Tochi chosa jigyo (land research project) (土地調査事業)
Tochi chosa jigyo (land research project) refers to the land research and land measurement project conducted in Taiwan and Korea which were under the control of Japan.
Purpose of the research
In Korea where no modern state system was established, the ownership system for land was not clear, and thus yangban (traditional ruling class or nobles of dynastic Korea during the Joseon Dynasty) often grabbed land with violence and peasants kept fighting over the land.
Also, since the government was not in control of the accurate topography of the country, national land planning was not conducted easily either.
Research in Taiwan
The research was conducted with the lead of Shinpei GOTO who was assigned to be a civil administrator of Taiwan Sotoku-fu (Governor-General of Taiwan) in 1898.
Research in Korea.
The research was conducted after the annexation of Korea, from 1910 to 1918. A temporary land research bureau was set up in Chosen Sotoku-fu (Governor-General of Korea) to determine the land ownership and assess the land price.