::Putting a list of a few specific events up top is bad. Take Murasaki Shikibu and Tale of Genji. Yeah, people call it "the first novel" and all, but it really doesn't have much historical significance except that it's a good record of its era. Likewise Commodore Perry: people say he "opened" Japan, but Japan's closure had been unraveling for some time; Perry's role could be better described as "pushing the process forward." Certainly some of the broad historical themes are worth a note for understanding Japan: the country developed a strong imperial bureaucracy, then went through a lengthy feudal era, was closed off, reopened, Westernized, tried to take over Asia, failed, and ended up developing into an economic superpower. Picking certain people or events for their importance is kind of POV. When we do so, it should be in the "History" section where it's actually possible to list most of the really important figures side by side. -