Taiwan-Japan relations marked by NKUST art project
Taiwan-Japan relations marked by NKUST art project
2025-01-16
Online jokesters have brought attention to an unusual project at National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology. The NKUST campus features an art installation of hundreds of black stones. Comments online suggested that they look like tombstones for fallen alumni. But the reality is rather different. The stones are inscribed with poetry that honors the human spirit. They were a gift from friends in Japan, to mark Taiwan’s aid after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.
Here at NKUST’s Yanchao Campus, rows of rounded black stones inscribed with writing line the sides of the path. There are more than 200 in all. Walking past them in the dark of night gives some students the creeps.
NKUST student
They do look a bit like tombstones. Yeah. Don’t you think?
NKUST student
They look a bit scary at night. I usually avoid this path.
Huang Ai-ling
Assistant professor of Japanese, NKUST
At first, at night, because it gets quite dark, and the stones are black as well, and there are no lights… so sometimes it’s quite scary. It’s spooky!
Students and staff admit that the stones are a bit tomb-like. But others say it’s no big deal. Netizens have joked that the stones are there to honor late alumni. But why are all these stones here?
Huang Ai-ling
Assistant professor of Japanese, NKUST
The words of various poets, artists and calligraphers and so on are inscribed on the stones. They’re there to reassure the heart. They wanted to expand the project. And they came to Taiwan and said, “We want to bring this project to Taiwan to thank Taiwan.”
As the university explains, these granite stones were donated to NKUST by Japanese donors, in gratitude for Taiwanese aid after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. It’s a touching demonstration of friendship between Taiwan and Japan, which has gained exposure from the jokes online.
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高科大校園有"墓碑大道"? 校方:日人感謝311捐款詩文
2025-01-16
高雄科技大學的校園內，有一整排的黑色石碑，上頭都還寫了日文，晚上走過去，學生都笑說很嚇人，有如墓碑大道，不過校方親自解惑，其實這些石碑，是日本311災區的有心人士，發起的詩文活動，因為感念台灣人的捐款，在高科大校園內，也設立了286面，紀念台日友好。
就在高雄科技大學的燕巢校區內，一段校園道路中，兩旁矗立著黑色的半圓形石碑，上頭都還寫著字，總共200多面，晚上走過去，一片黑漆漆的，就有學生說，覺得毛毛的。
[[高科大學生]]
“看到滿像墓碑的吧，對啊不覺得滿像的嗎”
[[高科大學生]]
“晚上可能看起來有點恐怖，應該是不會走這條吧”
[[高科大應用日語系副教授 黃愛玲]]
“一開始就是晚上，因為特別是晚上還滿暗的，那又是黑色的石碑，然後又沒有打燈光，就是有時候滿可怕的，會有點滿嚇人的”
連學校老師自己都坦言，還真的有點像墓碑，不過也有學生說其實還好，不會覺得怪，有網友笑稱是在祭拜已故校友，但為什麼會有這麼多石碑擺在這裡?
[[高科大應用日語系副教授 黃愛玲]]
“一些詩人、藝術家還有書法家等等，然後就是把他們的文字刻在石碑上，然後就是展示出來，就是藉慰人心這樣。那之後他們就想要把這個活動，就是推廣出來，找到台灣說，希望可以把這樣子的一場活動帶來台灣，然後感謝台灣這樣子”
校方表示，這是日本311大地震後，日本人感念台灣人捐款，將詩詞刻在花崗石上捐給高科大典藏。一段暖心的台日交流故事，也因為學生的趣味笑談，而在校園中流傳。
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