日治時期臺北地區的賽馬活動

Abstract

娛樂活動是睡眠、進食及其他的生理必須行為，以及工作、學業等義務性的行為的對照。娛樂活動大多是利用空閒時間進行，擔負著緩解身心緊張、回復精神的角色與功能。賽馬是近代西方國家重要的娛樂活動，日治時代臺灣各地，除了離島地區均曾經舉行賽馬活動。但它主要目的並非為了休閒娛樂，而是擔負著特殊使命，深深烙上「殖民性」。 臺灣對日本軍方來說是南進政策很重要的一個據點，尤其是為了提供南方耐熱的馬匹，日本更是致力於獎勵臺灣產馬。在臺灣推廣馬事思想是在臺灣進行賽馬最重要的理由，同時也能藉此知道馬的血統及強弱。透過參加賽馬以及購買馬券，人們間接地參與了國防事業，故臺灣的賽馬成為了使人民捲入戰爭之中的特殊的娛樂活動。 其中臺北地區做為臺灣賽馬的發祥之地，於1928年舉辦了第一場的「正式」賽馬活動，之後更是年年都讓人們沉迷在賽馬熱潮之中。尤其臺北做為日治時期臺灣政治、經濟的中心，不論男女老少、日人臺人，都非常熱衷賽馬。隨著時間經過，賽馬的觀眾越來越多，馬票銷售額也越來越高。在1941年春季賽馬，臺北賽馬達成了銷售額全臺第一的佳績，顯然臺灣的馬事思想在臺北最為普及。 故，本論文以臺北賽馬萌芽期的1928年起，至臺北賽馬在終戰前最後舉辦的1943年為中心，考察當地賽馬活動及其帶來的軍事、產業、休閒、倫理等議題。Recreational activities are a comparison of necessary physiological behaviors, such as sleeping and eating, as well as compulsory behaviors, such as working and studying. Most of the recreational activities are carried out in the spare time, and they can help to relieve people’s physical and mental stress and restore their energy. As one of these recreational activities, except for the offshore islands, horse racing activities were held throughout the main island of Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period. For Japanese military, Taiwan is a very important base for the South Forward Policy. Japan encouraged horse breeding in Taiwan in order to produce horses that can withstand hot weather in the south. Spreading the idea of horse affairs was the most important reason for horse racing in Taiwan, and it also allowed people to better know the breed as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the horses. Through participating in horse racing and purchasing betting tickets, people were involved in the national defense indirectly. Therefore, Taiwan's horse racing became a special recreational activity that pulled people into the war. Taipei area was the birthplace of Taiwan’s horse racing. In 1928, the first horse racing was held in Taipei. Since then, people were addicted to the horse racing every year. Taipei was Taiwan's political and economic center during the Japanese colonial period, men and women of different ages from Japanese and Taiwanese were very enthusiastic about horse racing. As time went by, the numbers of horse racing spectators increased and so did the sales amounts. In the spring horse racing of 1941, Taipei’s horse racing became the top sales in Taiwan, and clearly shown the idea of horse affairs was most popular in Taipei. Therefore, this thesis discusses the military, industrial, leisure, and ethical issues brought by horse racing from 1928, the nascent period of Taipei’s horse racing to 1943, the last year before the war ended.