In 1921, the first petition campaign for the establishment of a Taiwan assembly was launched in Tokyo. Taiwanese gentry such as Lin Hsien-tang and Tsai Hui-ju called on the Japanese government to establish a popularly elected assembly in Taiwan. They hoped to gain sympathy from both governing and opposition parties and bring to bear the power of the central government in Japan in order to force the hand of the governor-general in Taipei.
一九二一年，「台灣議會設置請願運動」第一次在東京展開，台灣士紳林獻堂、蔡惠如等人呼籲日本政府依台灣特性設置民選的特別議會，希望透過和日本中央權要結識，以獲得日本朝野的同情，進而牽制總督府的施政。