This imperialistic practice reached its height during World War Ⅱ. All of the Atayal drafted into the Japanese army were required to cut their tattoos away, so now in the faces of many old Atayal men there are only the colorless scars left behind from the removal operation.
這種皇民化下的割除文面運動，在二次大戰時期到達頂峰。凡是受召參加戰爭的泰雅族人，皆被要求必須割除文面，今日部落中許多老人臉上，文面的痕跡沒有了，取而代之的是一條條沒有顏色的手術疤痕。