1898年4月蕃情研究會設立時，恰好是臺灣總督府的蕃人蕃地事務主管機構撫墾署撤廢前夕。臺灣總督府撫墾署1896年4月設立，在統治初期兩年的時間，培養出一群蕃人蕃地事務關係者。臺灣總督府撫墾署曾經是日本殖民者摸索如何治理臺灣的山地與原住民時的階段性制度。透過撫墾署在各地的機構與人員，以及各種調查項目，使得總督府逐漸瞭解臺灣的山地與原住民的狀況。撫墾署培養的蕃人蕃地事務關係者，隨後有不少參加蕃情研究會。撫墾署在此之前所累積的蕃人蕃地治理經驗與蕃情調查成果，以及繼承撫墾署的行政機構辨務署的蕃人蕃地調查，也透過蕃情研究會的活動與刊物《蕃情研究會誌》的場域發表。

In April 1898, when the Association for the Study of Indigenous Affairs was established, it came just few weeks before the abolition of the Aboriginal Office, the competent agency for Indigenous affairs in the Government-General of Taiwan. The Aboriginal Office was established in April 1896 for the purpose of pacifying the mountainous areas and placating the indigenous people, and during the first two years of its administration, it had trained a group of people who had been getting gradually familiar with the indigenous peoples and their mountainous lands. The Aboriginal Office was once a temporary institute for the Japanese colonizer to figure out how to govern Taiwan's mountainous areas and indigenous people. Through the Aboriginal Office ‘s agencies and personnel in various areas and various research projects they commenced, the colonial government gradually came to understand the conditions of the mountainous areas and indigenous peoples in Taiwan. Many of the former members and associates in the Aboriginal Office and in the local agencies subsequently enrolled in the Association for the Study of Indigenous Affairs. The experiences of managing the indigenous peoples and lands and reports of the investigation projects the Aboriginal Office and the succeeded institutes carried out were published by the Association for the Study of Indigenous Affairs.

臺灣總督府撫墾署; 蕃情研究會; 理蕃; 蕃地調查; 臺灣原住民

The Aboriginal Office of the Government-General of Taiwan; The Association for the Study of Indigenous Affairs; Administration of the Indigenous Affairs; The Indigenous Lands; Taiwan Yuanchu Min/the Taiwanese Indigenous People