Aoki Masaru and His Chinese-Drama Research, with a focus on Chinese-Drama Research in the Modern Period

摘要

Japanese scholars began their studies of Chinese drama in the Meiji period. After the Meiji Restoration, Japanese academia was significantly influenced by Western academic methods, and as result of this aspects of folk culture such as drama became an important object of study in the field of Chinese-literature studies. Masaru Aoki（1887‒1964） was a famous researcher of Chinese drama during Japan's modern period. Through Aoki's writings and the recollections of his family and close friends, this paper will attempt to outline the contours of his Chinese-drama research. Through an analysis of Aoki's major works（Shina Kinsei Gikyoku shi ,Genjin Zatsugeki Jyosetsu）, this paper will clarify the approach and problems that are characteristic of Aoki's drama research.