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
- Older Brother, Younger Sister ... (Screenplay)
- What a Wonderful Family! 3 ... (Director)
- A Distant Cry from Spring ... (Writer)
2017
- What a Wonderful Family! 2 ... (Director)
2016
- What a Wonderful Family! ... (Director)
- Ken San
2015
- 700 Days with Ryuichi Sakamoto as Self
- Nagasaki: Memories of My Son ... (Director)
- 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)
- Shinema Kabuki: Renjishi ... (Director)
2009
- The Yellow Handkerchief ... (Original Film Writer)
- Free and Easy 20: Final ... (Screenplay)
2008
- Kabei: Our Mother ... (Director)
2006
- Love and Honor ... (Director)
- Free and Easy 17 ... (Screenplay)
- Sea Without Exit ... (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 10 ... (Screenplay)
- Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirou Wasurenagusa ... (Creator)
- Free and Easy: Samurai Edition ... (Writer)
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)
- Salaryman Senka: Tanshin Funin ... (Screenplay)
- The Rainbow Seeker ... (Director)
- Free and Easy 8 ... (Writer)
1995
- Tora-san to the Rescue ... (Director)
- Salaryman Senka ... (Screenplay)
- Toki no kagayaki ... (Screenplay)
1994
- Tora-san's Easy Advice ... (Director)
- Free and Easy Special ... (Writer)
- Free and Easy 7 ... (Writer)
1993
- A Class to Remember ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Matchmaker ... (Director)
- Free and Easy 6 ... (Writer)
- Film Director Satsuo Yamamoto as Self
1992
- Free and Easy 5 ... (Writer)
- Tora-san Makes Excuses ... (Director)
1991
- Tora-san Confesses ... (Director)
- My Sons ... (Director)
- Free and Easy 4 ... (Writer)
1990
- Tora-san Takes a Vacation ... (Director)
1989
- Free and Easy 2 ... (Writer)
- Tora-san, My Uncle ... (Writer)
- Tora-san Goes to Vienna ... (Director)
- 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, the Go-Between ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Island Encounter ... (Director)
1984
- Tora-san's Forbidden Love ... (Director)
- Marriage Counselor Tora-san ... (Director)
1983
- Tora-san Goes Religious? ... (Writer)
- 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)
- Tora-san's Promise ... (Director)
- Xiongmao Monogatari TaoTao ... (Story)
1980
- A Distant Cry from Spring ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Tropical Fever ... (Writer)
- Foster Daddy, Tora! ... (Director)
1979
- Tora-san, the Matchmaker ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Dream of Spring ... (Director)
- Our Symphony ... (Original Story)
1978
- Talk of the Town Tora-san ... (Director)
- Stage-Struck Tora-san ... (Writer)
- 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)
- Oretachi no toki ... (Original Story)
- Tora-san's Sunrise and Sunset ... (Director)
- Two Iida ... (Co-Writer)
1975
- Tora-san, the Intellectual ... (Director)
- Tora-san Meets the Songstress Again ... (Director)
- The Village ... (Director)
1974
- The Castle of Sand ... (Screenplay)
- Tora-san's Lovesick ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Lullaby ... (Writer)
- Center of Tokyo ... (Screenplay)
1973
- Tora-san's Forget Me Not ... (Director)
- Tora-san Loves an Artist ... (Writer)
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, the Good Samaritan ... (Director)
- Tora-san's Shattered Romance ... (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 ... (Screenplay)
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)
- The Shy Deceiver ... (Director)
- I, the Executioner ... (Writer)
- It's Tough Being a Man (Television Drama DVD Edit Edition) ... (Adaptation)
- The Million Dollar Pursuit ... (Screenplay)
1967
- Onna no issho ... (Screenplay)
- The Greatest Challenge of All ... (Screenplay)
- Song of Love ... (Screenplay)
- Let's Have A Dream ... (Director)
1966
- Gamblers' Luck ... (Director)
- Warm Current ... (Writer)
- The Lovable Tramp ... (Director)
- Ohana han ... (Screenplay)
- Ohana han: Dai ni bu ... (Screenplay)
1965
- A Trap ... (Director)
1964
- The Donkey Comes on a Tank ... (Director)
- The Irresponsible Fool ... (Director)
- To Your Majesty, The Emperor 2 ... (Screenplay)
- The Honest Fool ... (Director)
1963
- At the Side of the Bridge 3 ... (Screenplay)
- At the Side of the Bridge 4 ... (Screenplay)
- The Sunshine Girl ... (Director)
1962
- At the Side of the Bridge 2 ... (Screenplay)
- Kyū-chan ondo ... (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
- Yellow Cherries ... (Screenplay)
- One-Way Ticket to Love ... (Assistant Director)
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)