The Japanese macaque, also known as the snow monkey, is the northernmost-living non-human primate and is famous for its habit of bathing in hot springs during the winter.

The first novel ever written, The Tale of Genji, was written in Japan in the 11th century by a noblewoman named Murasaki Shikibu.

Japan's surrender in World War II was announced on August 15, 1945, and marked the end of the war in the Pacific.