In May 1938, young Japanese novelist Aoyama Chizuko arrives in Taiwan at the invitation of its ruling imperial government. Indifferent to official functions, Chizuko is driven instead by an insatiable appetite and a desire to experience authentic island life.

She is soon paired with Chizuru, a younger Taiwanese interpreter who shares the characters of her name. Erudite, precise, and a gifted cook, Chizuru guides Chizuko across the island, bonding over scenic train journeys and local delicacies like braised pork rice and winter melon tea. As their connection deepens, Chizuko finds herself increasingly enamored, yet Chizuru maintains a guarded reserve. Only after a painful separation does Chizuko come to understand the unspoken barrier between them.

Framed as a translation of a newly discovered Japanese text, Taiwan Travelogue won Taiwan's prestigious Golden Tripod Award following its original 2020 Mandarin release. The novel unearths forgotten colonial histories to explore how overarching dynamics of power shape intimate human bonds.