Under the influence of the nationalism widespread since the nineteenth century, the history of literature and the history of culture has been conceived on a country-by-country basis and constructed separately from anything outside or from other countries. This is true of the history of Japanese literature and culture as well as the history of Chinese literature and culture. Such an approach, however, violates the principles through which literature and culture arise; it also diverges from the actualities of history.
 As is well known, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese literature and culture were closely linked and their literature and culture mutually influenced each other not just in ancient but in modern times. In ancient times, Chinese orthography and literature written in Chinese, as well as the traditions of Confucianism and Buddhism, formed the basis of that close exchange. In modern times with the advance of the Western powers and Western scholarship into the east, these four countries of East Asia observed the experiences of the others and supported each other as they groped toward cultural transformation and as they absorbed the impact of the Western culture and civilization sweeping over their whole region. When we consider the emergence and development of literature and culture in East Asia over the past two hundred years, therefore, we realize that we cannot appreciate the true historical processes that took place by dividing up the region into separate country histories.
 This team research project, by identifying and examining diverse historical cases of mutual influence and interaction, mainly between the modern literatures of Japan and China and through their cultural exchange, will endeavor to move beyond or sublate the pattern of single- country historical discourse. We hope to present a new perspective and methodology to replace the previous historical discourse and create anew a history of literature and culture for the region.

Research Representative	劉　建輝	国際日本文化研究センター・教授
Team Researcher	上垣外　憲一	大妻女子大学・非常勤講師
〃	陳　力衛	成城大学経済学部・教授
〃	王　宝平	二松学舎大学文学部・教授
〃	小倉　紀蔵	京都大学大学院人間・環境学研究科・教授
〃	白幡　洋三郎	国際日本文化研究センター名誉教授
〃	単　援朝	崇城大学工学部・教授
〃	陳　継東	青山学院大学国際政治経済学部・教授
〃	仲　万美子	同志社女子大学学芸学部・教授
〃	松宮　貴之	佛教大学文学部・非常勤講師
〃	森田　憲司	奈良大学名誉教授
〃	井上　章一	国際日本文化研究センター・教授
〃	石川　肇	国際日本文化研究センター・助教
〃	孫　江	国際日本文化研究センター・外国人研究員
〃	宋　琦	総合研究大学院大学・博士課程
〃	唐　権	国際日本文化研究センター・外来研究員
Team Researcher Overseas	王　中忱	中国清華大学人文学院・教授
〃	劉　序楓	台湾中央研究院人文社会科学研究中心・研究員