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

Japan has hosted several major international sporting events, including the 1964 Summer Olympics and the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Tokyo is the political and economic center of Japan, and is home to the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the headquarters of many major corporations.