Remembering the Legacy of Our Predecessors and Deepening Friendship Between the People of Taiwan and Japan
Irrigation Agency, Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan held a "Memorial Ceremony to mark the 80th Anniversary of the Death of Japanese Technician Hata Yuichi" today (8th) at Wushantou Reservoir in Tainan. Vice President Lai Qingde, Chairman of the Council of Agriculture Chen Jizhong, Director of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, Kazuhiko Ono, family representatives Hata Yuichi, Hata Takuro, Legislator Chen Tingfei, Tainan Mayor Huang Weizhe, Tainan City Council Speaker Guo Xinliang, Irrigation Agency Director Cai Shengfu and others attended the ceremony. The mayor of Kanazawa City in Japan Takuya Murayama was unable to attend due to the COVID-19 epidemic but sent a written message to express his gratitude to Hata and his respect for his important contribution to agriculture, irrigation and economic infrastructure in Taiwan.
Vice President Lai said that Wushantou Reservoir and Chianan Grand Canal laid the foundation for food production in southern Taiwan, facilitated the prosperity of agriculture, and boosted the successful development of industry and commerce. Last year, the Agriculture and Water Administration built the longest 88km bicycle-only lane in the country along the Main Chianan Canal, and planted 100,000 native trees to create a beautiful and comfortable water environment, allowing more people to experience the beauty of the countryside, understand the rich history and culture of canals, while better appreciating the contribution of Hata Yuichi to the Yunchianan Plain.
Council of Agriculture Chairman Chen also mentioned that as a tribute three major measures will be taken to learn from the spirit of Hatta Yuichi. First, ensure farmers and consumers in Taiwan and Japan know about the Hata’s contribution to agriculture in Taiwan through various activities, book compilations, and promotional work; second, the Council of Agriculture plans to gradually provide irrigation services to suitable farmland outside irrigation areas as a continuation of Hata’s century-old irrigation construction; finally, various policy plans in the agricultural sector, including the four major welfare measures for farmers, farmland infrastructure construction, water resources, soil and epidemic prevention, will all adhere to the spirit of Hata Yuichi, establishing irrigation facilities to create a long-term system that will enhance the competitiveness of agriculture in Taiwan.
The Irrigation Agency stated that Wushantou Reservoir is mainly composed of soil and stone. It was designed and constructed 100 years ago and still continues to perform its irrigation and water storage functions. With the stable supply of agricultural water from the Chianan Canal and Wushantou Reservoir, 150,000 hectares of barren rain-fed fields in the Chianan Plain were transformed into fertile fields with doubled crop production, benefiting hundreds of thousands of farmers. The agency further explained that as part of today's memorial activity, representatives from Taiwan and Japan gathered to recall the contribution of technician Hata to the construction of irrigation facilities in Taiwan, learn from his fearless spirit and perseverance, and work together for the sustainable application of Taiwan's water resources, so as to benefit the country and future generations, and increase public awareness of the canal based irrigation system and national food security.
Finally, the Vice President also mentioned the close interactions Taiwan and Japan have enjoyed during the epidemic. For example, Taiwan sent face masks to Japan and Tokyo sent vaccines to Taiwan, proof of the deep connections between the people of Taiwan and Japan. In the future, in response to the post-epidemic and digital era, as well as geopolitical change, in order to grasp rapid changes in the industrial chain, Taiwan and Japan can work together to meet challenges, seize opportunities and create a better future.