The Japan national baseball team has won two World Baseball Classic championships and has been a dominant force in international baseball.

Japan is home to many UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the historic monuments of ancient Kyoto and the island of Itsukushima Shrine.

The 16th century saw the rise of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, who were instrumental in unifying Japan under a centralized government.