Takao Customs House

The Takao Customs House (高雄税関庁舎, Takao Zeikan Chōsha) was the principal customs administration facility at Kaohsiung Port during the Japanese colonial period in Taiwan (1895–1945). The origins of customs operations at Kaohsiung trace back to 1863, when the Qing Dynasty established a customs branch office at Qihou (旗後) following the opening of Taiwan's ports under the Treaty of Tientsin. British customs officer William Maxwell commenced operations in May 1864, marking the beginning of modern customs administration in southern Taiwan.

After Japan acquired Taiwan through the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895, the colonial government reorganized the island's customs system, leaving Takao with only a branch office under the Anping Customs. Kaohsiung's strategic importance grew dramatically as the Japanese undertook massive harbor development projects beginning in 1908, transforming the modest fishing port into a major commercial and military harbor. In July 1934, Taiwan's customs administration was consolidated into two major regions — Keelung in the north and Kaohsiung in the south — reflecting Kaohsiung Port's status as the primary gateway for southern Taiwan's trade.

The purpose-built customs headquarters was constructed in 1936, contracted to builder Ikeda Yoshiji (池田好治) and completed on August 1st. The reinforced concrete two-story building covered approximately 610 tsubo (about 2,017 square meters) and was located on the western shore of Kaohsiung Port in the Hamasen (哈瑪星) district of Gushan. The building represented the modernization of Japan's colonial trade infrastructure, housing offices for tariff assessment, cargo inspection, anti-smuggling operations, and trade documentation.

During the wartime period, the customs house played a critical role in controlling the flow of strategic materials through Kaohsiung Port, which served as a vital logistics hub for Japan's military operations in Southeast Asia. The port handled exports of Taiwanese sugar, rice, camphor, and other commodities to Japan, while managing imports of manufactured goods and military supplies. The customs apparatus was integral to Japan's wartime economic mobilization system.

Following Japan's defeat in 1945, the Republic of China took over customs operations on December 1, 1945, renaming the Takao Customs the Tainan Customs (台南關). The building continued to serve as customs headquarters through subsequent reorganizations — becoming the Kaohsiung Customs in July 1969, the Kaohsiung Customs Bureau in 1991, and Kaohsiung Customs under the Customs Administration in 2013. The original 1936 building was expanded over the decades, reaching a total floor area of 2,720 tsubo by 1988. The site at Jiexing 1st Street (捷興一街), Gushan District remains in use as the Kaohsiung Customs office today.