City and large-scale public construction projects and administrative agencies in the colony were key focal points for the Taiwan Governor-General’s Office to demonstrate its ruling power and governance competence. During Japanese rule, the colonial government implemented urban planning and city improvement projects to address issues such as narrow, winding streets and poor sanitation in traditional Taiwanese cities. In the early modern era, public facilities such as wide and straight roads, roundabouts, parks, and sewers were introduced in cities, alongside regulations for building houses. This essentially reinvented the public spaces and environment of cities in Taiwan. City streets and public spaces, and buildings representing the authority’s power, such as the Taiwan Governor-General’s Office, prefectural halls, and residences of central and local officials, were frequently featured in photo albums, postcards, and newspapers, conveying an inviting message and portraying Taiwan as a well-managed, progressive, and habitable place suitable for tourism.