“Magical Taiwan — Taiwan Literature Exhibition” coincides with Japan’s Obon festival and aligns with the season’s tradition of summer ghost stories. The exhibition approaches the different aspects of Taiwanese literature through the lens of the magical, the supernatural, and the realm of deities and spirits. Titled “You Have Arrived”, after the renowned plaque at Tainan City God Temple, the exhibition is imbued with a strong atmosphere of Taiwanese folk belief. The exhibition invites Taiwan’s deities and spirits to travel across the sea through the written word and arrive in Japan, and welcomes both Taiwanese and Japanese audiences to join this gathering of the supernatural. Across six themed sections, "Indigenous Culture," "The Influence of Japanese Culture," "Rediscovering Taiwanese Folk Beliefs," "Contemporary Popular Literature," "Fiction," and "The Magical in Poetry," visitors follow in the magical footsteps of Taiwan, setting out from different communities and eras to experience the new, contemporary face of Taiwanese literature.
Magical Taiwan — Taiwan Literature Exhibition Exhibition
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is the first national-grade museum to be dedicated to literature in Taiwan. The museum building is a historical site that was built in 1916 during Japanese Rule and served as the former Tainan Prefectural Hall. After WWII, the building was used as the Air Force Supply Command Headquarters and later as offices for the Tainan City Government. The museum is the repository of almost 130 thousand artifacts and historical materials related to Taiwanese literature. Apart from the missions of collecting, preserving, and researching, the museum also makes literature more accessible to the public and promotes cultural development through exhibitions, events, and educational outreach. The National Museum of Taiwan Literature also has a Taipei branch in downtown Taipei.
Exhibition Director｜ART HAPPENING LTD.
Literary Consultant｜CHU Yu-Hsun
Artist｜Chiaos、CHEN Wei-Hsuan
Place: Osaka City Central Public Hall－Main Conference Room (B1F)
Time: 8/10(Sun.)14:00-16:00
Speaker: Kan Yao-Ming
Kan Yao-Ming is widely recognized as a leading figure of Taiwanese magical realism. His novels, rich in childlike narrative tones, carry profound reflections on history, violence, and human nature. Focusing on his acclaimed work Killing Ghosts, this lecture will examine how Kan employs fantastical techniques to confront historical traumas such as World War II, the February 28 Incident, and the White Terror. It will also explore how his surreal and grotesque imagination reframes the adult world and collective wounds, prompting a rethinking of literature’s role in memory and redemption.
On-site interpretation between Japanese and Mandarin will be provided.
The lecture will last approximately two hours without intermission.
Please refrain from recording or filming during the event.
Ka-Siông Tiunn graduated from the Department of Chinese Literature at National Dong Hwa University and is currently pursuing graduate studies at the Graduate Institute of Taiwanese Languages and Literature, National Taiwan Normal University.
A native of Minxiong, Chiayi, he is the grandson of Chang Ping-Hong from Huoshāo Village.
He is active in literary writing, music production and composition, and podcast hosting. Tiunn currently serves as the director of Tsng-Bué Culture Sound, leads the Taiwanese-language indie band Tsng-kha-lâng, and hosts the podcast "Taiwanese Stir-Fries."
In 2021, he released the album "Iā-Kuan Sûn-Tiûnn," which was nominated for Best New Artist at the 33rd Golden Melody Awards.
He has received multiple recognitions and grants from the Ministry of Culture, including the 2021 Youth Creative Award, the Youth Arts Development Grant, and the Language-Friendly Environment and Creative Application Grant.
His published works include "Iā-Kuan Sûn-Tiûnn" and "My Town" (co-authored with Wu Wei-Ting and others).
Born in 1988, Chu Yu-Hsun holds a master’s degree in Taiwanese Literature from National Tsing Hua University and currently works as a full-time writer.
His published works include "All Testimonies Will Be Fully Denied," "The Novels Schools Don’t Dare to Teach," "Shadow," "The Writer’s Survival Guide," "A Guide to Taiwan’s Literary Ecosystem," and "When They’re Not Writing Novels," among others.
Place: Osaka City Central Public Hall－Main Conference Room (B1F)
Time: 8/16(Sat.)14:00-16:00
Conversation: Ka-Siông Tiunn (Chang Chia-Hsiang) × Chu Yu-Hsun
Centering his creative work around Iā-Kuan Sûn-Tiûnn, Ka-Siông Tiunn (Chang Chia-Hsiang) weaves together local folk beliefs, ghostly traditions, and the narrative qualities of the Taiwanese language to construct a unique supernatural universe rooted in rural communities. In this talk, he joins author Chu Yu-Hsun, known for his long-running series Listening to Lyrics with Chu Yu-Hsun, in a dialogue that begins with the idea of "lyrics as literature." Together, they will explore the literary qualities of lyrics, including rhythm, narrative strategies, and imagery, and expand the conversation toward how sound, language, and local culture shape contemporary ghost literature in Taiwan. From regional ghost tales to performative soundscapes, the two speakers will guide the audience in examining how Taiwanese literature engages with the supernatural through diverse media, creating a dialogue with the theme of yokai (monsters and spirits) in this exhibition.
On-site interpretation between Japanese and Mandarin will be provided.
The lecture will last approximately two hours without intermission.
Please refrain from recording or filming during the event.
Born in the spring of 1990, Chiou Chang-Ting holds a master’s degree in creative writing from the Graduate Institute of Chinese Literature at National Dong Hwa University. She later worked at the Friendly Bookstore Cooperative and is currently a doctoral student at the Graduate Institute of Children’s Literature, National Taitung University. Chiou has received numerous literary honors, including the Grand Prize of the Unitas Fiction Newcomer Award, the Ministry of Education Literary Award, the King Car Fantasy Novel Award, the Lin Rong-San Literary Award, and grants from the Ministry of Culture such as the Emerging Artists Grant and the Youth Creative Grant. She was selected as one of Unitas magazine’s “20 Most Anticipated Contemporary Chinese-Language Writers,” and was invited to participate in the 2024 Lumière Program at Jean Moulin University Lyon 3 in France and the Taiwan Culture Festival at the University of Central Lancashire in the UK. Her published novels include "The Land of Monsters" (simplified Chinese rights sold), "The Days When Swans Died" (featured in the Taiwan Pavilion at the 2019 Frankfurt Book Fair), "Kingdom of Dreams" (selected as a Star Title in the 41st Recommended Reading List for Schoolchildren), "The Playground of the Mo-sîn-á," "New Gods" (winner of the 2019 Openbook Best Book Award and a BFT recommendation), and "Whistle Score." In 2021, her short story "Rain of Sparrows" won the ChiuKo Annual Fiction Award. Her most recent works include the fantasy novel "The Song of Beast Spirits" (second prize in the 1st Taiwan Booksellers Award) and the children’s novel "The Girl in the Red Dress."
Place: Osaka City Central Public Hall－Main Conference Room (B1F)
Time: 8/17(Sun.)14:00-16:00
Speaker: Chiou Chang-Ting
Taiwan is a land shaped by a rich tapestry of diverse ethnic groups. From folk legends and Indigenous myths to regional tales of the uncanny, it offers a unique and multifaceted imaginative landscape. In contemporary fantasy and children's literature, these elements not only preserve cultural traditions but are also reimagined in fresh and inventive ways. This lecture will explore the enchanted imaginaries within Taiwanese fantasy and children's fiction, drawing from folk beliefs, animal legends, and ghostly folklore to examine how these narratives continue to evolve and captivate new generations of readers.
On-site interpretation between Japanese and Mandarin will be provided.
The lecture will last approximately two hours without intermission.
Please refrain from recording or filming during the event.
Kan Yao-Ming graduated from the Department of Chinese Literature at Tunghai University and the Graduate Institute of Creative Writing and English Literature at National Dong Hwa University. He has previously worked as a theater playwright, journalist, and high school teacher. He is the recipient of several major literary honors, including the China Times Open Book Award for Top Ten Books of the Year and the Taipei International Book Exhibition Grand Prize.
His published works include "The Mysterious Train," "The Water Ghost School and the Otter Who Lost His Mother," "Killing Ghosts," "1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12.13.14.15.16 Story," and "The School Without Walls."
Kan has served as writer-in-residence at Providence University and Tzu Chi University, as well as contracted writer at Hsiao-Ming Girls' High School. He is currently a full-time writer, resident author at Providence University’s “Office for Writing Assessment,” and instructor for children’s creative writing programs "A Thousand Trees" and "Clear Skies After Snow."
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Time8 / 10 (Sun.) - 8 / 20 (Wed.)
10:00 - 18:00 -
Location
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FeeFree Admission