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

Japan's victory over Russia in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 was the first time an Asian power had defeated a European power in a modern war.

Studio Trigger, founded in 2011 by former Gainax employees, is a prominent anime studio known for producing visually stunning and creatively innovative anime such as Kill la Kill and Promare.