Possibly connected- big exhibit at Tokyo's Nat'l Museum complex a dozen years ago of artifacts and mummies from Loulan. From which I stayed far away. Also famous novel of the same name from the late 50's by the popular author Inoue Yasushi, and another about Dunhuang (both somewhere in my basement neverputbooksaway she mutters.) Inoue died in '91, big exhibit was '92; doubtless coincidence given how long exhibits take to put together, but nice.

IOW probably an unesoteric reason why Aoki knew about Loulan. /Everyone/ saw the King Tut exhibition.