On May 8, the Irrigation Agency (under the Ministry of Agriculture) held the “Memorial Ceremony Commemorating the 84th Anniversary of Engineer Hatta Yoichi’s Passing” at the Wushantou Reservoir in Tainan. President Lai Ching-te attended the ceremony in person and was joined by Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che, Tainan legislators and their service teams, Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Chairman Sumi Shuzo, Ms. Abe Akie (wife of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo), Kanazawa Mayor Murayama Takashi, Hatta Yoichi family representative Hatta Shuichi and his wife and family, and Irrigation Agency Director Tsai Sheng-fu, among more than 600 guests from Taiwan and Japan. Accompanied by the beautiful singing of the National Chiayi University Choir and a commemorative documentary, the guests gathered to remember the fearless spirit and outstanding engineering achievements displayed by Hatta Yoichi a century ago, symbolizing the deep and enduring friendship between Taiwan and Japan.
President Lai pointed out that the Wushantou Reservoir and Chianan Irrigation Waterway have had a profound impact on Taiwan. They not only transformed 150,000 hectares of land into fertile farmland and substantially improved farmers’ livelihood, but also laid the foundation for social progress in Taiwan. Over the past century, the reservoir—with a capacity of more than 70 million tons—and its 8,810-kilometer waterway have evolved from serving traditional agricultural irrigation to also becoming an important water source for precision agriculture and the semiconductor industry in the Southern Taiwan Science Park. Thus, they are vital to the Taiwan’s agricultural, industrial, and technological development.
President Lai emphasized that the core value of this project lies even more in strengthening the deep friendship between Taiwan and Japan. Taiwanese people have always remembered and remained grateful for Hatta Yoichi’s and Japan’s contributions. President Lai described it by saying, “The water of the Wushantou Reservoir flows not only through farmland but also into everyone’s hearts.” This sentiment has encouraged Taiwan and Japan to continue caring for and firmly supporting each other in the face of natural disasters and international challenges, reflecting a cross-border connection that transcends the engineering project itself.
Minister Chen remarked that in 1920, Hatta Yoichi completed the Chianan Irrigation Waterway Project and Wushantou Reservoir Project through his expertise and perseverance, laying the foundation for the Chiayi–Tainan Plain to become an important “granary” of Taiwan. Building on this foundation, the Ministry of Agriculture completed the “Yunlin–Chiayi–Tainan Irrigation System Interconnection Project” this year, successfully connecting the Zhuoshui River with the Zengwen–Wushantou Reservoir. The project increases the flexibility of water allocation and reinforces irrigation resilience.
Minister Chen described that the spirit of and commitment to professional excellence left behind by Hatta Yoichi are also the spirit of Taiwan’s agricultural sector, and that the Ministry of Agriculture is likewise upholding this spirit in its efforts to advance Taiwan’s agriculture.
Chairman Sumi noted that he had assumed the position of chairman of the association in June last year and this was his first visit to the Wushantou Reservoir and attendance at the memorial ceremony. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the people of Taiwan for remembering Hatta Yoichi’s achievements and holding a memorial ceremony every year. Hatta Shuichi, representing the Hatta family, expressed his appreciation to the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation Agency, and Chianan Management Office for enabling this century-old engineering project to continue operating to this day.