In Japan, there is a tradition of eating soba noodles on New Year's Eve to bring good luck.

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

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).