Lecture reading 9 - What the Hell! Ee ja nai ka Dancing as a Form of Protest

Question 1

What were the two main aspects of the ee ja nai ka phenomenon?

Answer 1

‘Ofudafuri’ - mysterious descent of thousands of paper talismans from the sky.

Wild dancing parties inspired by ofudafuri across densely populated geographical heartland. Hysterial dancing and orgiastic behaviour.

Question 2

What did the legends on the paper talismans represent?

Answer 2

Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, most often Grand Shrine of Ise.

Question 3

Who were the dramatis personae of the age? (four)

Answer 3

1. Foreigners bent on reconcilliation, doing anything to promote return of stability to Japan to continue trade and diplomacy.
2. Shogun’s effort to divide and conquer weakened him and left him powerless.
3. Outside daimyo and samurai who wanted new Japan that was orderly and secure, under sonno joi.
4. Commotion amongst commoners.

Question 4

What did the hysteria reveal?

Answer 4

Uncertainty and disarray.

Question 5

What did the demonstrators long for?

Answer 5

Security rooted in solid and stable way of doing things.

Question 6

What was ee ja nai ka?

Answer 6

A form of protest against the old order. Consciousness of change, challenge to old values.

Question 7

What was the supposed aim of ee ja nai ka?

Answer 7

Achieving yonaoshi (‘world renewal’).

Question 8

What were the two phases of ee ja nai ka?

Answer 8

First phase: ofudafuri

Second phase: response to ofudafuri in the form of extended parties.

Question 9

Which three questions does the political character of ee ja nai ka address?

Answer 9

1. Paralysis of authorities.
2. Conspiracy.
3. Xenophobia.

Question 10

How did ee ja nai ka paralyse the authorities?

Answer 10

Paralysed authorities in major cities, military and police functions could not cope with crowds. Also did not deter bakufu’s enemies - crowd expressed support for Choshu for anti-bakufu sentiments.

Question 11

According to conspiracy theories, who could have been behind ee ja nai ka? (two)

Answer 11

Satsuma-Choshu forces or agents of Kyoto courtiers.

Question 12

How strong/weak is evidence for conspiracy and why?

Answer 12

Weak. Among scholars, nobody advocates a conspiracy theory.

Although ofuda appeared mysteriously, they kept falling for months across the most densely-populated area of Japan. Historian Sasaki Junnosuke states that even anti-bakufu activities could never create artificial scenario so wide-ranging - ofuda fell from Kyoto to Kobe to Nagoya.

Question 13

Name two accounts of people involved in ofudafuri.

Answer 13

1. Accounts in Chuugai Shinbun of ronin in possession of shrine amulets who was detained by police.
2. Woodworkers found guilty of raining ofuda in Shizuoka.

Question 14

Describe the atmosphere of ee ja nai ka.

Answer 14

Carnival atmosphere, dancing orgies usually through the houses of the wealthy - commoners vented frustrations on usurious merchants and landlords.

Question 15

Why did ee ja nai ka in Kyoto receive considerable attention?

Answer 15

City had recently begun an economic recovery.

Question 16

What did Tokugawa Yoshinobu suggest?

Answer 16

Plan to return administrative authority to the emperor.

Question 17

How was Tokugawa Yoshinobu’s plan received?

Answer 17

Court declined, and conflict of opinion became public knowledge.

Question 18

What was Iwakura Tomomi’s view on ee ja nai ka?

Answer 18

Diary entry describes talismans as ‘assistance from heaven’. Also notes that craze in the streets lasted long enough to be useful to imperial forces trying to make an imperial restoration.

Question 19

What did lewd and drunken behaviour lead to?

Answer 19

Vandalism, riots, pillage, arson.

Question 20

What did the Kyoto city magistrates do and what effect did it have?

Answer 20

Issued a ban on ee ja nai ka dancing. Had no effect whatsoever.

Question 21

What did the ee ja nai ka activities grow out of?

Answer 21

Deep-seated distress and antinomian behaviour in the city. Rejection of forms, values, and ethical norms of everyday life.

Question 22

Evaluate the rural outbursts of ee ja nai ka.

Answer 22

Differ little from urban outbursts but lasted significantly shorter. Displaced form of peasant uprisings probably shaped by economic needs of individual communities. Urban phenomenon but had spillover effect.

Question 23

When did ee ja nai ka stop?

Answer 23

In 1868, when the new government took control over central Japan and most of the country.

Question 24

How can we evaluate ee ja nai ka in relation to the Meiji Restoration?

Answer 24

Ee ja nai ka occured in times and places that were important for political transition, occupying attention of authorities trying to govern central space of realm and defend it from samurai zealots.

Overall, it had a synchronistic and coincidental relationship to political authority and its troubles.

Question 25

What was Sasaki’s view on ee na nai ka?

Answer 25

Escalating urban and suburban violence under the rubric of yonaoshi. Outburst around Kyoto and Osaka add ‘political character’ to ee ja nai ka, stemming from shogun’s offer to return formal administrative authority to the imperial court.

Question 26

What was Beasley’s view on ee ja nai ka?

Answer 26

It was apolitical.

Question 27

What was Norman’s view on ee ja nai ka?

Answer 27

‘Mock’ revolt, perversion of people’s resistance to an oppressive regime, harmless if symbolically fascinating indicator of mass distress. In short: ‘mass hysteria’.

Question 28

What did ee ja nai ka indicate?

Answer 28

Disnomy and uncertainty.

Question 29

How did ee ja nai ka different from activity of samurai rebels?

Answer 29

Samurai rebels incurred more direct action, hard for samurai to express discontent without incurring severe punishment.