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

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

The Japanese Olympic Committee was founded in 1911 and Japan has participated in every Summer Olympic Games since 1912.