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

Karate, another martial art that originated in Japan, has also become a popular sport and is practiced by millions of people around the world.

Japan's surrender in World War II was announced on August 15, 1945, and marked the end of the war in the Pacific.