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.
The oil crisis of the 1970s had a major impact on Japan's economy, leading to increased focus on energy conservation and alternative sources of energy.
Japan's victory over Russia in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 was the first time an Asian power had defeated a European power in a modern war.
