The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, created by Nagaru Tanigawa in 2003, is a popular light novel series and anime that explores themes of existentialism, time travel, and alternate realities.

The compact disc (CD) was co-invented by Philips and Sony in the 1980s and has since replaced vinyl records as the primary means of music storage.

The Muromachi period, which lasted from the 14th to the 16th century, was a time of great artistic and cultural achievement, including the development of tea ceremony and the Noh theater.