The hoko (pao-chia in Chinese) system was crucial for Japanese colonial rule in Taiwan. As a system of Chinese origin for social control, it has attracted considerable attention but little serious research. The few academic works on this topic are by and large limited to discussing the functions of the system, rather than its actual opera- tions and role in society. The study of hoko secretaryship, based on the author's field research, is key to understanding the system as an organic institution. The study elaborates on the establishment, role, and economic conditions of the hoko secretaryship in historical perspective. It delineates the operation of the hoko system, thus enabling us to more clearly understand the process of Japan's wartime mobilization. The examination of the role of the hokō secretaryship was thus placed within the context of Japan's local administration of Taiwan. Further study will shed light on the differences in household administration between colonial and postwar Taiwan. Finally, the interaction between state and society suggests avenues for future theoretical analysis and empirical research.