Sailor Moon, created by Naoko Takeuchi in 1991, is a popular anime series that follows the adventures of a teenage girl who transforms into a magical warrior to fight evil.

Sword Art Online, created by Reki Kawahara in 2009, is a popular anime and light novel series that takes place in a virtual reality MMORPG world.

The 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack by the Aum Shinrikyo cult shocked Japan and led to increased scrutiny of religious groups.