Historical clue formulations

• Origin of "The Tale of Genji," considered by many to be the world's first novel — 2025-09-13
• Country with 14,125 islands (and only 260 inhabited!) — 2025-03-28
• Where Nissan and Nintendo are headquartered — 2024-08-05
• Mount Fuji's locale — 2023-01-09
• Country whose capital is an anagram of its former capital — 2023-01-01
• Locale of the 1964 and 2020 Summer Olympics — 2022-11-30
• Country where almost half the world's zippers are made — 2022-09-16
• Land east of the Yellow Sea — 2021-04-19
• Where Honda and Mazda are headquartered — 2019-07-29
• Country with the second greatest number of McDonald's restaurants after the U.S. [2,900+] — 2019-04-25
• Hirohito's home — 2018-06-13
• See 20-Across — 2017-08-05
• Tokyo's land — 2017-07-03
• Follower of a diet system — 2016-07-22
• Center of Shintoism — 2015-05-26
• Where some ex-major-leaguers play — 2013-08-21
• Tokyo's home — 2013-02-18
• Land of the Rising Sun — 2011-12-05
• Where 7-Down is based — 2011-05-30
• Home for 22-Across — 2011-05-08
• Where Mount Fuji is — 2010-07-19
• Where the Pokémon craze originated — 2007-12-24
• Black lacquer — 2007-10-24
• Where "Kimigayo" is the national anthem — 2006-08-10
• Modern name for old Cipango — 2006-06-18
• Honda's home — 2006-02-20
• Where "besuboru" is played — 2005-10-19
• Black varnish — 2003-08-24
• Sumo land — 2002-08-06
• Where Akitas originated — 1999-12-29
• Finish, of a sort — 1999-02-12
• Another name for Yamato — 1999-01-01
• Lacquer — 1998-12-12
• Land of the Rising Sun — 1998-06-03
• 40's foe — 1997-06-19
• "Walk, Don't Run" setting, 1966 — 1997-03-21
• One of 38-Across — 1994-08-23
• Legends are made there — 1994-01-15
• Lacquer — 1993-12-13