The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), invented by Nintendo in 1985, revolutionized the video game industry and introduced many classic games and characters.

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

Karaoke, a popular form of entertainment in Japan, originated in Kobe in the 1970s.