日俄戰爭是日本帝國和俄羅斯帝國為了爭奪朝鮮和中國滿洲霸權而爆發。對於殖民地臺灣而言，則是1895年日本領臺之後第一個國際戰爭。日俄戰爭對於殖民地的影響為何，卻較少被關注。特別是從微觀的個體經濟而言，戰爭時期日本帝國施行的非常特別稅法、商船軍用以及經濟景氣狀態，對於個別的貿易商人和商行產生何種衝擊？他們又如何應對和決策？

本文以現存1904-1906年臺北大稻埕陳源順號文書為核心史料，從增稅、航運和兵險以及貿易關係的變化，觀察1899年最先透過長崎華商陳瑞椿父子進行與日本直接穀米和海產貿易的陳源順號，如何因應日俄戰爭帶來的各種臨時政策或狀態，並闡明其反映的歷史意義。

本文發現，陳源順號反而充分藉由帝國和殖民政府政策下臺灣與日本移出貿易劇增的契機，大展身手。在日俄戰爭時期因米穀需求大增，經理陳天送也因殖民政府施行移出米檢查制度而聲名大噪，隨後又因應製造俄國磚茶的茶末大移出，終於與泰益號由代辦轉為合夥關係。合夥之後，雙方一方面共同積極因應戰爭航運和保險問題；另一方面，持續臺北與長崎、神戶以及上海的多邊、跨域的米穀和海產、雜貨貿易，又進一步在彼此引介之下，透過原來網絡往上海和香港擴張商品邊界。

The Russo-Japanese War was a conflict between the Japanese Empire and the Russian Empire over dominance in Korea and Manchuria. For colonial Taiwan, it marked the first international war since Japan’s annexation of the island in 1895. However, the impact of the Russo-Japanese War on the colony has received relatively little scholarly attention, particularly in relation to its effects on individual economic actors.

From a microeconomic perspective, how did Japan’s wartime tax policies, the requisitioning of merchant ships for military use, and the broader economic climate during the war affect individual merchants and trading firms? Furthermore, how did these merchants and firms adapt and make decisions in response to challenges?

This article draws on the surviving documents of the Chen Yuanshun Firm in Dadaocheng, Taipei, dating from 1904 to 1906, as its primary source material. It examines the firm’s responses to temporary policies and conditions resulting from the RussoJapanese War, focusing on issues such as increased taxation, shipping and war-risk insurance, and changes in trade relationships. Specifically, the study analyzes how the Chen Yuanshun Firm, which had been engaged in direct rice and seafood trade with Japan since 1899 through the Chinese merchants Chen Ruichun and his son in Nagasaki, navigated these challenges. The study also elucidates the broader historical significance of these responses.

This study finds that the Chen Yuanshun Firm capitalized on the surge in export trade between Taiwan and Japan, which was facilitated by imperial and colonial government policies, seizing the opportunity to expand its operations. During the Russo-Japanese War, the increased demand for rice allowed the firm’s manager, Chen Tiansong, to gain significant recognition, particularly due to the colonial government’s implementation of a rice export inspection system. The firm also took advantage of the large-scale export of tea dust used in the production of Russian brick tea, ultimately transforming itself from an agent to a business partner of the Taiyi Firm.

Following this shift to partnership, both parties actively collaborated to address issues related to wartime shipping and insurance. They also maintained robust, multilateral trade networks involving rice, seafood, and general goods across Taipei, Nagasaki, Kobe, and Shanghai. Through mutual introductions, they further expanded their commodity trade to Shanghai and Hong Kong, leveraging existing networks.

日俄戰爭;米;茶末;稅制;保險;航運

Russo-Japanese War; Rice; Tea dust; Taxation; Insurance; Shipping