The Allied occupation of Japan following World War II brought about major political and social changes, including the drafting of a new constitution and the abolition of the samurai class.

The bullet train (Shinkansen), which began operation in 1964, was the first high-speed train system in the world and is still one of the fastest.

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.