the wheel of destiny turned, opportunities shone on
him again. In spite of his failure in Penghu, he still could not forget his second hometown, or the place where he
received a military education, even in his dreams. Although Penghu has changed quite a bit over time, army and
naval officers, officials of different institutions, and senior figures in the community remain there, and Ihara himself
also toiled hard without complaining. Those factors mentioned above had already hinted at his comeback to
Penghu. First, he largely increased Penghu's news coverage after taking over the Nanying News' newsrooms in
Kaohsiung and Penghu. Then he wrote the unprecedented book An Overview of Penghu and introduced Penghu to
the world. These achievements serve as evidence of his resurrection in Penghu.

Before the Japanese takeover, the only reference about Penghu was the Penghu Island Archive published by
the Chinese government. Albeit having detailed information, the book was outdated. Other publications were
produced after Japan took over the Island, but most of them were not worth reading, except the Penghu Yōran
(literally A General Guide to Penghu) authored by Morisugi Yasunori, which was unparalleled thanks to its artistic
description of the Island despite inadequate explanation of its status quo. However, considering that Penghu is a
major military zone, and information about it cannot be shared freely, the incompleteness of the book seems
understandable.

I heard that investors and entrepreneurs seldom ask questions about Penghu due to the lack of accurate
information about the Island. Even officers hesitate to come for the same reason. Seeing the demerit, Ihara decided
to publish a book about the Island. Although he had sacrificed a great deal economically, Ihara successfully
published An Overview of Penghu with perseverance. The concise descriptions in this book help readers quickly
grasp the point, and many precious photos unpublished before are presented as well.

Besides acknowledging the generosity of the army and the navy, I also want to pay homage to Ihara for his
commitment. All in all, An Overview of Penghu is sure to be an indispensable guide to officials, investors,
entrepreneurs, or whoever plans to visit the place. This epilogue was penned to celebrate Ihara's comeback. Though
it is poorly written, I hope intelligent readers worldwide can see my good intention behind the words.

The Day of Kitsuyoshi, August 1932
Niulan Hall, beside the Main South Gate of the Chikan Fort

Satō Sannosuke

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