How do Korean and Taiwanese Culture develop with a continued Japanese occupation?

Hypothetically, let's assume that Japan avoids going to war with China, and later the West.

How long can they hold onto Korea and Taiwan? Can they assimilate them? If they gain independence, how will they develop after a longer Japanese occupation resulting in more Japanese influence on their society?
 
Well, if Japan avoids going into China, that implies an early point of divergence. Are you referring to Manchuria in 1931 or the Chinese mainland in 1937? Because I'm fairly certain that by the late 1930s, it's too late to avoid Japanese militarism. And Manchuria was seen as a fairly easy target, so preventing an incursion in 1931 probably requires continuing the era of Taisho democracy. If that's the case, I don't even know if Japan would put a lot of effort into assimilating Korea and Taiwan. I know Japan really focused heavily on assimilation after the Pacific War started.
 
Well, if Japan avoids going into China, that implies an early point of divergence. Are you referring to Manchuria in 1931 or the Chinese mainland in 1937? Because I'm fairly certain that by the late 1930s, it's too late to avoid Japanese militarism. And Manchuria was seen as a fairly easy target, so preventing an incursion in 1931 probably requires continuing the era of Taisho democracy. If that's the case, I don't even know if Japan would put a lot of effort into assimilating Korea and Taiwan. I know Japan really focused heavily on assimilation after the Pacific War started.

I would prefer that that conquest of Manchuria is avoided here, giving it a POD of at least 1937.
 
That will largely depend on the japanese policy towards those two regions, i.e. whether the rather lenient policy of the Taisho era accepting cultural differences continues or if Japan tries to forcefully japanise Korea and Formosa as they did from the mid 1930s IOTL.
 
I would prefer that that conquest of Manchuria is avoided here, giving it a POD of at least 1937.
Wait ... so avoiding going into Manchuria requires a POD in 1931, and probably even earlier, in order to keep the Kanto Army in check. I won't say that they need to be under civilian control, but at the very least the Japanese officers in Manchuria need to realize that starting an invasion would be a bad idea. That, or you could theoretically have the Japanese government not go along with the insubordinate Kanto Army, but that's going to be difficult too.

This is not technically related to Korea or Taiwan, but Japanese militarism isn't something that can be handwaved away, and how Japan develops alternately will affect its policies in its colonies.
 
Ah, yes. There was a South Korean film from way back in the day (2002 I think), about what would've happened if Japan still held onto Korea (doesn't mention Taiwan though).

The film is 2009: Lost Memories, and takes place in 2009 (obviously), about a group of Korean independence fighters (kind of like the PIRA, but more competent); incorporating elements of time travel.

Seoul (called Kyongsong) in the movie looks a lot like any modern-day Japanese city.
 
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