I. Music education Meiji Japan II. Development of colonial school system and music education III. Shōka and its musical transformative function IV. Shōka and its political and educational functions as reflected in the repertoire A. Agenda 1: Singing the empire and citizenship B. Agenda 2: Experiencing the culture C. Agenda 3: Assisting the learning of other subjects D. Agenda 4: Discoursing the colony i. Addressing the empire-colony relationship ii. Depicting Taiwan V. Japanese colonialism in Taiwan: negotiating shōka and colonial education VI. Conclusion