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

The Allied occupation of Japan following World War II brought about major political and social changes, including the drafting of a new constitution and the abolition of the samurai class.

The electric guitar, invented by Fujigen Gakki in the 1950s, has become a staple instrument in popular music worldwide.