Mobile Suit Gundam, created by Yoshiyuki Tomino in 1979, is a popular anime series that helped to popularize the mecha genre of anime, which features giant robots.

Japanese athletes have competed in a wide variety of sports at the Olympics, including judo, gymnastics, swimming, and athletics.

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.