Kiyoshi Atsumi (渥美 清 Atsumi Kiyoshi), born Yasuo Tadokoro (田所 康雄 Tadokoro Yasuo, 10 March 1928 in Tokyo – 4 August 1996 in Tokyo), was a Japanese film actor. He started his career in 1951 as a comedian at a strip-show theater in Asakusa. After two years of fighting pulmonary tuberculosis, he made his debut on TV in 1956 and on film in 1957. His vivid performance of a lovable, innocent man in a film “Dear Mr. Emperor” (Haikei Tenno-Heika-Sama) in 1963 established his reputation as an actor.
Later he became the star of the highly popular Tora-san series of films, from the original Otoko wa Tsurai yo (translated in English as 'It's Tough being a Man') in 1969 to the 48th film released in 1995, the year before his death.
The enduring success of the series made him synonymous with the Tora-san character, and many Japanese regarded his death as the death of Tora-san, not the death of Yasuo Tadokoro or Kiyoshi Atsumi.
Known For
Tora! Tora! Tora!
(1970)
Cook #1 (uncredited)
Full Filmography
Acting
若社長と爆発娘
(1960)
Snow in the South Seas
(1961)
Jirocho’s Days of Youth: The Youngest Boss in the Tokai Region
(1961)
Obon, The Moll Dipper
(1961)
A Carpenter and Children
(1962)
Good Rascals
(1962)
Ushi
Jirocho' s Days of Youth: Whirlwind on the Tokaido
(1962)
Tōkyō sanosa musume
(1962)
A Country Boss
(1962)
Sasaki
Nippon no obaachan
(1962)
The Ambitious Youth
(1962)
Mitsuo Aoi
Aitsu bakari ga naze moteru
(1962)
Ottamage ningyo monogatari
(1962)
Attack Squadron
(1963)
Onna yajikita-tatchi ryokō
(1963)
Escape from Hell
(1963)
Ichibei
Sing, Young People
(1963)
Driver
To Your Majesty, The Emperor
(1963)
Okashina yatsu
(1963)
Kashô Sanyûtei
How to Make Money
(1964)
The Honest Fool
(1964)
Dear Mr. Prime Minister
(1964)
Kakumaru
Zoku Haikei Tenno Heika Sama
(1964)
Zensuke Yamashita
The Glamorous Ghost
(1964)
Hospital Guard
風来忍法帖
(1965)
The Song of the Bwana Toshi
(1965)
Toshi
Our Wonderful Years
(1966)
Teiji Yoshida
The Betrayers Out!
(1966)
Kutsukake Tokijiro: The Lonely Yakuza
(1966)
Minobu no Asakichi
Gamblers' Luck
(1966)
Express Train
(1967)
Green Light to Joy
(1967)
Yoshitaro Hirai
Traveling in Party
(1967)
In Broad Daylight
(1968)
Katsuji 'Watakatsu' Watanabe
New Year Trip
(1968)
Neon taiheiki
(1968)
The Man Without a Map
(1968)
Tashiro
風来忍法帖 八方破れ
(1968)
The Day the Sun Rose
(1968)
It's Tough Being a Man (Television Drama DVD Edit Edition)
(1968)
Scrap Collectors
(1968)
It's Tough Being a Man
(1969)
Torajirô Kuruma
Women Can't Be Beaten
(1969)
Tora-san's Cherished Mother
(1969)
Torajiro Kuruma
Where Spring Comes Late
(1970)
Traveler
Charming Men
(1970)
Okera Goro
Tora-san's Runaway
(1970)
Torajiro Kuruma
Tora-san, His Tender Love
(1970)
Torajiro Kuruma
Tora! Tora! Tora!
(1970)
Cook #1 (uncredited)
Tora-san's Grand Scheme
(1970)
Torajiro Kuruma
Tora-san's Love Call
(1971)
Torajiro Kuruma
Tora-san's Shattered Romance
(1971)
Torajirô Kuruma
Tora-san, the Good Samaritan
(1971)
Torajirō Kuruma
My Voiceless Friends
(1972)
Tamiji Nishiyama
Tora-san's Dream-Come-True
(1972)
Torajiro Kuruma
Tora-san's Dear Old Home
(1972)
Torajiro Kuruma
Home from the Sea
(1972)
Matsushita
Tora-san's Forget Me Not
(1973)
Torajiro Kuruma
Tora-san Loves an Artist
(1973)
The Castle of Sand
(1974)
Movie Theater Manager
Tora-san's Lullaby
(1974)
Torajiro
Tora-san's Lovesick
(1974)
Torajiro
Tora-san Meets the Songstress Again
(1975)
Tora
Tora-san, the Intellectual
(1975)
Torajiro
Tora-san's Pure Love
(1976)
Torajiro
The Village
(1976)
Tora-san's Sunrise and Sunset
(1976)
Torajiro Kuruma
田舎刑事 時間よ、とまれ
(1977)
Tora-san Plays Cupid
(1977)
Torajirō
Tora-san Meets His Lordship
(1977)
The Yellow Handkerchief
(1977)
Watanabe Kacho
Village of Eight Gravestones
(1977)
Kosuke Kindaichi
Talk of the Town Tora-san
(1978)
Tora
Stage-Struck Tora-san
(1978)
August without Emperor
(1978)
Kubo
Tora-san's Dream of Spring
(1979)
Kuruma Torajiro
Tora-san, the Matchmaker
(1979)
Torajiro
Foster Daddy, Tora!
(1980)
Torajiro Kuruma
A Distant Cry from Spring
(1980)
Kondo
Tora-san's Tropical Fever
(1980)
Tora-san's Love in Osaka
(1981)
Torajiro Kuruma
Tora-san's Promise
(1981)
Torajiro Kuruma
Hearts and Flowers for Tora-san
(1982)
Torajiro Kuruma
Tora-san, the Expert
(1982)
Torajiro Kuruma
Tora-san's Song of Love
(1983)
Torajiro Kuruma
Tora-san Goes Religious?
(1983)
Kuruma Torajiro
Marriage Counselor Tora-san
(1984)
Torajiro Kuruma
Tora-san's Forbidden Love
(1984)
Torajiro Kuruma
Tora-san's Island Encounter
(1985)
Torajiro Kuruma
Tora-san, the Go-Between
(1985)
Torajiro Kuruma
Tora-san's Bluebird Fantasy
(1986)
Torajiro Kuruma
Final Take: The Golden Age of Movies
(1986)
Kihachi
Children on the Island
(1987)
Narrator (voice)
Tora-san Goes North
(1987)
Torajiro Kuruma
Tora-san Plays Daddy
(1987)
Torajiro Kuruma
Tora-san's Salad-Day Memorial
(1988)
Torajiro Kuruma
Hope and Pain
(1988)
Tora-san, My Uncle
(1989)
Torajiro Kuruma
Tora-san Goes to Vienna
(1989)
Torajiro Kuruma
Tora-san Takes a Vacation
(1990)
Torajiro Kuruma(Tora-san)
Tora-san Confesses
(1991)
Torajiro Kuruma(Tora-san)
Tora-san Makes Excuses
(1992)
Tora-san's Matchmaker
(1993)
Torajiro Kuruma(Tora-san)
A Class to Remember
(1993)
(cameo)
Tora-san's Easy Advice
(1994)
Torajiro Kuruma(Tora-san)
Tora-san to the Rescue
(1995)
Torajiro Kuruma(Tora-san)
Tora-san's Tropical Fever Special Version
(1997)
Torajiro Kuruma(Tora-san)
Tora-san, Wish You Were Here
(2019)
Tora-san