Abstract: The relationship between Naitō Konan and Chinese scholars can be described as “one clue,” “three relation circles,” and “several academic networks”. This article surveys the exchange and interaction between the Japan Kyoto School led by Naitō Konan and the academic circle in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. It points out that this relationship is characterized by mutual borrowing and contribution. For example, in the study of the history of the Mongolia Yuan Dynasty, the Japanese scholars benefited from China’s scholarship in this research field and then contributed something new to it. Then, in the case of Dunhuang studies, China and Japan borrowed from each other and made concerted efforts to explore the field. Even in the study of Zhang Xuecheng, where Naitō Konan has decidedly played a leading and pioneering role, one has only to look at the thread of Naitō’s scholarship to understand how his moral character and values are influenced by China’s East Zhejiang School that advocates studying for practical use. The article thus argues that the interaction between modern Japanese and Chinese academic circles is not unilateral or linear, but bilateral, with alternate growth and decline.

Key words:  Kyoto School, Naitō Konan, scholarship in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China