TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association (日本台灣交流協會), which serves as Japan's de facto embassy in Taiwan in the absence of formal diplomatic relations, honored prominent Taiwanese film critic Chang Chang-yen (張昌彥) at a ceremony in Taipei Monday (June 16). The association celebrated Chang's decades-long contributions to strengthening cultural ties between the two East Asian neighbors through his extensive work promoting Japanese cinema across Taiwan.
Kazuyuki Katayama (片山和之), chief representative of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association and the highest-ranking Japanese official in Taiwan, praised Chang as an instrumental figure whose scholarly work helped establish the robust cinematic relationship that now exists between the two culturally-linked societies. During his remarks at the ceremony, Katayama highlighted Chang's formative years at Tokyo's prestigious Waseda University (早稻田大學), where the critic first developed his deep appreciation for Japanese film traditions before returning to Taiwan to pursue an influential academic career spanning several major universities across the island.
Katayama further commended Chang's prolific body of work, which has systematically introduced countless Japanese films across multiple genres to Taiwanese audiences through his critical writings, meticulous translations, and popular university lectures over several decades. The Japanese representative praised Chang's distinctive analytical approach that contextualizes Japanese cinema within both its historical circumstances and aesthetic traditions. In his acceptance speech, a visibly moved Chang reflected on his unique historical position as a witness to Taiwan's significant cultural shift from the post-war prohibition of Japanese media to its eventual acceptance and celebration, a transition he described as deepening his already profound connection to Japan's artistic legacy. ◼
