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 compact disc (CD) was co-invented by Philips and Sony in the 1980s and has since replaced vinyl records as the primary means of music storage.

The Japanese automotive industry has been impacted by demographic changes, such as an aging population and declining birth rates, which have affected demand for cars and the availability of workers.