Japan has a fascination with mascots, and there are thousands of them representing everything from cities to prisons.

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

The Himeji Castle in Himeji is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most beautiful and well-preserved castles in Japan.