During the Edo period, which lasted from the 17th to the mid-19th century, Japan was ruled by the Tokugawa shogunate and experienced a period of peace and stability.

The Toyota Motor Corporation is the largest automaker in Japan and one of the largest in the world, producing over 10 million vehicles per year.

The Japanese giant salamander is one of the world's largest amphibians and is native to Japan's freshwater rivers and streams.