北平日本近代科学图书馆是日本在华建立的最精细、完备、具有影响力的图书馆之一，也是北平沦陷区乃至华北沦陷区具有代表性的日本文化机关。它脱胎于日本以退还庚子赔款为名在华设置的东方文化事业，始终受日本文化侵略策略的指导。本文通过考述、分析该馆创设的全过程，深入抗日战争史的脉络，深化对文化侵略的认识。 
“北馆”的筹备反映了日本对华文化政策一贯的虚伪性。一战后，日本外务省以推动外交正常化为名，倡导“文化外交”，提议以庚款在华设置东方文化事业。该事业假意回应中国图书馆运动的要求，提出公共图书馆建设计划。在该计划的指导下，日本先在其所操控的北京人文科学研究所设置图书筹备处，大肆收购中国古籍；后建立北平日本近代科学图书馆，宣传日本的产业科学成就，参与策动华北分离。从始至终，该计划都未曾服务于中国民众，反而成为日本侵华的组成部分。
 “北馆”的运营反映了侵华战争期间，日本对华文化侵略的规划变更、内部分歧，以及中日文化人在此过程中的作用与影响。在沦陷区统治政出多门的背景下，“北馆”由日本的不同机关接替管控，同时受日本军方干涉。该馆的职能定位因此多次变更，甚至前后矛盾。在隶属外务省期间，它的任务由介绍日本的近代科学成就，增强日本在华文化影响力，变为向沦陷区灌输日本语言，传播日本本位意识、军国主义思想。转入兴亚院后，该馆面向中国人的业务被大幅削减，工作重心转向为日本居留民提供精神慰安及资料参考。大东亚省设置后，该馆经费被不断削减，逐渐走向沉寂。中日文化人以人脉与学识维系着图书馆的运营。他们往往对两国文化怀有情感，为参与文化侵略感到苦闷。但在政治高压之下，他们仍以“文化交流”自欺，做了模糊中日间主要矛盾、为侵略战争脱罪、引诱国人对日屈服的帮凶。在政教两界的合谋下，图书馆提供的“文化资源”无不是“宣抚”材料。 
“北馆”助长了华北沦陷区的日本文化势力，扩大了军国主义思想在沦陷区的传播。日本居留民视图书馆为海外家园，在其影响下增强了对日本国家的认同与对军国政府的支持。部分中国民众在接受图书馆宣教后被改造为对日合作者，表现出亲日慕日、自我矮化的倾向。坚持抵抗者则通过对日语讲座等活动的消极抵拒和纵火阅览室的激烈手段表达愤怒。 
“北馆”的筹备、运营呈现了日本对华文化侵略的全环节，展现了日本对华全方位侵略的一个侧面。”“北馆”的运作既反映出文化侵略与军事入侵密切配合，也说明了文化侵略自身的独立性。文化侵略不仅掠夺和破坏被侵略者的文化资源，也包括侵略者对文化资源生产与移植的控制。相较帝国主义国家在战后依靠文化工业推行的文化霸权，文化侵略具有鲜明的战时特性。它服从军政命令，依赖战争恐怖，在灌输异质文化的同时，制造、鼓吹侵略思想。 

The Japan’s Library of Modern Science in Peiping was one of Japan’s most elaborate, complete and influential libraries set up in China, and a representative Japanese cultural organ in the fallen area of Peiping and even of North China. It was born out of Japan’s “Oriental Cultural Project” in the name of returning Boxer Indemnity, and was guided by Japan’s strategy of cultural aggression. 
By analysing the whole process of the museum’s creation, this thesis explores the history of the Anti-Japanese War in terms of cultural aggression. The preparation of the library reflected the consistent hypocrisy of Japan’s cultural policy towards China. After the First World War, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs advocated “cultural diplomacy” in the name of promoting the normalisation of diplomacy, and proposed to set up “Oriental Cultural Project” in China with the money from Boxer Indemnity. The project was a bogus response to the demands of the Chinese library movement and proposed a plan for the construction of public libraries. Under the guidance of this project, Japan first established a book preparation office at the Beijing Human Science Research Institute which was under Japanese control, in order to acquire Chinese antique books; then it established the Japan’s Library of Modern Science in Peiping to publicise Japan’s achievements in industrial science and to instigate the secession of North China. The project never served the Chinese public, but instead became an integral part of Japan’s invasion of China. 
The operation of the Library reflects the changes in planning and the internal disagreements over Japan’s cultural aggression against China during the war, as well as the role and influence of 
Chinese and Japanese cultural figures in the process. The chaotic administration within the authorities of the occupied areas contributed to the fact that the Library was under the control of different Japanese authorities, and at the same time the Library was also interfered by the Japanese military. As a result, the Library’s functions changed many times and were even contradictory sometimes. When it was managed by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, its mission changed from introducing Japan’s modern scientific achievements and enhancing Japan’s cultural influence in China, to inculcating the Japanese language and spreading the notion of Japan’s superiority as well as militaristic ideology to the occupied areas. After being transferred to Japan’s Asia Development Board, the Library’s business for the Chinese citizens was drastically cut back, and its focus shifted to providing psychological comfort and reference materials for the Japanese expats. After the establishment of Japan’s Greater East Asia Province, the Library’s funding was continuously cut and it gradually fell into obscurity. The Chinese and Japanese cultural figures sustained the operation of the library with their contacts and knowledge. They were emotionally attached to the two countries’ cultures, and felt bitter over their involvement in the cultural aggression. However, under political pressure, they still deceived themselves with “cultural exchanges” and became accomplices in blurring the main contradiction between China and Japan, trying to exonerate the Japanese invasion of China, and inducing the Chinese people to yield to Japan. With the complicity of the political and cultural sectors in the occupied areas, the “cultural resources” provided by the Library were all “pacification” materials. 
The Library fuelled the Japanese cultural power and expanded the spread of militaristic ideology in the occupied areas. The Japanese expats regarded the Library as their home in China, and under its influence, they strengthened their identification with the Japanese nation-state and their support for the militaristic government. Some of the Chinese people were transformed into collaborators with Japan under the Library’s influence, and showed a tendency of pro-Japanese admiration and self-disparagement. Those who persisted in resistance expressed their anger through passive resistance to activities such as Japanese language lectures and through the drastic action of setting fire to the Library’s reading rooms. 
The preparation and operation of the Library presents the whole process of Japan’s cultural aggression of China, showing one aspect of Japan’s full-scale invasion of China. 
The operation of  the Library reflects not only the close coordination of cultural aggression with military invasion but also the independence of cultural aggression itself. Cultural aggression is not only the looting and destruction of the cultural resources of the invaded, but also the invader’s control over the production and transplantation of cultural resources. Compared with the cultural hegemony 
promoted by imperialist countries in the post-war period which relied on the cultural industry, cultural aggression has a distinct wartime character: it relied on military and political means, and the horrors of war to create and propagate the idea of aggression while inculcating an external culture.