The Mongol invasions of Japan in the 13th century were repelled by a combination of strategic planning and a typhoon that destroyed the invading fleet.
The Japanese giant salamander is one of the world's largest amphibians and is native to Japan's freshwater rivers and streams.
The bullet train (Shinkansen), which began operation in 1964, was the first high-speed train system in the world and is still one of the fastest.
