Available in United States
Eijanaika (1981)
Where can I watch?
As of 2026-09-12, Eijanaika (1981) streams on 2 of 6 tracked regions. United States: Criterion Channel. Japan: Hulu, U-NEXT, Plus Shochiku Amazon Channel.
1981 · Released · 151m
TMDB 6.2 · 18 votes
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.
