Japan has hosted several major international sporting events, including the 1964 Summer Olympics and the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Takoyaki, a dish made with small balls of batter filled with chopped octopus, is a popular Japanese street food.
The 16th century saw the rise of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, who were instrumental in unifying Japan under a centralized government.