Japan's recorded history dates back to the 5th century AD, when the first known emperor, Emperor Jimmu, ascended to the throne.
The earliest known Japanese animation was produced in 1907, and the first feature-length anime film was released in 1945.
Astro Boy, created by Osamu Tezuka in 1963, is considered the first modern anime and helped to popularize the genre both in Japan and around the world.
