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)
- Older Brother, Younger Sister ... (Screenplay)
- A Distant Cry from Spring ... (Writer)
2017
- What a Wonderful Family! 2 ... (Director)
2016
- What a Wonderful Family! ... (Director)
- Ken San
2015
- Nagasaki: Memories of My Son ... (Director)
- Sat-chan Tadashi-chan: Sengo minshu-teki dokuritsu pro funtō-ki as Self
- 700 Days with Ryuichi Sakamoto as Self
2014
- The Little House ... (Director)
2013
- Tokyo Family ... (Director)
2011
- The Yellow Handkerchief ... (Writer)
2010
- About Her Brother ... (Director)
- Kyoto Story ... (Story)
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 ... (Screenplay)
- Free and Easy 13 ... (Writer)
2001
- Free and Easy 12: Big Holiday Bonus Project ... (Writer)
2000
- A Class to Remember IV: Fifteen ... (Director)
1998
- Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirou Wasurenagusa ... (Creator)
- A Class to Remember III: The New Voyage ... (Director)
- Free and Easy 10 ... (Screenplay)
- Free and Easy: Samurai Edition ... (Writer)
1997
- The Rainbow Seeker 2 ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Tropical Fever Special Version ... (Director)
- Shin Salaryman Senka ... (Screenplay)
1996
- The Rainbow Seeker ... (Director)
- Salaryman Senka: Tanshin Funin ... (Screenplay)
- Free and Easy 8 ... (Writer)
- A Class to Remember II ... (Director)
1995
- Tora-san to the Rescue ... (Director)
- Toki no kagayaki ... (Screenplay)
- Salaryman Senka ... (Screenplay)
1994
- Tora-san's Easy Advice ... (Director)
- Free and Easy Special ... (Writer)
- Free and Easy 7 ... (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
- Tora-san Confesses ... (Director)
- Free and Easy 4 ... (Writer)
- My Sons ... (Director)
1990
- Tora-san Takes a Vacation ... (Director)
1989
- Tora-san Goes to Vienna ... (Director)
- Tora-san, My Uncle ... (Director)
- Days with Harasu ... (Writer)
- Free and Easy 2 ... (Writer)
1988
- Free and Easy ... (Writer)
- Tora-san's Salad-Day Memorial ... (Director)
- Downtown Heroes ... (Director)
- Lady Camellia ... (Script)
1987
- Tora-san Plays Daddy ... (Director)
- Tora-san Goes North ... (Director)
1986
- Final Take: The Golden Age of Movies ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Bluebird Fantasy ... (Director)
1985
- Tora-san, the Go-Between ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Island Encounter ... (Director)
1984
- Marriage Counselor Tora-san ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Forbidden Love ... (Director)
1983
- Tora-san Goes Religious? ... (Director)
- I Lived, But... as Self
- Tora-san's Song of Love ... (Director)
- Itoshi no Lahaina ... (Original Story)
1982
- Hearts and Flowers for Tora-san ... (Director)
- Tora-san, the Expert ... (Director)
1981
- Fuusen no Doratarou ... (Original Story)
- Tora-san's Love in Osaka ... (Director)
- Xiongmao Monogatari TaoTao ... (Story)
- Tora-san's Promise ... (Director)
1980
- A Distant Cry from Spring ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Tropical Fever ... (Director)
- Foster Daddy, Tora! ... (Director)
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 ... (Director)
- Ore wa inaka no puresurī ... (Story)
- Ore wa Ueno no puresurī ... (Story)
1977
- The Yellow Handkerchief ... (Director)
- Tora-san Plays Cupid ... (Director)
- Tora-san Meets His Lordship ... (Director)
1976
- Tora-san's Pure Love ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Sunrise and Sunset ... (Director)
- Oretachi no toki ... (Original Story)
- Two Iida ... (Co-Writer)
1975
- Tora-san Meets the Songstress Again ... (Director)
- The Village ... (Director)
- Tora-san, the Intellectual ... (Director)
1974
- The Castle of Sand ... (Screenplay)
- Tora-san's Lullaby ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Lovesick ... (Director)
- Center of Tokyo ... (Screenplay)
1973
- Tora-san's Forget Me Not ... (Director)
- Tora-san Loves an Artist ... (Director)
1972
- Tora-san's Dream-Come-True ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Dear Old Home ... (Director)
- Home from the Sea ... (Director)
1971
- Tora-san's Love Call ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Shattered Romance ... (Director)
- Tora-san, the Good Samaritan ... (Director)
- Follow the Girls ... (Screenplay)
1970
- Where Spring Comes Late ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Runaway ... (Director)
- Tora-san, His Tender Love ... (Original Story)
- Tora-san's Grand Scheme ... (Original Story)
1969
- Tora-san, Our Lovable Tramp ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Cherished Mother ... (Director)
- Women Can't Be Beaten ... (Original Story)
- 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) ... (Original Story)
1967
- The Greatest Challenge of All ... (Screenplay)
- Song of Love ... (Screenplay)
- Let's Have A Dream ... (Director)
- Onna no issho ... (Screenplay)
1966
- Warm Current ... (Writer)
- The Lovable Tramp ... (Director)
- Gamblers' Luck ... (Director)
- Ohana han ... (Screenplay)
- Ohana han: Dai ni bu ... (Screenplay)
1965
- A Trap ... (Director)
1964
- To Your Majesty, The Emperor 2 ... (Screenplay)
- The Irresponsible Fool ... (Director)
- The Honest Fool ... (Director)
- The Donkey Comes on a Tank ... (Director)
1963
- The Sunshine Girl ... (Director)
- At the Side of the Bridge 3 ... (Screenplay)
- At the Side of the Bridge 4 ... (Screenplay)
1962
- At the Side of the Bridge ... (Screenplay)
- Kyū-chan ondo ... (Screenplay)
- At the Side of the Bridge 2 ... (Screenplay)
- Kanbi no ware koso wa ittō shain ... (Screenplay)
1961
- The Strangers Upstairs ... (Director)
- Zero Focus ... (Screenplay)
- 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)