The Shiretoko National Park in Hokkaido is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular destination for wildlife watching, with opportunities to see brown bears and rare bird species.

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

The Japanese giant salamander is one of the world's largest amphibians and is native to Japan's freshwater rivers and streams.