The 16th century saw the rise of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, who were instrumental in unifying Japan under a centralized government.
Japan is home to many UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the historic monuments of ancient Kyoto and the island of Itsukushima Shrine.
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.
