Analyzing Trends and Themes in Japanese Literature Research in Korea Using Big Data on Research Papers

This study aims to identify research trends from 2004 to 2023 by focusing on Japanese literature articles published in eight of the most active Japan-related journals in Korea. To accomplish this goal, this paper collected data from the conclusion sections of Japanese literature articles written in Korean in these journals. Next, this paper analyzed the Term-Frequency and TF-IDF of the data using text mining to identify the timeline, characteristics, and trends of Japanese literature research in Korea.As a result of these analyses, this paper concludes the following trends in Japanese literature research over the past 20 years. First, the study of canonical or great writers, which has been emphasized in the history of Japanese literature, regardless of classical and modern literature, is gradually decreasing, and the subjects and topics of research are diversifying. Second, a common phenomenon throughout this period is a marked tendency to study Japanese literature in the context of the history of Japan-Korea relations. Third, since the late 2010s, Japanese literature researchers have been increasingly focusing on popular culture and cultural contents. Fourth, there is a growing movement to pioneer independent research in Korea that resonates with contemporary literary studies in Japan, such as colonial Japanese literature, Japanese literature, disaster literature, and women’s literature. These changes in research tendencies are a result of changes in the traditional concept of literature, a shift away from canon-centered literary studies, and lively debates surrounding Japanese literature studies in Korea.