Japan has more than 5 million vending machines, including ones that sell bananas, underwear, and even canned bread.

The robotic pet, such as Sony's Aibo, has become a popular form of entertainment and companionship for people who cannot keep real pets.

Akira, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo in 1988, is a classic anime film that helped to popularize the cyberpunk genre of science fiction.