The Japanese automotive industry is one of the largest and most advanced in the world, with major players such as Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Mazda.

Japanese athletes have competed in a wide variety of sports at the Olympics, including judo, gymnastics, swimming, and athletics.

The 16th century saw the rise of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, who were instrumental in unifying Japan under a centralized government.