The bullet train (Shinkansen), which began operation in 1964, was the first high-speed train system in the world and is still one of the fastest.

The Mongol invasions of Japan in the 13th century were repelled by a combination of strategic planning and a typhoon that destroyed the invading fleet.

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.