The Hakone Ekiden, a long-distance relay race held annually between Tokyo and Hakone, is one of the most prestigious races in Japanese college athletics.
Japanese anime has gained a huge following outside of Japan and has become an important part of global popular culture, with many anime conventions and fan events held around the world.
The Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 and subsequent tsunami devastated Japan's northeast coast and caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
