Since the 1980s, theories of postmodernism and postmodernity have been widely received in Japan not only among academics but also among broader general readers. At times, books on these theories have gained considerable popularity among the reading public. However, the reception of these theories has not been simple and straightforward. In summary, they were celebrated in the 1980s, heavily criticized and rejected in the 1990s, and then rediscovered, reinterpreted and extended in the 2000s.