Osaka is Japan's third-largest city and a major commercial and industrial hub, with a population of over 19 million people in the greater Osaka area.

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

The karaoke machine, which was invented by Daisuke Inoue in 1971, has become a popular form of entertainment worldwide.