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In 2025, the Ministry of Education added the discipline of "Area Studies," marking the rise of this field in China. Japan's "Regional Studies" primarily relies on higher education institutions and research centers, with its history traceable to the post-Meiji Restoration era, initially serving colonial expansion. After World War II, Japan's area studies underwent reconstruction between Western paradigms and indigenous traditions, with many universities establishing research institutions to meet the strategic demands of the Cold War. The University of Tokyo's China Studies, as a representative example of Japan's area studies, holds exemplary significance in academic research, talent cultivation, and international collaboration, offering insights for the development of China's area studies discipline.

1. The Origins of China Studies at the University of Tokyo (1936–1949)

The origins of China Studies at the University of Tokyo can be traced back to 1936–1949, centered around the Institute of Oriental Culture. Established under the influence of the post-Meiji "Datsu-A Nyū-Ō" (Leave Asia, Enter Europe) ideology, the institute developed a research system serving colonial expansion. Before the full-scale invasion of China in 1937, the University of Tokyo (then Tokyo Imperial University) began preparations for the Institute of Oriental Culture, which was formally established in 1941 to conduct comprehensive research on Eastern cultures, becoming a pioneering model for early area studies in Japan. The institute's research focused on two main directions: systematic literature studies and in-depth fieldwork, housing extensive Chinese-language archives and dispatching scholars across Asia for broad investigations. Initially structured into three departments, its interdisciplinary team concentrated on Chinese societal surveys. Founding director Kuwata Yoshizō and two China experts, Niida Noboru and Ueda Toshio, respectively emphasized rural institutional surveys and diplomatic history analysis. The institute became Japan's academic hub for China research, shaping an interdisciplinary academic paradigm. Among its early 185 research outputs, 85 focused on China, spanning multiple fields. The Institute of Oriental Culture combined academic and political objectives, providing policy consultation and intellectual support to the Japanese government, cultivating China experts to serve colonial expansion and East Asian policymaking. Research themes centered on China, covering military, political, economic, and cultural dimensions, with a strong emphasis on empirical and fieldwork-based methodologies. Overall, the institute's early phase aligned closely with national strategy, conducting targeted fieldwork and thematic research, functioning as a strategic think tank.

2. The Development of China Studies at the University of Tokyo (1949–2010)

The post-war reorganization of Japan's higher education system and the Cold War framework propelled the systematization of area studies, reflected in the evolution of China Studies at the University of Tokyo. The Institute of Oriental Culture underwent post-war transformation, expanding into religious, cultural, and anthropological studies, shifting from fieldwork to textual and interpretive methodologies. In 1949, the University of Tokyo established Japan's first independent liberal arts faculty, pioneering an educational model integrating international relations and area studies, with China Studies as its core before expanding to other Asian and Western regions. By the 1970s, China Studies at the university entered its golden age, extending to economic aid, trade cooperation, and Asia-Pacific regional mechanisms. In 1983, the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies was founded, advancing the specialization of area studies with an emphasis on interdisciplinary and global perspectives. Following post-Cold War geopolitical shifts, the school underwent major restructuring in 2011, reinforcing comprehensive research. The University of Tokyo developed a three-tiered curriculum ("pre-major—advanced undergraduate—graduate education") fostering progressive strategic thinking. Its area studies education blended liberal arts with strategic orientation, employing seminar-based courses to cultivate cross-cultural understanding and independent critical thinking. China Studies at the university emphasized "strategic awareness," focusing on great-power strategies and regional issues to develop students' macro-level analytical frameworks.

3. Institutional Integration and Paradigm Shifts in the Globalization Era (2010–2025)

Amid 21st-century multipolarity, the University of Tokyo's China Studies underwent structural transformation. In 2010, it established the Institute for Advanced Global Studies (IAGS), creating a "China Studies" academic platform for cross-regional collaboration. IAGS consolidated nine research centers with over 160 scholars, becoming Japan's largest global research hub. Key features of its China research included: 1) The Americas-Pacific Center examining U.S.-China strategic tensions from a global governance lens; 2) The German-European Center analyzing China through historical reconciliation frameworks; 3) The Middle East Center studying China's regional aid and cooperation amid U.S. strategic retrenchment. IAGS expanded beyond traditional humanities into social sciences and international relations, adopting comprehensive analytical frameworks and shifting from regional to global perspectives.

Another hallmark of the University of Tokyo's area studies was its multidimensional knowledge production via academic networks. The "China Studies" platform partnered with global universities to form a multilingual, interdisciplinary consortium of 67 researchers, producing 14 monographs and numerous papers in five years. Research themes covered China's diplomatic strategy, economic policy, and sociocultural dynamics. Leveraging international platforms and interdisciplinary mechanisms, the university enhanced academic influence, underscoring the strategic role of area studies in global discourse.

4. Lessons and Limitations of the University of Tokyo's China Studies

The University of Tokyo's China Studies excels in empirical rigor and systematic training but faces limitations like overreliance on Western theory and insufficient academic autonomy. Its strengths include methodological innovation, tiered talent development, and multinational collaboration. Weaknesses lie in its competitive strategic focus, lack of autonomous theoretical frameworks, and limited humanistic vision. While offering methodological and curricular insights for China's area studies, it also warns against excessive dependence on Western paradigms and geopolitical constraints.

5. Conclusion

Japan's area studies evolved under national strategy and international structures. China's approach must construct a knowledge system aligned with contemporary needs, advancing through strategic orientation, discourse formation, and civilizational dialogue. China's area studies should prioritize peaceful development, global equity, and a community with a shared future for humanity, fostering globally minded scholars and original research. By integrating openness with Chinese civilizational values, the discipline can transcend Western paradigms, contributing a distinctively Chinese academic framework to global governance. Rooted in humanistic concerns and universal values, China's area studies should strengthen academic autonomy, enhance strategic foresight, and amplify international impact, serving national strategy while promoting shared global progress.

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