Sapporo is the largest city on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, and is known for its winter sports and beer.

The Japanese women's national soccer team, also known as the Nadeshiko Japan, won the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2011 and has been a dominant force in women's soccer.

The Mongol invasions of Japan in the 13th century were repelled by a combination of strategic planning and a typhoon that destroyed the invading fleet.