領事館是擁有正式邦誼的兩國之間，處理雙邊往來的重要駐外機構。1972年 以前的臺北與東京，更因冷戰之特殊因由而得維持相當程度的緊密關係。然在 1960年即提出欲在高雄設置總領事館之議的日本，卻竟未能如願，需至1966年後 方才順利設置。此間長達數年的雙邊與國際政經情勢變化極大，東京對與北京拉 近關係的盼望亦日漸提高，自非對於臺北的有利局面。然而，在此北京的吸引力 逐漸增長而臺北漸失優勢的趨勢下，臺北卻仍始終不允日本設領高雄，實為費解 而待釐析的問題。故此，本文以中華民國《外交部檔案》及日本外務省之《日本 外交文書》為主要史料，探討圍繞在高雄設領一事的時空背景之中，為何此一並 不困難的提議受到阻滯的原因，從而體現東亞冷戰環境中，日本即使受北京吸引 卻仍力圖維持「等距」，臺北則因其自身認知之影響而促使其在對日關係的行動 上遲滯不前，使得日本設領高雄之事延宕甚久。同時，本文也欲就此領事館層級 的案例研究，增添對於冷戰時期臺日關係的檢視依據。

Establishing a consulate is commonplace between two countries with existing diplomatic relations. The Kuomintang regime in Taipei, known as the government of the “Republic of China,” had maintained considerably close official ties with Japan before 1972. Accepting Japanese request for establishing a consulate in Kaohsiung, therefore, was supposed to be reasonable. However, the proposal by Japan of appointing a consulate-general to Kaohsiung had been constantly ignored by Taipei between 1960 and 1966. Taipei’s attitude remained unchanged despite increasingly disadvantageous international political and economic situations in those years, especially as Japan moved to have a closer relationship with Beijing day by day. Such a stubborn position seemed unwise and deserves a careful examination. The present study discusses the details of this issue, using materials found at the archives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs in both Taiwan and Japan, and tries to explore the perceptions of the Kuomintang regime in Taiwan and of the Japanese government (especially the former) during the East Asian Cold War. This article suggests that a major reason Japan’s effort at maintaining “Equidistant Diplomacy” between Taipei and Beijing failed may be found in the actions and attitudes of the Kuomintang regime. Although this is a minor diplomatic case at the consulate level, the findings of this research shed lights on the overall history of Taiwan-Japan relations, thus enriching the field of Taiwan Studies.

臺日關係; 高雄總領事館; 東亞冷戰; 國民黨政府; 外交機構

Taiwan-Japan Relations; Japanese Consulate-General in Kaohsiung; Cold War in East Asia; Kuomintang; Diplomatic Mission