National Library of Public Information | Hey! My Muscle — Who Shapes Your Body? Physical Discipline and National Spirit in Taiwan during the Japanese Colonial Period (Exhibition)
【Dates】 September 8, 2026 – February 21, 2027
【Location】 Periodicals Area, 3rd Floor, National Library of Public Information
【Features】
Drawing on the Library's valuable collection of rare Japanese-language books and historical newspapers, the exhibition invites visitors to step into the world of school physical education during the Japanese colonial period and explore the intertwined histories of the body, discipline, and education. From early school excursions and synchronized calisthenics performed in response to commands, to athletic meets showcasing physical achievement and collective honor, the school playground was more than a place for physical training. It gradually became an important space for cultivating a sense of order, collective spirit, and national consciousness. Through the historical documents and archival materials on display, visitors can trace the development of physical education in Taiwan and reconsider how the body has been perceived, trained, and shaped across different historical periods.
The exhibition presents the disciplinary process of school sports and physical education in Taiwan, from “guidance and training” to “display and internalization.” Featuring a wide range of sports publications, official educational materials, and valuable news reports from the Japanese colonial period through the postwar era, it offers a multifaceted historical portrait of the institutionalization and popularization of physical activity in Taiwan. The exhibition ranges from detailed guides to gymnastics instruction and records of athletic competitions among educators, to enthusiastic newspaper coverage of major sporting events. It also highlights Taichung Municipal Datong Elementary School, a school with a history of more than a century, tracing the continuity of its athletic culture from students performing gymnastics on rooftops during the Japanese colonial period to the development of the “Datong Exercises” and competitive school teams after the war. Interactive activities, including the “Arrange Your Body” gymnastics formation challenge and a “Japanese Colonial Period vs. Modern Taiwan” sports terminology matching game, invite visitors to engage with history through observation and hands-on participation. Through these experiences, visitors can explore how collective discipline acted upon the body, discover the changing language of sports across different eras, and further reflect on how the body has continually been shaped by education, society, and history.
