The Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 and subsequent tsunami devastated Japan's northeast coast and caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Japan's victory over Russia in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 was the first time an Asian power had defeated a European power in a modern war.

The oil crisis of the 1970s had a major impact on Japan's economy, leading to increased focus on energy conservation and alternative sources of energy.