Some Japanese scholars after Meiji Reform (1868-1912) were excellent sinologists versed in both Chinese culture and western culture. They never hesitated to frankly say what they saw in Chinese scholars they met. These textual sketches of Chinese scholars look quite fascinating today.

Wang Guowei

Aoki Masaru (1887-1964) visited Wang Guowei (1877-1927), a Chinese master of ancient poems and theater, several times. He mentions two encounters with Wang in Japan.

In February 1912, the 25-year-old Aoki Masaru, a young scholar who had just graduated from university in the previous year, visited Wang Guowei at his home in Kyoto, Japan. In an essay written in August 1927, Aoki Masaru mentioned that Wang looked like a country fellow with a long braid. In the sitting room where the two scholars met were some books in both Chinese and English. The young scholar guessed these books were all about theater. To his surprise, they were all about philosophy.

Wang confessed that he hadn’t read Shakespeare, that he disliked Chinese opera plays, and that he did not have any professional knowledge of music. However, Wang offered a piece of professional knowledge: a book by Wang Yingfang of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) had some very profound insight into music. Years later the Japanese sinologist spotted the book in a catalogue while studying in Beijing. Aoki Masaru was deeply impressed by Wang’s knowledge of ancient Chinese literature. A few days after the first visit, Aoki Masaru came again to visit Wang at his home in Kyoto. They sat face to face awkwardly. The Japanese scholar asked questions about the Yuan poems and Wang gave brief answers. The conversation never had a chance to get animated and most of the time, both of them were silent.

In April 1922, Aoki Masaru visited Wang Guowei at his home in Shanghai. In April 1925, he visited Wang on the campus of Tsinghua University as Wang was teaching at the university. They talked about theater of the Yuan and the Ming. Wang advised the Japanese scholar not to bother to study the theater of Ming. After Wang passed away in June, 1927, Aoki Masaru wrote in an essay dated August 1927 that Wang dismissed small talks and pleasantries and he respected the master’s straightforward style.

Zhang Yuanji

Zhang Yuanji (1867-1959), a native of Haiyan, Zhejiang, was a publisher, educator, and industrialist. Naito Konan (1866-1934), a prominent Japanese sinologist, met Zhang Yuanji (1867-1959) in November 1899 in Shanghai. Their talked about current affairs. Naito Konan wrote in a book about his China tour that 33-year-old Zhang was one of the five young talents recommended to Emperor Guangxu before the coup by Dowager Empress Cixi in 1898. Naito Konan mentioned that Zhang was a native of Jiaxing and had proficiency in the English language. He also said that Zhang looked fair and handsome. It can be deduced from the description that Zhang came from a family of scholars and his diet was quite good. When the Japanese sinologist met Zhang in Shanghai, Zhang was not yet to work at the Commercial Press.

Chen Yinque

Chen Yinque (1890-1968) was a prominent Chinese scholar. Kojiro Yoshikawa (1904-1980), a prominent Japanese sinologist, studied in China from 1928-1931 and met Chen at a dinner. Takeshiro Kuraishi (1897-1975), also a Japanese sinologist, was at the dinner too. In Takeshiro Kuraishi’s diary, the dinner occurred on May 27, 1930. Kojiro Yoshikawa wrote in a book about his overseas studies in China that he was under the impression that Chen was intelligent and reminded him of the young Kitaro Nishida (1870-1945), the most significant and influential Japanese philosopher of the 20th century. Takeshiro Kuraishi said in his diary that Chen’s scholarly ideas were as sharp as a knife and that Chen reminded him of Wang Guowei.

Gu Hongming

Gu Hongming (1857-1928) was a prominent scholar. Akutagawa Ryunosuke (1892-1927), a prolific Japanese writer known especially for his stories based on the events in Japanese past and for his stylistic virtuosity, took a tour in China from March to July 1921. In 1925 he published a travelogue about the China tour. He mentioned in one chapter that, shortly after he arrived in Shanghai, he learned from a journalist working in Shanghai that he could forget about the Forbidden City but he should never forget to visit Gu Hongming.

So Akutagawa Ryunosuke went to see the prominent Chinese scholar when he was in Beijing. One minute after Akutagawa Ryunosuke was ushered into the meeting room, an old man strode in, his eyes bright. The old man with the bright eyes was Gu Hongming. Gu’s white hair was made into a long braid, which was a personal statement he wanted to make. They chatted by writing Chinese words on paper on the desk. Gu spoke English but wrote in Chinese. The conversation went smoothly. They talked about some Chinese politicians and they talked about Tolstoy. The master talked as if there had been a big wind; his eyes were as bright as a torch, and he looked majestic, observed Akutagawa Ryunosuke in the travelogue. Asked why he cared about what was going on in China but distanced himself from participating, Gu angrily wrote down “old” many times on paper.

Zhang Taiyan

Zhang (1869-1936) was a prominent scholar and revolutionary. Akutagawa Ryunosuke visited Zhang in Shanghai during his China tour from March to July 1921. On the wall of Zhang’s study there was a huge specimen of a crocodile. The Japanese writer felt cold in the study where there were heaps of books. He described the Chinese master as a man who didn’t look majestic at all, but he was deeply impressed by Zhang’s unusually cool eyes behind the rimless eyeglasses. He commented that Yuan Shikai threw Zhang into prison for the coolness of the eyes but dared not to kill him also for the coolness of the eyes.

Takeshiro Kuraishi visited Zhang Taiyan in Shanghai during his study in China from 1928 to 1930. He made the visit on a rainy day in early July 1930. According to Kuraishi, the master had short hair and looked like a child. The Japanese scholar reasoned that apparently the master didn’t pay much attention to his look. They talked by writing Chinese words. The young Japanese sinologist was deeply impressed by the Chinese scholar. One of the things the master said was a sinologist must not have a curiosity. Takeshiro Kuraishi considered the advice as a motto.