Akira, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo in 1988, is a classic anime film that helped to popularize the cyberpunk genre of science fiction.

The Japanese women's national soccer team, also known as the Nadeshiko Japan, won the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2011 and has been a dominant force in women's soccer.

The Japanese river otter, once common throughout Japan, is now extinct due to habitat destruction and hunting.