Skiing and snowboarding are popular winter sports in Japan, with the country hosting several major ski resorts and hosting international competitions.

Hayao Miyazaki, one of the most famous and influential anime directors of all time, has created many classic anime films such as Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Howl's Moving Castle.

The first novel ever written, The Tale of Genji, was written in Japan in the 11th century by a noblewoman named Murasaki Shikibu.