The rice cooker, invented in the 1950s, has made cooking rice faster and more convenient for households worldwide.

The Shinkansen, or bullet train, is a popular mode of transportation for tourists in Japan, and travels at speeds of up to 320 km/h (200 mph).

The Meiji Restoration in the late 19th century saw the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate and the modernization of Japan.