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.

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 Japanese river otter, once common throughout Japan, is now extinct due to habitat destruction and hunting.