Golf is a popular leisure activity in Japan, and the country has produced several successful professional golfers such as Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Ishikawa.

The Yokohama F. Marinos, a professional soccer team based in Yokohama, is one of the most successful teams in the J.League, having won several championships.

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