The Japanese diet is considered to be one of the healthiest in the world, featuring a lot of fish, vegetables, and rice.

Cherry blossoms, or sakura, are a national symbol of Japan and are celebrated each spring with picnics and festivals.

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