Yashi no Hakage (Under the Shade of Coconut Fronds) is an early twentieth-century compilation of diary entries made by Taiwan Sotokufu Museum’s first director Kawakami Takuya during his travels through the South Pacific and East Indies. This book, compelling to Taiwanese readers in translation today, is a classic from colonial-era Taiwan offering insight into the ecological landscape and natural history of contemporary Southeast Asia. A considerable translation and editing effort in more recent years created a Chinese version of this work that brought this work to light among Taiwan readers.
Paying tribute to Kawakami’s work, Archived Shadows, centering on the life of Hosokawa Takahide, leverages delightful prose and vivid illustrations to capture the thrill and excitement surrounding botanical field work during the first half of the twentieth century. This ostensibly non-fiction effort touches on many historical places and scenes. Also, the author’s occasional metaphysical side journeys detract not a whit from the rigor invested in creating this serious literary work.