Hanako and her husband at the manager’s cottage in the sugar cane factory

Hanako is my grandmother, a Taiwanese woman born and raised during the Japanese occupation (1895–1945). The most educated woman in her town, she was fluent in Japanese, Chinese, and Taiwanese, having studied entirely through the Japanese school system. She adopted the name Hanako and maintained close ties with her Japanese tutors and classmates throughout her life.

An entrepreneur, she and my grandfather founded a sugar cane mill in rural southern Taiwan, where she managed the business for decades. Known for her sternness and strong manners, she could seem distant, yet she was always warm toward her grandchildren.

This painting portrays my grandparents in their forties, inside the manager’s cottage at the sugar cane mill—a glimpse into the life they built together.