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What is it with Japanese historical eras? What constituted the end of these eras? Where did the names of them come from? Does anyone know a significant amout about the importance of historical eras??? If possible please elaborate on what made these different eras so special. Anything will help! xp I know nothing pass the Era of Civil Wars (sengoku jidai)...

Most eras are named after the name the kinjo tenno, the current emperor. there are a few exceptions to some eras, but most are named this way and the periods usually lasts until the emperor dies, though if an emeperor with a new family names takes the throne, than the name is more likely changes than if it was the heir who took the throne.

I -love- Heian Japan. While most people find it boring since it was basically peaceful until the end of the era, and both men and women of the upperclass just partied and recited/composed poems and worried about color combinations all day.. . I just can't help but be sucked into all the beauty of this period. And it is AMAZING to see a culture of people who actually care so much for aesthetic and natural beauty around them.

Some say it was the first truly Japanese era, since by this time the Japanese had quit official contact with China (and in fact poetry style and trends were already 50 to 100 some odd years behind China).

Probably the best source for this era is The Tale of Genji. There are numerous diaries by court ladies as well, like Sarashina Diary, Murasaki Shikibu Diary, and the Gossamar Years. Also a good book about the daily lives of the noble classes (records of peasants' lives are virtually non-existant for this era) is The World of the Shining Prince.

Anyone ever heard of the Bakumatsu era? All I know was that it was the end of something...

The bakumatsu was a period of unrest. Various assassinations took place during that time. Probably becuase of the transition that had to be made. You know how some ppl then didn't particularly like Meiji's ideas. Cant really name anything in partucular though.

i think thats true. I think I remember reading that Bakumatsu was the time period coming right out of the Edo era. I believe this era was also the beginning of foreign trade with other nations. I suppose those from the Edo period that were still stuck in their mindset of maintaining a "pure" isolated Japan were in the way and had to be dealt with.