The 1964 Tokyo Olympics marked Japan's re-emergence on the world stage and showcased the country's modernization and technological advancements.

The bullet train (Shinkansen), which began operation in 1964, was the first high-speed train system in the world and is still one of the fastest.

The Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 and subsequent tsunami devastated Japan's northeast coast and caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster.