Astro Boy, created by Osamu Tezuka in 1963, is considered the first modern anime and helped to popularize the genre both in Japan and around the world.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, originally scheduled for 2020 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are set to take place in 2021.

The 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack by the Aum Shinrikyo cult shocked Japan and led to increased scrutiny of religious groups.