Japanese automakers are known for their strong focus on safety and have been leaders in developing new safety technologies such as automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning systems.

Astro Boy, created by Osamu Tezuka in 1963, is considered the first modern anime and helped to popularize the genre both in Japan and around the world.

The first novel ever written, The Tale of Genji, was written in Japan in the 11th century by a noblewoman named Murasaki Shikibu.