Yoji Yamada

Yamada Yoji's directing career started with a couple of now forgotten movies in 1968. But the next year, his career started on a path that would make him one of the best-known directors in the country. Almost all the 48 movies in the Tora San series were directed by Yamada and they all starred Atsumi Kiyoshi, who made the central character the best-known and best-loved in Japanese movie history. Yamada won a Japan Academy Award for one of these works in 1977 and Atsumi received a Special Prize from the Academy in 1980. The actual title of the series is Otoko Wa Tsurai Yo (It's Tough Being a Man) but the movies are usually referred to by the name of Atsumi's character. Tora San is a kind-hearted but often misguided itinerant salesman who travels the country (at least one film was made in every prefecture), helping people and falling, always unsuccessfully, in love. His love interest is referred to as the 'madonna' and the part has been played by some of Japan's most famous actresses. Despite the fact that his fortunes never really change for the better, Tora San is happy with his freewheeling lifestyle. As such, he is the antithesis of the workaholic salaryman. The formula, which was a combination of road movie, romance, comedy and nostalgia, guaranteed box-office success every time. The series continued until Atsumi's death in 1996.

Although Yamada is best known for the Tora-san movies, he has also managed to fit in a few other works along the way. In the 1990's he made the Gakko (A Class to Remember) series, and he has been a writer on the long-running "Tsuri Baka Nisshi" (Fishing Fool) comedy series that is the closest thing these days to Tora-san.

2003 saw his first period drama, Tasogare Seibei (Twilight Samurai), entered for the Golden Bear in the Berlin Film Festival. The movie featured former martial arts star Sanada Hiroyuki and Miyazawa Rie, enjoying a golden patch in her turbulent career. The film won several awards, and was followed in 2004 by Kakushi-ken: Oni no Tsume (Hidden Sword: Demon's Talons). The third in his samurai trilogy, Bushi no Ichibun, starring SMAP heart-throb Kimura Takuya in his first samurai role, was released in late 2006. It received nominations in all 13 award categories for the Japan Academy Awards, though Kimura turned down his nomination.

Source: Japan Zone

As a director:

• 2010 Otôto
• 2008 Kâbê
• 2006 Bushi no ichibun
• 2004 Kakushi ken oni no tsume
• 2002 Tasogare Seibei
• 2000 15-Sai: Gakko IV
• 1998 Gakko III
• 1996 Niji o tsukamu otoko
• 1996 Gakko II
• 1995 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro kurenai no hana
• 1994 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Haikei, Kuruma Torajiro sama
• 1993 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro no endan
• 1993 Gakko
• 1992 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro no seishun
• 1991 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro no kokuhaku
• 1991 Musuko
• 1990 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro no kyuujitsu
• 1989 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Boku no ojisan
• 1989 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro kokoro no tabiji
• 1988 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro sarada kinenbi
• 1988 Dauntaun hirozu
• 1987 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro monogatari
• 1987 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Shiretoko bojo
• 1986 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Shiawase no aoi tori
• 1986 Kinema no tenchi
• 1985 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Shibamata yori ai wo komete
• 1985 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro renaijuku
• 1984 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro shinjitsu ichiro
• 1984 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Yogiri ni musebu torajiro
• 1983 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Kuchibue o fuku Torajirô
• 1983 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Tabi to onna to Torajiro
• 1982 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Hana mo arashi mo Torajiro
• 1982 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro ajisai no koi
• 1981 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro kamifusen
• 1981 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Naniwa no koi no Torajiro
• 1980 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro kamome uta
• 1980 Haruka naru yama no yobigoe
• 1980 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro haibisukasu no hana
• 1979 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro haru no yume
• 1979 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Tonderu Torajiro
• 1978 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Uwasa no torajiro
• 1978 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro wagamichi wo yuku
• 1977 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro gambare!
• 1977 Shiawase no kiiroi hankachi
• 1977 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro to tonosama
• 1976 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro junjoshishu
• 1976 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro yuuyake koyake
• 1975 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Katsushika risshihen
• 1975 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro aiaigasa
• 1975 Harakara
• 1974 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro komoriuta
• 1974 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro koiyatsure
• 1973 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Watashi no tora-san
• 1973 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro wasurenagusa
• 1972 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro yumemakura
• 1972 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Shibamata bojo
• 1972 Kokyô
• 1971 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro koiuta
• 1971 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Funto hen
• 1971 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Junjô hen
• 1970 Kazoku
• 1970 Otoko wa tsurai yo: Boukyou hen
• 1969 Zoku otoko wa tsurai yo
• 1969 Otoko wa tsurai yo
• 1969 Kigeki ippatsu dai hisshou
• 1968 Fukeba tobuyona otokodaga
• 1968 Ippatsu daiboken
• 1966 Un ga yokerya
• 1966 Natsukashii furaibo
• 1965 Kiri no hata
• 1964 Iikagen baka
• 1964 Baka ga tanku de yatte kuru
• 1964 Baka marudashi
• 1963 Shitamachi no taiyou
• 1961 Nikai no tanin