During the past decade his research has shifted to Japan's policy of mollification, or control through conciliation, in its colonies in East Asia and Southeast Asia during the period between the wars, a move that has startled many old friends familiar with his original field of expertise.
老當益壯的學者近十年來，中村教授的研究範疇，轉至一次大戰到二次大戰期間，日本對東亞及東南亞地區的懷柔政策，如建學校、蓋醫院等措施的研究，日本人稱之為「文化摩擦」的研究。他讓不少熟悉他研究範疇的老朋友們都嚇了一跳。