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 earliest known Japanese animation was produced in 1907, and the first feature-length anime film was released in 1945.

Tennis is also popular in Japan, with several Japanese players competing at the highest level of the sport, including Naomi Osaka and Kei Nishikori.