The 16th century saw the rise of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, who were instrumental in unifying Japan under a centralized government.

Soccer, or football, is a popular sport in Japan and the country has a professional soccer league with 18 teams.

The Japanese woodpecker is a species of woodpecker that is found throughout Japan's forests and is known for its distinctive red head.