1、 Preface

This article introduces Japan's research stance on China from the late 19th century to before World War II, the shift in post-war Chinese studies, and the approaches taken by Japanese scholars in studying China after the establishment of the People's Republic of China. After the 1980s, Japanese scholars began collecting first-hand information through field investigations. With the rapid development of the Chinese economy and the improvement of its international status, Japanese scholars' interest in Chinese studies has increased. The article quantitatively analyzes China research projects in the Japanese academic community through the KAKEN database and CiteSpace software, aiming to provide academic support for enhancing China's international discourse dissemination and constructing a knowledge graph of overseas Chinese studies research.

2、 Research data sources and analysis methods

This article introduces the Japan Science Research Funding Assistance Database as a platform for data retrieval and analysis, covering various scientific research projects funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Japan Association for the Promotion of Science and Technology. By combining detailed search, keyword search, and full-text search, 4840 valid data related to Chinese research from 1979 to 2022 were collected and screened. Using CiteSpace citation visualization analysis software, the quantity, funding, collaborators, collaborating institutions, hot keywords, and their evolutionary paths of research topics were analyzed to generate co-occurrence and emergence maps, revealing the overall knowledge and information of the Japanese academic community in the field of "China" research topics. Divide the research period into four stages, use CiteSpace software to conduct qualitative and quantitative analysis of the research topics in each stage, sort out the hot topics in different time periods, list representative topics, and briefly review the research results, providing academic references based on the "Eastern perspective" of homogeneous cultural circles for the study of the translation and dissemination of Chinese culture, and promoting the deepening and expansion of academic exchanges.

3、 Analysis of the Foundation for the Establishment of Chinese Research Projects in the Japanese Academic Community

The basic situation of Chinese research project proposals in the Japanese academic community from 1979 to 2022 was analyzed through the KAKEN database. Data shows that the number of project proposals and research funding for Chinese studies in the Japanese academic community has gone through three stages: a stable period from 1979 to 1986, a growth period from 1987 to 2003, and a peak period from 2004 to 2022. The number of annual project proposals is basically proportional to research funding, reflecting the sustained and high attention of the Japanese academic community to Chinese research. According to the statistics of research project types, basic research (C), basic research (B), and special researcher award fees account for the largest proportion of project proposals, with a total proportion of 65.36% for basic research (A/B/C), indicating the dominant position of basic research projects in Chinese research projects in the Japanese academic community. The average funding for youth research projects is relatively high, indicating the importance and support of the Japanese academic community for young scholars to participate in Chinese research.

4、 Review of Chinese research topics and related content in the Japanese academic community

The CiteSpace knowledge visualization software was used to analyze the scholar collaboration network, institutional collaboration network, and keyword co-occurrence analysis of the Japanese academic community in the field of Chinese research, revealing the participation, collaboration, and evolution trends of Japanese scholars in Chinese research topics.

5、 Conclusion

Analyzed the evolution of research topics, cooperation dynamics, and changes in hot topics in Japanese Chinese studies through the KAKEN database. The Japanese academic community has formed multiple distinctive academic communities and research institutions for Chinese studies, such as the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Waseda University, Aichi University, and Toyo Bunko. In terms of cooperation mode, Japan China Studies has strengthened cross institutional cooperation among domestic scholars and actively expanded Sino Japanese and international cooperation. In terms of research content, Japanese scholars not only focus on traditional fields, but also expand new horizons, such as economic development in coastal areas, the "the Belt and Road" initiative, etc. Japanese Chinese studies have undergone a century of development, influenced by Sino Japanese relations, the Asia Pacific situation, and international politics, showing a trend of interdisciplinary integration, comprehensive research fields, and internationalization of research teams.