The development of the Internet of Things (IoT) is indispensable for the spread of Industry 4.0. To develop IoT research, this article analyzes the trends in IoT research from the viewpoint of the importance of IoT research in responding to the global IoT scenario. In this analysis, we perform network analysis and investigate the characteristics of researchers who are related to IoT research. We study the fusion of different fields, such as chemistry and engineering, in IoT research. We also propose four ways of increasing IoT research activities in Japan.