Japan Synopsis
ええじゃないか
The film depicts carnivalesque atmosphere summed up by the cry "Ei ja nai ka" ("Why not?") in Japan in 1867 and 1868 in the days leading to the Meiji Restoration. It examines the effects of the political and social upheaval of the time, and culminates in a revelrous march on the Tokyo Imperial Palace, which turns into a massacre. Characteristically, Imamura focuses not on the leaders of the country, but on characters in the lower classes and on the fringes of society.
The 1980–1982 Japan Window
67 Japan films released in this three-year window, ranked here by audience rating. Why Not? sits at position #27.
Other Titles From Imamura Productions
The 1980s Japan Landscape
Catalog density by release year in the 1980s. Highlighted year (yellow) is when Why Not? premiered. 280 total titles in this decade from Japan.
Reception Benchmarks
Ranked #2,440 of 4,579 Japan films indexed here (47th percentile by TMDB audience score).
Among Japan Drama productions specifically: #1,079 of 1,933 (top 56%).
Production Details
| Primary Country | Japan |
|---|---|
| Original Language | Japanese |
| Production Companies | Imamura Productions, Shochiku |
| Runtime | 2h 31m |
| Release Date | January 8, 1981 |
| IMDb | tt0082313 |