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

Japan has a fascination with mascots, and there are thousands of them representing everything from cities to prisons.

Cherry blossoms, or sakura, are a national symbol of Japan and are celebrated each spring with picnics and festivals.