The Shinto religion, which emphasizes the worship of nature and ancestors, is indigenous to Japan and is still practiced by many people today.

The earliest known Japanese animation was produced in 1907, and the first feature-length anime film was released in 1945.

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