In Japan, there is a tradition of eating soba noodles on New Year's Eve to bring good luck.

Astro Boy, created by Osamu Tezuka in 1963, is considered the first modern anime and helped to popularize the genre both in Japan and around the world.

The Shinkansen, or bullet train, is a popular mode of transportation for tourists in Japan, and travels at speeds of up to 320 km/h (200 mph).