Hiroshima is a historic city on Japan's western coast, and is known for its Peace Memorial Park and Museum, dedicated to the victims of the atomic bombing.

The earliest known Japanese animation was produced in 1907, and the first feature-length anime film was released in 1945.

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