As Japan emerged from the depression of the immediate post-war years into the boom times that followed, the country plunged headlong into the building of museums (mostly public). The trend was especially pronounced in the go-go 1980s. But then the economy overheated and collapsed.
然而，接下來的經濟泡沫化，日本政府和民間單位在掏出錢經營博物館時更加謹慎，而仰賴國家與其他社會資源的博物館也就開始了節衣縮食的日子。