A Review of Wang Guowei Studies in China and Japan

摘要

In this paper, I attempt to comprehensively survey and describe past research on Wang Guowei in Chinese and Japanese academia. I summarize the characteristics of this past research, and in doing so aim to uncover new aspects of Wang Guowei studies deserving of further examination in future research. One result of this survey was that it found Chinese research on Wang Guowei is very diverse and complex. This can be explained by the changing ideologies and perceptions among Chinese academics that reflected their social context in a complex and transitional Chinese society. Wang Guowei has been studied in China for over one hundred years. Many changes have taken place in Chinese society and academia over this period; long periods of war followed by the so-called Cultural Revolution having an especially profound effect on Chinese society. Japan however experienced relative stability since the 1910s, and this stability was reflected in Japanese Wang Guowei studies. A characteristic of Japanese research was that it was highly detailed and more historically oriented compared to China. Based on this comparison of Chinese and Japanese Wang Guowei studies, I have attempted to uncover underdeveloped or overlooked areas of research, and hope to explore these areas in future research.