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

Japanese automakers have been leaders in developing fuel-efficient and low-emission vehicles, such as hydrogen fuel cell cars and plug-in electric vehicles.

Akira, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo in 1988, is a classic anime film that helped to popularize the cyberpunk genre of science fiction.