Niigata is a city located on Japan's western coast, and is known for its delicious seafood, sake, and snow festivals.

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.

The compact disc (CD) was co-invented by Philips and Sony in the 1980s and has since replaced vinyl records as the primary means of music storage.