Momiyama Ishu (1855-1919), whose given name was Yi-ye, style name was Ji-cai, and the pseudonym was Ishu, was born in Aichi Prefecture. He had learned classical Chinese, poetry and prose since he was a child. He then worked in several newspaper offices such as “Parilament”, “The Tokyo Moring Sun Newspaper” and “Fragrant Flower, Moon Shadow.” In December 1898 (Meiji 31), he came to Taiwan and served as the Chief at the Chinese Department of “Taiwan Daily News” and often released the Chinese poems he wrote on the newspaper. Because of his talent, he gained an appreciation from the governor-general Kodama Gentaro who allowed Momiyama Ishu to live in the governor-general’s villa called “Southern Garden.” In 1899, he established “Muruyin Poetry Society" and they mainly gathered in the Southern Garden. Afterward, he quitted his job in 1903 (Meiji 36) and left Taiwan the next year in April.

Momiyama Ishu’s manuscripts are preserved in the Nakanoshima Library, Japan. In 2016, the Institute of Taiwan History published Momiyama Ishu’s diary written when he lived in Taiwan from 1898 to 1904. The diary mainly records his daily life, including guest visiting and his personal schedules. His diary not only reflects the interaction between officials and literati but also shows the daily life of Japanese who lived in Taiwan in the beginning of the Japanese colonial period.

We especially thank the editor Hsu Shih-chia and the translator Housawa Yoshimi for giving us the authorization. We welcome the public register an account on the Taiwan Diary Knowledge Bank to look for and retrieve this records. Currently, there are 11 personal diaries and 1 organizational journal open online.