The Governor-General exercised executive, legislative, and judicial powers in Taiwan.

The Governor-General was also the commander of the Mixed Brigade of Taiwan Defense until it reorganized to the Taiwan Army under the Imperial Japanese Army in 1919 The Chief of General Affairs (Japanese: 總務長官, Hepburn: Sōmu Chōkan, Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Chóng-bū Tiúⁿ-koaⁿ), named Chief of Civil Affairs (Japanese: 民政長官, Hepburn: Minsei Chōkan, Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Bîn-chèng Tiúⁿ-koaⁿ) before 1919, was the primary executor of the policy in Taiwan, and the second most powerful official after the Governor-General.

After the Treaty of Shimonoseki was enforced from May 8, 1895, the Empire of Japan started to rule Taiwan.

In the early years, the Government-General was seated in the former Fukien-Taiwan Provincial Administration Hall build by the Qing Empire in 1892.

Construction began on June 1, 1912, and was completed on March 31, 1919, at a cost of 2.8 million Japanese yen.