Japan has produced several successful Olympians, including swimmer Kosuke Kitajima and figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu.

The Shiretoko National Park in Hokkaido is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular destination for wildlife watching, with opportunities to see brown bears and rare bird species.

The Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 and subsequent tsunami devastated Japan's northeast coast and caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster.