Yoshikawa was awarded many honors for his scholarship, including membership in the Japan Art Academy and he was named a Person of Cultural Merit.

[1] He entered middle school in 1916 and was introduced to the classics of Chinese history and historical fiction, such as the Records of the Grand Historian, Water Margin, Journey to the West, and Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

In 1920, Yoshikawa entered the Third Advanced School in Kyoto, where he met fellow China enthusiast and future colleague Masaru Aoki and began studying Mandarin Chinese.

In 1923, prior to entering university, Yoshikawa traveled to China, spending time in and around Jiangsu Province.

Yoshikawa's interest in literature increased during this period as he read the works of noted Japanese authors Ryūnosuke Akutagawa and Haruo Satō.