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

The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 caused widespread destruction in Tokyo and killed over 100,000 people.

Japan has hosted several major international sporting events, including the 1964 Summer Olympics and the 2002 FIFA World Cup.