This study is part of a joint research of the books in Western languages collected by the Keijo ˉ Imperial University Library from 1926 to 1939. Focusing on the books of Orientalism in French, this article is a preliminary study for excavating the complex intellectual networks involved in this collection. It starts from depicting how the knowledge about colonies, hitherto scattered and unorganized, was transformed into the sciences colonials in France from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. Within this context, traditional Orientalism, which had been a realm of amateur scholars, diplomats, and colonial officials, was revamped as an academic discipline within universities. In this newly institutionalized setting, East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Indochina) was defined as a new sub-category of Orientalism, that is, the Extrême-Orient (Far East). For supporting this newly-fangled field of study, academic associations and networks were established in France, Indochina and Japan. In conclusion, this paper will analyze how this history became embedded in the book collection of the Keijo ˉ Imperial University Library, suggesting future research agendas.