The Japanese wood pigeon, also known as the "tekura," is a species of pigeon that is native to Japan's forests and is known for its distinctive cooing call.

Japan's victory over Russia in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 was the first time an Asian power had defeated a European power in a modern war.

The Meiji Restoration in the late 19th century saw the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate and the modernization of Japan.