Yoji Yamada
Born: 1931-09-13 in Osaka, Japan
Known For: Directing
Biography
Yoji Yamada (山田 洋次 Yamada Yōji, born September 13, 1931 in Toyonaka City, Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese film director best known for his Otoko wa Tsurai yo series of films. He was born in Osaka. But because of the work of his father, who was an engineer for the South Manchuria Railway, from the age of 2 he was brought up in Manchuria. Following the end of World War II, he came back to Japan and subsequently he lived in Ube in Yamaguchi Prefecture. After receiving his degree from Tokyo University in 1954, he entered Shochiku and worked under Yoshitaro Nomura as a scriptwriter or as an assistant director. He has won many awards throughout his lengthy career and is well respected in Japan and by critics throughout the world. He wrote his first screenplay in 1958, and directed his first movie in 1961. Yamada continues to make movies to this day. He once served as president of the Directors Guild of Japan, and is currently a guest professor of Ritsumeikan University.
Filmography
2025
- Tokyo Taxi ... (Director)
- Home Sweet Home ... (Writer)
2023
- Mom, Is That You?! ... (Director)
2022
- The Call of a Faraway Mountain ... (Screenplay)
2021
- It's a Flickering Life ... (Screenplay)
2020
- 戦争童画集 ～75年目のショートストーリー～ ... (Director)
2019
- Shounen Torajirou ... (Original Story)
- Tora-san, Wish You Were Here ... (Director)
- Seijo Story: 60 Years of Making Films as Self
2018
- What a Wonderful Family! 3 ... (Director)
- A Distant Cry from Spring ... (Writer)
- Older Brother, Younger Sister ... (Screenplay)
2017
- What a Wonderful Family! 2 ... (Director)
2016
- What a Wonderful Family! ... (Director)
- Ken San
2015
- Nagasaki: Memories of My Son ... (Director)
- 700 Days with Ryuichi Sakamoto as Self
- Sat-chan Tadashi-chan: Sengo minshu-teki dokuritsu pro funtō-ki as Self
2014
- The Little House ... (Director)
2013
- Tokyo Family ... (Screenplay)
2011
- The Yellow Handkerchief ... (Writer)
2010
- About Her Brother ... (Director)
- Kyoto Story ... (Screenplay)
2009
- The Yellow Handkerchief ... (Original Film Writer)
- Free and Easy 20: Final ... (Screenplay)
2008
- Kabei: Our Mother ... (Director)
2006
- Love and Honor ... (Director)
- Sea Without Exit ... (Screenplay)
- Free and Easy 17 ... (Screenplay)
2005
- Free and Easy 16 ... (Writer)
2004
- The Hidden Blade ... (Director)
2003
- Free and Easy 14 ... (Writer)
2002
- The Twilight Samurai ... (Director)
- Free and Easy 13 ... (Writer)
2001
- Free and Easy 12: Big Holiday Bonus Project ... (Writer)
2000
- A Class to Remember IV: Fifteen ... (Director)
1998
- A Class to Remember III: The New Voyage ... (Director)
- Free and Easy: Samurai Edition ... (Writer)
- Free and Easy 10 ... (Screenplay)
- Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirou Wasurenagusa ... (Creator)
1997
- Tora-san's Tropical Fever Special Version ... (Director)
- The Rainbow Seeker 2 ... (Director)
- Shin Salaryman Senka ... (Screenplay)
1996
- A Class to Remember II ... (Director)
- The Rainbow Seeker ... (Director)
- Free and Easy 8 ... (Writer)
- Salaryman Senka: Tanshin Funin ... (Screenplay)
1995
- Salaryman Senka ... (Screenplay)
- Tora-san to the Rescue ... (Director)
- Toki no kagayaki ... (Screenplay)
1994
- Tora-san's Easy Advice ... (Director)
- Free and Easy 7 ... (Writer)
- Free and Easy Special ... (Writer)
1993
- Tora-san's Matchmaker ... (Director)
- A Class to Remember ... (Director)
- Free and Easy 6 ... (Writer)
- Film Director Satsuo Yamamoto as Self
1992
- Tora-san Makes Excuses ... (Director)
- Free and Easy 5 ... (Writer)
1991
- My Sons ... (Director)
- Free and Easy 4 ... (Writer)
- Tora-san Confesses ... (Director)
1990
- Tora-san Takes a Vacation ... (Director)
1989
- Tora-san Goes to Vienna ... (Director)
- Tora-san, My Uncle ... (Writer)
- Free and Easy 2 ... (Writer)
- Days with Harasu ... (Writer)
1988
- Tora-san's Salad-Day Memorial ... (Director)
- Downtown Heroes ... (Director)
- Free and Easy ... (Writer)
- Lady Camellia ... (Script)
1987
- Tora-san Goes North ... (Director)
- Tora-san Plays Daddy ... (Director)
1986
- Final Take: The Golden Age of Movies ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Bluebird Fantasy ... (Director)
1985
- Tora-san's Island Encounter ... (Director)
- Tora-san, the Go-Between ... (Director)
1984
- Tora-san's Forbidden Love ... (Director)
- Marriage Counselor Tora-san ... (Director)
1983
- Tora-san's Song of Love ... (Director)
- I Lived, But... as Self
- Tora-san Goes Religious? ... (Writer)
- Itoshi no Lahaina ... (Original Story)
1982
- Tora-san, the Expert ... (Director)
- Hearts and Flowers for Tora-san ... (Director)
1981
- Fuusen no Doratarou ... (Original Story)
- Tora-san's Love in Osaka ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Promise ... (Director)
- Xiongmao Monogatari TaoTao ... (Story)
1980
- A Distant Cry from Spring ... (Director)
- Foster Daddy, Tora! ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Tropical Fever ... (Writer)
1979
- Tora-san's Dream of Spring ... (Director)
- Tora-san, the Matchmaker ... (Director)
- Our Symphony ... (Original Story)
1978
- Talk of the Town Tora-san ... (Director)
- Stage-Struck Tora-san ... (Writer)
- Ore wa Ueno no puresurī ... (Story)
- Ore wa inaka no puresurī ... (Story)
1977
- The Yellow Handkerchief ... (Director)
- Tora-san Meets His Lordship ... (Director)
- Tora-san Plays Cupid ... (Director)
1976
- Tora-san's Pure Love ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Sunrise and Sunset ... (Director)
- Two Iida ... (Co-Writer)
- Oretachi no toki ... (Original Story)
1975
- Tora-san Meets the Songstress Again ... (Director)
- Tora-san, the Intellectual ... (Director)
- The Village ... (Director)
1974
- The Castle of Sand ... (Screenplay)
- Tora-san's Lullaby ... (Writer)
- Tora-san's Lovesick ... (Director)
- Center of Tokyo ... (Screenplay)
1973
- Tora-san Loves an Artist ... (Writer)
- Tora-san's Forget Me Not ... (Director)
1972
- Tora-san's Dear Old Home ... (Director)
- Home from the Sea ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Dream-Come-True ... (Director)
1971
- Tora-san, the Good Samaritan ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Shattered Romance ... (Director)
- Follow the Girls ... (Screenplay)
- Tora-san's Love Call ... (Director)
1970
- Where Spring Comes Late ... (Director)
- Tora-san, His Tender Love ... (Original Story)
- Tora-san's Runaway ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Grand Scheme ... (Screenplay)
1969
- Women Can't Be Beaten ... (Original Story)
- Tora-san's Cherished Mother ... (Director)
- Tora-san, Our Lovable Tramp ... (Director)
- Vagabond Schemer ... (Director)
1968
- It's Tough Being a Man ... (Adaptation)
- I, the Executioner ... (Writer)
- The Shy Deceiver ... (Director)
- The Million Dollar Pursuit ... (Screenplay)
- It's Tough Being a Man (Television Drama DVD Edit Edition) ... (Adaptation)
1967
- Onna no issho ... (Screenplay)
- Let's Have A Dream ... (Director)
- The Greatest Challenge of All ... (Screenplay)
- Song of Love ... (Screenplay)
1966
- The Lovable Tramp ... (Director)
- Gamblers' Luck ... (Director)
- Warm Current ... (Writer)
- Ohana han: Dai ni bu ... (Screenplay)
- Ohana han ... (Screenplay)
1965
- A Trap ... (Director)
1964
- To Your Majesty, The Emperor 2 ... (Screenplay)
- The Donkey Comes on a Tank ... (Director)
- The Irresponsible Fool ... (Director)
- The Honest Fool ... (Director)
1963
- The Sunshine Girl ... (Director)
- At the Side of the Bridge 4 ... (Screenplay)
- At the Side of the Bridge 3 ... (Screenplay)
1962
- Kyū-chan ondo ... (Screenplay)
- At the Side of the Bridge 2 ... (Screenplay)
- At the Side of the Bridge ... (Screenplay)
- Kanbi no ware koso wa ittō shain ... (Screenplay)
1961
- Zero Focus ... (Screenplay)
- The Strangers Upstairs ... (Director)
- Koi no gashū ... (Screenplay)
1960
- One-Way Ticket to Love ... (Assistant Director)
- Yellow Cherries ... (Screenplay)
1959
- Akatsuki no chiheisen ... (Screenplay)
1958
- Monthly Salary: 13,000 Yen ... (Screenplay)
- Modan dôchû: Sono koi matta nashi ... (Screenplay)
- The Girl Who Creates Tomorrow ... (Screenplay)
1957
- Hachi no ko ... (Screenplay)