The Taisho period, which lasted from 1912 to 1926, was marked by political instability and social change, including the rise of labor unions and women's rights movements.

Soccer, or football, is a popular sport in Japan and the country has a professional soccer league with 18 teams.

The 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack by the Aum Shinrikyo cult shocked Japan and led to increased scrutiny of religious groups.