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

The hybrid car, first introduced by Toyota in 1997, uses both gasoline and electric power to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.

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