Writer, philosopher, linguist, inventor – Lin Yutang (林語堂) was one of the most famous Chinese intellectuals of the twentieth century, and for decades one of the people most responsible for explaining Chinese culture to English-speaking readers. His My Country and My People introduced millions of Western readers to China, while The Importance of Living preached the virtues of leisure, humor and occasionally doing absolutely nothing. After three decades abroad, the Fujian-born Lin came to Taiwan in 1966. In his final years, living in his beautiful Yangmingshan home overlooking Taipei, he wrote about the small pleasures that made his years in Taiwan among the happiest of his life.

When his grandfather died during the COVID pandemic, Hudson Wei realized how little he knew about the man who had raised him. Determined to uncover his story, he interviewed relatives, pieced together family memories, and eventually turned this into a historical novel, Abacus.

Hudson joins John from California to discuss this multigenerational saga. They begin with his grandfather’s journey from war-torn Wuhan, China, to Pingtung, Taiwan, in 1946. They then follow him to Yuanlin in central Taiwan, where he nearly lost his life during the 228 Incident of 1947. Later, in Taipei, he became involved with the mysterious Bai Tuan (White Group), a secretive organization of former Japanese military officers.

John and Hudson also discuss immigration to the United States and the complicated family relationships that inspired him to turn his family history into fiction. (BTW, some listeners might know Hudson as Leeway (藍力威) from his time with the Taiwanese-American pop group Cool Silly (傻酷, Shǎ Kù).)

Andō Momofuku is a household name in Japan, celebrated as the inventor of instant noodles. But his story actually begins in Puzi, a small town in southern Taiwan, where he was born Wu Baifu in 1910. John is joined by Tom Gibb, a Japan-based translator and author of the cycling travelogue Charinko. Together they unravel the complicated history of the man and his noodles. Going behind the familiar mythology, they explore his Taiwanese childhood, early business career, wartime troubles, an interesting family life (as in multiple wives), business failures, and the experiments that finally produced instant ramen. They also tackle a trickier question: did Andō really invent instant noodles?

If you’d like to hear more from John and Tom about Tom’s Japan cycling adventures, you can listen to their two companion conversations: one on the Books on Asia podcast and another on Bookish Asia with Plum Rain Press. The two episodes explore different sides of the journey and of life in Japan.

Books on Asia episode
Bookish Asia with Plum Rain Press podcast page

NOTE: People not using Spotify can watch this video on YouTube.

As the 2026 Asian Games in Japan come to a close, Eryk and John look back at Taiwan’s sporting struggles and successes in Asia. Who knew that the country has long been a powerhouse in soft tennis and women’s tug-of-war? After multiple unsuccessful bids to host the Asian Games, Taiwan finally had its chance to put on a show: the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung. We revisit this breakthrough event, which featured some fascinating sports (anyone heard of korfball or canoe polo?) and plenty of Taiwanese flavor.

Born into a poor farming family in coastal Yunlin County in 1944, Cheng Feng-hsi 鄭豐喜 (Zhèng Fēngxǐ) was severely disabled and spent much of his childhood crawling rather than walking. His early years included travelling with an elderly medicine seller and a performing monkey, and living rough in the countryside.

When he finally attended school, he excelled and eventually made his way to university in Taipei, where he studied law and met his future wife, Wu Chi-chao 吳繼釗 (Wú Jìzhāo). The couple returned to his hometown of Kouhu, working as teachers, while Cheng’s autobiography, A Boat in the Vast Ocean, became a major bestseller. Cheng died in 1975, but his story lived on through a hugely successful film, the foundation established in his name, and the Cheng Feng-hsi Memorial Library in Kouhu.

It’s a sad but inspiring story, and also a rare look at one of Taiwan’s forgotten corners (which happens to near John’s home).

What happens when curiosity about Taiwan turns into something of an obsession? Canadian academic Tyrel Eskelson, who lives in Japan, set out to understand an island nation that kept appearing in the international news. The result was months of travel, hundreds of conversations and his book Taiwan 22, published by Formosa Files’ very own Plum Rain Press.

John chats with Tyrel about his travels and his impressions of Taiwan. Along the way, they attend an unusual Indigenous festival in the mountains, visit a Taipei charity helping the homeless, and stand on the frontline islands of Matsu and Kinmen.

Tyrel will be in Kaohsiung October 17 for a Taiwan 22 book event. Stay tuned for details.

Eryk and John look back at Taiwan’s first direct presidential election: the protests and constitutional reforms that made it possible, Lee Teng-hui’s controversial visit to Cornell University, and the Chinese missile tests that turned an election campaign into the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis.

On March 23, 1996, with two US carrier groups sent to the region and ROC soldiers on alert, more than ten million Taiwanese went to the polls. The leading candidates were incumbent KMT president Lee Teng-hui and the DPP’s Peng Ming-min, a veteran democracy activist and former political exile.

Held in the shadow of PLA missiles, the election was a landmark in Taiwan’s democratization.

Defense analyst Bryce C. Barros tells Formosa Files about M.I.T. drones and their surprising connection to Taiwan's remote-controlled toy industry.

Before China became the "world's factory," Taiwanese companies emerged as major manufacturers of inexpensive toys and electronics during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, producing them for customers globally. The skills in the production of small motors, electronics, and plastics, as well as precision manufacturing, for remote-controlled toy planes, helicopters, boats, and cars would later lay the groundwork for Taiwan's early drone industry, providing the skills and supply chains.

But beginning in the 1990s, Taiwan lost ground as manufacturing moved across the Taiwan Strait and China invested heavily in research and development and in large-scale drone production. Chinese companies such as DJI, founded in Shenzhen in 2006, have emerged and now lead China's dominance in the global commercial drone market, holding a lead in military drones as well.

With Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 demonstrating the growing importance of inexpensive and attritable unmanned systems to modern warfare, Taiwan has accelerated efforts to build a domestic drone industry, reduce reliance on Chinese components, and incorporate drones into its war plans -- with roots going back to those skills gained from producing remote-controlled toys decades ago.

NOTE: The opinions shared by Mr. Barros are his own and do not reflect existing or previous affiliations.