Why Not? (1981): Cast & Where to Watch
Why Not? is a 1981 drama directed by Shôhei Imamura, starring Taiji Tonoyama as Jyosyuya, Yasuaki Kurata and Mitsuko Baisho. It runs 2 hours 31 minutes. Stream it on Criterion Channel.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 31m (151 min)
- Director
- Shôhei Imamura
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
Japanese - Studio
- Imamura Productions
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Why Not? About?
The premise of Why Not? without spoilers.
The film captures the carnivalesque spirit of 1867‑68 Japan, embodied by the chant “Ei ja nai ka” (“Why not?”) as the nation heads toward the Meiji Restoration. It examines the era’s social and political turmoil, culminating in a raucous march on the Tokyo Imperial Palace that turns into a massacre. Imamura highlights ordinary and marginal characters rather than the elite.
Why Not? Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- wealth
- protest
- politics
- japanese
- search
- japanese politics
- rifle
- riot
- women sold to a carnival
- amulet
- river
- peasant
+38 more Show fewer
- wife refuses to move with her husband
- freedom
- clan
- samurai
- jail
- epic
- 1860s
- ceremony
- fall of the togukawa shogunate
- poverty
- love
- husband searches for his wife
- samurai honor
- demonstration
- period drama
- warlord
- bilingual man
- flowers
- loyalty
- japan
- boat
- military code of honor
- revolution
- escape from jail
- husband wife relationship
- japanese history
- reference to the american civil war
- castaway
- shipwreck
- street life
- dance
- japanese soldier
- japanese national guardsman
- money
- exile
- japanese emperor
- family relationships
- shooting
Where to Watch Why Not?
Stream it on Criterion Channel. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
Stream 1
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Why Not? Cast & Characters
Taiji Tonoyama leads the cast as Jyosyuya, with Yasuaki Kurata as Hanjiro and Mitsuko Baisho as Oko. Directed by Shôhei Imamura; 24 actors are credited in all.
- Director Shôhei Imamura
-
Taiji Tonoyama as Jyosyuya -
Yasuaki Kurata as Hanjiro -
Mitsuko Baisho as Oko -
Kaori Momoi as Ine
Also Starring in Why Not?
· 20 more- Shigeru Izumiya Genji
- Ken Ogata Furukawa
- Kazuko Shirakawa Yamikumo-dayu
- Norihei Miki Masuya
- Shigeru Tsuyuguchi Kinzo
- Nenji Kobayashi Matakichi
- Minori Terada Ijuin
- Shoichi Ozawa Sakunojo
- Chōichirō Kawarasaki Nakazawa
- Kazuo Kitamura Koide
- Yuko Tanaka Omatsu
- Shôhei Hino Magoshichi
- Masao Kusakari Itoman
- Hiroshi Inuzuka Roku
- Junzaburō Ban Toramatsu
- Sanshō Shinsui Densuke
Show all 24 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Ako Oyoshi
- Kibaji Tankobo Gon
- Shino Ikenami Yoshino
- Etsuko Ikuta Nui
Why Not? Also Known As
12 alternative titles, including “Eijanaika” and “Ну и чёрт с ним!”.
- Also known as
-
- Eijanaika
- Ну и чёрт с ним!
- Ээдзянайка
- Почему нет?
- 좋지 아니한가
- Pourquoi pas ?
- 乱世浮生
- Ну и черт с ним!
- 에에쟈나이카
- A proč ne!
- Eijanaika (Qué más da)
- 亂世浮生
Seen Why Not??
Movies Like Why Not?
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji, Assassination and The Ceremony.
Why Not? FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch, post-credit scenes and language of Why Not?, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Why Not??
Why Not? runs 2 hours 31 minutes (151 minutes).
When was Why Not? released?
Why Not? was released on January 8, 1981.
Who directed Why Not??
Why Not? was directed by Shôhei Imamura.
More films by Shôhei Imamura Who is in the cast of Why Not??
Why Not? stars Taiji Tonoyama as Jyosyuya, Yasuaki Kurata as Hanjiro and Mitsuko Baisho as Oko, among 24 credited actors.
Where can I watch Why Not??
In the US, Why Not? is streaming on Criterion Channel (availability from JustWatch).
Does Why Not? have a post-credit scene?
No. Why Not? has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is Why Not? in?
The original language of Why Not? is Japanese.
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