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 Miyajima Island in Hiroshima is famous for its giant torii gate that appears to float on the water at high tide, and is considered one of Japan's most scenic spots.

The Japanese language is written using three scripts: kanji (Chinese characters), hiragana, and katakana (both phonetic scripts).