*1.2. Research Method*

As a way to understand things, it can be useful to classify them one by one and grasp the meaning of each object, rather than recognizing the whole as a single entity and establishing relationships between them. Analytical methods that categorize objects individually, quantify them, and study them quantitatively are widely used.

Analyzing involves comparing and classifying the properties of objects, identifying their relationships accurately, and ultimately determining their properties. Interpretation involves identifying the meaning of causes, processes, results, and reasons based on special facts, viewed from the perspective of probabilism rather than determinism. It is a task that differs from the analytical method. In particular, when dealing with complexly intertwined elements, such as in a city, taking a holistic approach and recognizing the whole as one entity is often more effective.

Therefore, in this study, a holistic and interpretive approach is used, rather than an analytical approach. The purpose of the study is to identify the similarities and differences in how urban planning and development methods were applied to Tokyo, the capital of Japan, during the Japanese colonial period, and to its colonies Taipei, Seoul, and Beijing. The interpretative method is judged to be more effective for this purpose. The study reviews the existing urban planning laws and development methods for each city, including studies and references that examine actual applied cases. For the overall interpretation, maps of each city era are compared at the same scale. However, the lack of figures or graphs compared to analytical and quantitative research methods is considered a limitation of the interpretive method.
