'WANSEI BACK HOME' AUTHOR ADMITS FICTITIOUS BACKGROUND|"灣生回家"作者坦承身世造假 願認錯磕頭

Last year's documentary "Wansei Back Home" touched the hearts of many. But Mika Tanaka, who wrote the book that inspired the documentary, has been embroiled in a series of controversies, including an art plagiarism scandal and allegations that she lied about her family background as a descendant of the Wansei. After a week of silence, Mika Tanaka issued a statement on Facebook through her publisher, admitting that she had fabricated her background. She said she was willing to kneel down to her supporters and the Wansei. The same afternoon, Huang Ming-cheng, the director of the documentary Wansei Back Home, said that the film was entirely based on fact. He said that it was unfair to equate the documentary and the Wansei with Tanaka herself. A group of Japanese people born in Taiwan were deported after 1945 to a life adrift. The documentary Wansei Back Home, chronicling these people known as the Wansei, touched many when it was released last year. But Mika Tanaka, who wrote the book that inspired the documentary, has been accused of being an art plagiarist and of fabricating her Wansei background. Her real name is Chen Hsuan-ju. Tanaka has now responded to the allegations through the Facebook page of Wang Jung-wen, the chairman of Yuan Liou, her publisher. She admitted to fabricating her background, saying that she was Taiwanese and born in Kaohsiung. She said she would kneel down and kowtow to her supporters and Wansei. ==WANG JUNG-WEN Chairman, Yuan Liou Publishing== Of course, she's hurt their feelings very deeply. But I think this documentary, and her book, still did a lot (for the Wansei). Wang Jung-wen of Yuan Liou, Tanaka's publisher, says that his publishing house is also a victim. But he insists that the Wansei story is true. Huang Ming-cheng, the director of the documentary 'Wansei Back Home', said that afternoon that, though Tanaka funded and executive-produced the film, it is unfair to the Wansei to equate the documentary and the group of people with Tanaka herself. ==HUANG MING-CHENG Director, Wansei Back Home== I didn't know the truth about her (Mika Tanaka) until she issued the statement. Before, she was a puzzle to me as well, very mysterious. So I'd like to clarify that the Wansei should be protected, because I'm the one who they trusted. Huang said that he was appearing to protect the Wansei and the documentary, and that he is not planning to take legal action against Tanaka. He stressed that the Wansei and their emotions are real. Tanaka's family had little to say about the scandal, saying only that she did not pursue further education in Taiwan after graduating from high school. The book 'Wansei Back Home' received a Golden Tripod Award. The Ministry of Culture says that it would be up to the judges whether the prize money must be returned. ==TING HSIAO-CHING Dep. Minister of Culture== The creative process involves the ethics of writing and of documentary making. I think the world of culture is quite unhappy about this development. As for the Golden Tripod award issue, the decision will have to go back to the judging system. Mika Tanaka's book became a best-seller and an award winner. The Ministry of Culture says that the world of culture is unhappy about this fabrication scandal. TRANSLATED BY：JOHN CHEN 一群出生在台灣日本人，在1945年日本戰敗後，被強制遣返，一生顛沛流離，這部紀綠片「灣生回家」，在去年上映後，賺人熱淚，不過，原著作者田中實加，卻遭人揭發，在網路上盜圖，更偽造自己是灣生的後代，她的本名叫陳宣儒，面對質疑，田中實加是透過遠流出版董事長王榮文的臉書，發出聲明，承認確實假造身世，表明自己是台灣人，在高雄出生，口中的外婆田中櫻代，只是她高中時，在車站遇到的，兩人沒有親屬關係，說了謊，她願意向支持她的人和灣生認錯磕頭。 ==遠流出版社董事長 王榮文== 她給人家情感上的傷害 當然是有的 是很大的 但是她這個紀錄片的貢獻 或者她書的貢獻 我覺得還是存在的 幫田中實加出版作品的遠流董事長王榮文，自認也是受害者，不過堅稱，灣生故事內容確實存在，而紀錄片「灣生回家」導演黃銘正下午出面強調，田中實加是電影的出資人及監製，但外界好像將紀錄片、灣生與田中實加劃上等號，對灣生有點不公平。 ==「灣生回家」紀錄片導演 黃銘正== (田中實加)澄清了之後 我才真正知道她的身世的 事實上在那之前她對我來說 就像個謎一樣 也很神秘這樣子 所以這部份 我想要站出來澄清 要保護(灣生)他們 因為我覺得灣生信任的是我 黃銘正表示，出面澄清，是為了要保護灣生和這部紀錄片，目前並沒有打算向田中實加採取法律行動，也強調，電影裡的灣生和情感都是真實的。而田中實加在高雄的家人對於她身世造假一事很低調，僅表示她從高中之後就不在台灣求學，但是「灣生回家」這本書，曾獲得金鼎獎，補助是否會被追回，文化部表示，將回歸評審決定。 ==文化部政務次長 丁曉菁== 在創作的整個領域的過程中 牽涉到書寫的倫理 還有紀錄片的倫理 這樣的事情其實 我想是整個文化界不樂見的 那個金鼎獎相關的判定的問題 我們還是要回歸到整個 原來的評審的機制來決定 田中實加創作了灣生回家的作品，成為暢銷書，更獲得2015年非文學圖書獎，如今掀起造假風波，文化部表示，這是文化界不樂見的。 記者 蔡慧玲 邱福財 台北報導