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)
2019
- Tora-san, Wish You Were Here ... (Director)
- Seijo Story: 60 Years of Making Films as Self
- Shounen Torajirou ... (Original Story)
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)
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 ... (Director)
2011
- The Yellow Handkerchief ... (Writer)
2010
- About Her Brother ... (Director)
- Kyoto Story ... (Story)
2009
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Free and Easy Special ... (Writer)
- Free and Easy 7 ... (Writer)
- Tora-san's Easy Advice ... (Director)
1993
- A Class to Remember ... (Director)
- Free and Easy 6 ... (Writer)
- Tora-san's Matchmaker ... (Director)
1992
- Free and Easy 5 ... (Writer)
- Tora-san Makes Excuses ... (Director)
1991
- My Sons ... (Director)
- Tora-san Confesses ... (Director)
- Free and Easy 4 ... (Writer)
1990
- Tora-san Takes a Vacation ... (Director)
1989
- Days with Harasu ... (Writer)
- Tora-san, My Uncle ... (Director)
- Free and Easy 2 ... (Writer)
- Tora-san Goes to Vienna ... (Director)
1988
- Downtown Heroes ... (Director)
- Free and Easy ... (Writer)
- Tora-san's Salad-Day Memorial ... (Director)
- 椿姫 ... (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 Goes Religious? ... (Director)
- I Lived, But... as Self
- Tora-san's Song of Love ... (Director)
- Itoshi no Lahaina ... (Original Story)
1982
- Tora-san, the Expert ... (Director)
- Hearts and Flowers for Tora-san ... (Director)
1981
- Tora-san's Love in Osaka ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Promise ... (Director)
- Xiongmao Monogatari TaoTao ... (Story)
- Fuusen no Doratarou ... (Original Story)
1980
- A Distant Cry from Spring ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Tropical Fever ... (Director)
- Foster Daddy, Tora! ... (Director)
1979
- Tora-san, the Matchmaker ... (Director)
- Our Symphony ... (Original Story)
- Tora-san's Dream of Spring ... (Director)
1978
- Ore wa inaka no puresurī ... (Story)
- Talk of the Town Tora-san ... (Director)
- Ore wa Ueno no puresurī ... (Story)
- Stage-Struck Tora-san ... (Director)
1977
- The Yellow Handkerchief ... (Director)
- Tora-san Meets His Lordship ... (Director)
- Tora-san Plays Cupid ... (Director)
1976
- Two Iida ... (Co-Writer)
- Tora-san's Sunrise and Sunset ... (Director)
- Oretachi no toki ... (Original Story)
- The Village ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Pure Love ... (Director)
1975
- Tora-san Meets the Songstress Again ... (Director)
- Tora-san, the Intellectual ... (Director)
1974
- Tora-san's Lovesick ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Lullaby ... (Director)
- The Castle of Sand ... (Writer)
- Tokyo do mannaka ... (Screenplay)
1973
- Tora-san Loves an Artist ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Forget Me Not ... (Director)
1972
- Home from the Sea ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Dear Old Home ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Dream-Come-True ... (Director)
1971
- Tora-san's Shattered Romance ... (Director)
- Tora-san, the Good Samaritan ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Love Call ... (Director)
- Follow the Girls ... (Screenplay)
1970
- Tora-san, His Tender Love ... (Original Story)
- Tora-san's Grand Scheme ... (Original Story)
- Tora-san's Runaway ... (Director)
- Where Spring Comes Late ... (Director)
1969
- Tora-san's Cherished Mother ... (Director)
- Women Can't Be Beaten ... (Original Story)
- It's Tough Being a Man ... (Director)
- Vagabond Schemer ... (Director)
1968
- I, the Executioner ... (Writer)
- It's Tough Being a Man (Television Drama DVD Edit Edition) ... (Original Story)
- The Million Dollar Pursuit ... (Screenplay)
- The Shy Deceiver ... (Director)
- It's Tough Being a Man ... (Original Story)
1967
- Song of Love ... (Screenplay)
- Onna no issho ... (Screenplay)
- The Greatest Challenge of All ... (Screenplay)
- Let's Have A Dream ... (Director)
1966
- Ohana han: Dai ni bu ... (Screenplay)
- Ohana han ... (Screenplay)
- Warm Current ... (Writer)
- Gamblers' Luck ... (Director)
- The Lovable Tramp ... (Director)
1965
- A Trap ... (Director)
1964
- The Honest Fool ... (Director)
- The Irresponsible Fool ... (Director)
- The Donkey Comes on a Tank ... (Director)
- To Your Majesty, The Emperor 2 ... (Screenplay)
1963
- At the Side of the Bridge 4 ... (Screenplay)
- The Sunshine Girl ... (Director)
- At the Side of the Bridge 3 ... (Screenplay)
1962
- Kanbi no ware koso wa ittō shain ... (Screenplay)
- At the Side of the Bridge 2 ... (Screenplay)
- At the Side of the Bridge ... (Screenplay)
- Kyū-chan ondo ... (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
- Modan dôchû: Sono koi matta nashi ... (Screenplay)
- Monthly Salary: 13,000 Yen ... (Screenplay)
- The Girl Who Creates Tomorrow ... (Screenplay)