Kangaku

Kangaku (漢学, かんがく, Kyūjitai: 漢學) was the pre-modern Japanese study of China. Kangaku was the counterpart of kokugaku and Yōgaku or Rangaku. Scholars of kangaku are called kangakusha (漢学者).

Kangaku and sinology
In modern Japan, sinology (Chugokugaku, 中国学, or formerly Shinagaku, 支那學) refers to Western and modern Chinese studies, whereas kangaku refers to traditional or pre-modern studies.

The Chinese term for sinology, 漢學, and Japanese kangaku are represented by the same Chinese characters, but in Japan a distinction is made between kangaku and sinology.