Okay let me make this short: I'm JLPT 1 level(past it years ago), I have no problem at all reading and comprehending just about any text written in modern day Japanese, can speed through books written for the general public.

My Problem is this: for my graduate school studies, literally in the range of 20,000 pages of text in Japanese(and this isn't 新書 books, it's small text , full size pages) I have to read . As these are papers on thought at time it's extremly abstract, vague and skimming is not very useful, I need to pay attention to the grammar and what the subject is etc.

At this point I will have literally no life trying to read these, not to mention just seeing the wall of text doesn't help me emotionally. I'm a rather slow reader in English too. What types of tips/techniques do you guys have for reading high level academic papers on thought, in Japanese, where reading every word is important?

Any advice would be great.
Thanks!

Hmm, I guess the more you read the better you get...it's hard to give specific advice on increasing reading speed because it seems like a lot of it is individual.

However, is it really the case that every word of every paper you are reading is critically important?

Are you reading western style academic philosophy?

Or is it Buddhist philosophy?

The first advice I received about increasing your reading speed was "try to read as quickly as you can". It may seem stupid at first, but actually you have to make your eyes and brain work out together. And try to do this in English too (same ability).
Even if it's philosophy, don't let anything slow you down: not the meaning, not what you don't understand, not the fact your turning the page.

Beware it's quite intense, so you will naturally resume your normal speed after awhile, so you have to make a conscious effort and read as fast as you can again.
Read every word, your mind will sort out what is important and what isn't after you've finished reading.

Gradually, you're supposed to stop hearing the words in your head and just grab the meaning by visual contact only. That's when the real "speed reading" starts, but I wouldn't recommend it, since studies show this kind of reading allows speed with understanding of general meaning, but completly skips the details.

Remain at the hearing the words in your head stage, but make a conscious effort to read as fast as you can. You can easily read twice as fast (or more) with a little practice.
Good luck!