Ee ja nai ka
ee ja nai ka ええじゃないか lit isnt good complex carnivalesque religious celebration communal activity often understood social political protest occurred many part japan june may end edo period start meiji restoration particularly intense boshin war bakumatsu movement originated kansai region near kyoto west japan ee ja nai ka appeared first form dancing festival often related public work rain magic dance dead sacred amulet said fallen heaven thanksgiving celebration amulet added could last several day effectively took whole rural urban community away everyday life gift exchanged youth group organized mass dance included crossdressing elaborate costume wearing clothes express gratitude towards kami buddha given amulet many people went pilgrimage local regional sanctuary term ee ja nai ka refrain popular song performed activity therefore later chosen title phrase meaning also defiant fatalistic translates care hell along line care take clothes care sex great diversity rivalry religious practice premodern japan helped shape range event suggested religious activist priest itinerant preacher played major role fabricating amulet shower suspect even caught act alert officer youth interested celebrating party becoming spiritual leader also suspected case convicted ee ja nai ka linked specific political platform though often understood form political protest way blocked reaction crumbling tokugawa shogunate disappointment regarding lack governing political leadership disgust western christian foreigner sign socialpolitical critique frequently displayed evidence coordinated political setup staging ee ja nai ka although also rumoured movement spread across japan eventually descending mob violence coming end end ee ja nai ka concurrent beginning meiji restoration westernstyle modernization japan british translator ernest mason satow recalled seencrowds people holiday garb dancing singing ii janai ka ii janai ka house decorated rice cake colour orange little bag straw flower dress worn chiefly red crape blue purple many dancer carried red lantern headsin japanese director shohei imamura produced film eijanaika give deliberately historically incorrect interpretation event nevertheless catch unstable tense atmosphere age imamura previously helped write yuzo kawashima film period sun last day shogunate era also depicted kihachi okamotodirected toshirō mifune film red lion ee ja nai ka activity hitherto unknown part japanese history bakumatsu recent year included alluded mainstream historical production nhk taiga drama ryōmaden yae sakura like dragon ishin appears sub story bakumatsu kikansetsu irohanihoheto beginning episode anime story involves incident ee ja nai ka part plot wilson george patriot redeemer japan motif meiji restoration university chicago press pp transcript ee ja nai ka chant