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

The 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack by the Aum Shinrikyo cult shocked Japan and led to increased scrutiny of religious groups.

Kitakyushu is a major industrial city in southwestern Japan, located on the island of Kyushu, and is known for its steel and automotive industries.