Advancing globalization and the development of new communication technologies and
transφ때on methods have transforrned the daily lives of the people, even their inner 띠nds. In
other words, not only our material culture but our spiritual culture has been transforrned. At the time
of the birth of the first museums in ]apan, they put top priority on collecting, protecting and
preserving cultural artifacts scattered by the late nineteenth century anti-Buddhist movement, but
eventually a museum building boom was triggered by the flourishing of regional cultures. However
since the late nineteen-seventies, in the face of a growing demand for the perfection of the human
mind, we tumed to emphasizing the operation of museums open to the public rather than closed
museums, as we faced a demand that museums and art galleries become places for life-long
learning. This means priority on the educational functions of museums. Today it is museum
management that is the most irnportant issue.
πl?s paper describes the revision to the Museum Law in ]apan, which has amended in 2008. 까le
points in the revised Museum Law, background to the revision, museum registration system and
]apanese current situations are described.