臺北市政府文化局

On the curtain of a wooden hut on the National Taiwan University campus are the words “The Story of Taiwan Rice”, printed to tell every visitor and passer-by the story of the most commonly eaten high-yield sticky rice, Penglai Rice, which originated here.

The hut is made from Taiwanese cedar and is currently managed and operated by the Department of Agronomy. It was originally under the jurisdiction of the Taipei Higher Agricultural and Forestry School and later the Agricultural and Forestry Department of National Taiwan University. The developer of Penglai Rice, Iso Eikichi, taught in all three of these institutions, giving a tropical agriculture lecture titled Crop Science Classroom.

During his tenure, Iso and his colleague Suenaga Megumu focused on research into riziculture, often holding discussions in this hut on how to improve rice cultivation. In 1925, they successfully developed Penglai Rice, which changed the face of agriculture in Taiwan and significantly increased farmers’ incomes. After the Second World War, despite Taiwan’s change in allegiance, Iso’s expertise meant he was retained in Taiwan, where he educated a new generation of students for twelve years before returning to Japan.

Later on, the hut gradually fell into disuse, and it was initially scheduled for demolition. Fortunately, students discovered valuable manuscripts left by behind by Iso, as well as various records and research documents, which further established the value of this place as a stronghold for the study and showcasing of agricultural history. It was subsequently designated a historical site for preservation. Today, faculty and students from the Department of Agronomy continue various research projects focusing on seed inspection, honoring the founding scholar who contributed so much.