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 Yamagata 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.
Known For
The Twilight Samurai
(2002)
Director
Love and Honor
(2006)
Director
Tokyo Family
(2013)
Director
Full Filmography
Directing
One Way Ticket to Love
(1960)
Assistant Director
The Strangers Upstairs
(1961)
Director
The Sunshine Girl
(1963)
Director
The Irresponsible Fool
(1964)
Director
The Honest Fool
(1964)
Director
The Donkey Comes on a Tank
(1964)
Director
A Trap
(1965)
Director
The Lovable Tramp
(1966)
Director
Gamblers' Luck
(1966)
Director
Let's Have A Dream
(1967)
Director
Song of Love
(1967)
Director
Greatest Challenge of All
(1967)
Director
The Million Dollar Pursuit
(1968)
Director
The Shy Deceiver
(1968)
Director
It's Tough Being a Man
(1969)
Director
Tora-san's Cherished Mother
(1969)
Director
Vagabond Schemer
(1969)
Director
Tora-san's Runaway
(1970)
Director
Where Spring Comes Late
(1970)
Director
Tora-san's Shattered Romance
(1971)
Director
Tora-san, the Good Samaritan
(1971)
Director
Tora-san's Love Call
(1971)
Director
Home from the Sea
(1972)
Director
Tora-san's Dear Old Home
(1972)
Director
Tora-san's Dream-Come-True
(1972)
Director
Tora-san Loves an Artist
(1973)
Director
Tora-san's Forget Me Not
(1973)
Director
Tora-san's Lovesick
(1974)
Director
Tora-san's Lullaby
(1974)
Director
Tora-san Meets the Songstress Again
(1975)
Director
Tora-san, the Intellectual
(1975)
Director
The Village
(1976)
Director
Tora-san's Sunrise and Sunset
(1976)
Director
Tora-san's Pure Love
(1976)
Director
The Yellow Handkerchief
(1977)
Director
Tora-san Meets His Lordship
(1977)
Director
Tora-san Plays Cupid
(1977)
Director
Stage-Struck Tora-san
(1978)
Director
Talk of the Town Tora-san
(1978)
Director
Tora-san's Dream of Spring
(1979)
Director
Tora-san, the Matchmaker
(1979)
Director
A Distant Cry from Spring
(1980)
Director
Tora-san's Tropical Fever
(1980)
Director
Foster Daddy, Tora!
(1980)
Director
Tora-san's Love in Osaka
(1981)
Director
Tora-san's Promise
(1981)
Director
Hearts and Flowers for Tora-san
(1982)
Director
Tora-san, the Expert
(1982)
Director
Tora-san Goes Religious?
(1983)
Director
Tora-san's Song of Love
(1983)
Director
Tora-san's Forbidden Love
(1984)
Director
Marriage Counselor Tora-san
(1984)
Director
Tora-san's Island Encounter
(1985)
Director
Tora-san, the Go-Between
(1985)
Director
Final Take: The Golden Age of Movies
(1986)
Director
Tora-san's Bluebird Fantasy
(1986)
Director
Tora-san Goes North
(1987)
Director
Tora-san Plays Daddy
(1987)
Director
Hope and Pain
(1988)
Director
Tora-san's Salad-Day Memorial
(1988)
Director
Tora-san, My Uncle
(1989)
Director
Tora-san Goes to Vienna
(1989)
Director
Tora-san Takes a Vacation
(1990)
Director
Tora-san Confesses
(1991)
Director
My Sons
(1991)
Director
Tora-san Makes Excuses
(1992)
Director
A Class to Remember
(1993)
Director
Tora-san's Matchmaker
(1993)
Director
Tora-san's Easy Advice
(1994)
Director
Tora-san to the Rescue
(1995)
Director
The Rainbow Seeker
(1996)
Director
A Class to Remember II
(1996)
Director
The Rainbow Seeker 2
(1997)
Director
Tora-san's Tropical Fever Special Version
(1997)
Director
A Class to Remember III: The New Voyage
(1998)
Director
A Class to Remember IV: Fifteen
(2000)
Director
The Twilight Samurai
(2002)
Director
The Hidden Blade
(2004)
Director
Love and Honor
(2006)
Director
Kabei: Our Mother
(2008)
Director
About Her Brother
(2010)
Director
Kyoto Story
(2010)
Director
Tokyo Family
(2013)
Director
The Little House
(2014)
Director
Nagasaki: Memories of My Son
(2015)
Director
What a Wonderful Family!
(2016)
Director
What a Wonderful Family! 2
(2017)
Director
What a Wonderful Family! 3
(2018)
Director
Tora-san, Wish You Were Here
(2019)
Director
It's a Flickering Life
(2021)
Director
Mom, Is That You?!
(2023)
Director
Acting
I Lived, But...
(1983)
Self
700 Days with Ryuichi Sakamoto
(2015)
Self
Sat-chan Tadashi-chan: Sengo minshu-teki dokuritsu pro funtō-ki
(2015)
Self
Seijo Story: 60 Years of Making Films
(2019)
Self
Writing
Zero Focus
(1961)
Screenplay
寛美の我こそは一等社員
(1962)
Screenplay
Ano hashi no hotori de
(1962)
Screenplay
Kyū-chan ondo
(1962)
Screenplay
Ano hashi no hotori de dai 2-bu
(1962)
Screenplay
The Sunshine Girl
(1963)
Screenplay
The Donkey Comes on a Tank
(1964)
Screenplay
The Honest Fool
(1964)
Screenplay
Zoku Haikei Tenno Heika Sama
(1964)
Screenplay
The Lovable Tramp
(1966)
Screenplay
Gamblers' Luck
(1966)
Screenplay
Warm Current
(1966)
Writer
Let's Have A Dream
(1967)
Writer
Song of Love
(1967)
Writer
Greatest Challenge of All
(1967)
Screenplay
I, the Executioner
(1968)
Writer
The Shy Deceiver
(1968)
Writer
The Million Dollar Pursuit
(1968)
Screenplay
It's Tough Being a Man (Television Drama DVD Edit Edition)
(1968)
Original Story and Adaptation
It's Tough Being a Man
(1969)
Screenplay
Tora-san's Cherished Mother
(1969)
Screenplay and Original Story
Vagabond Schemer
(1969)
Writer
Tora-san's Runaway
(1970)
Writer
Tora-san's Grand Scheme
(1970)
Original Story and Screenplay
Where Spring Comes Late
(1970)
Screenplay and Story
Tora-san, His Tender Love
(1970)
Screenplay and Original Story
Tora-san, the Good Samaritan
(1971)
Writer and Original Story
Tora-san's Love Call
(1971)
Writer and Original Story
Follow the Girls
(1971)
Screenplay
Tora-san's Shattered Romance
(1971)
Original Story and Screenplay
Tora-san's Dream-Come-True
(1972)
Writer and Original Story
Tora-san's Dear Old Home
(1972)
Writer and Original Story
Home from the Sea
(1972)
Screenplay
Tora-san Loves an Artist
(1973)
Writer
Tora-san's Forget Me Not
(1973)
Original Story and Screenplay
Tora-san's Lovesick
(1974)
Writer
Tora-san's Lullaby
(1974)
Writer
The Castle of Sand
(1974)
Writer
Tora-san Meets the Songstress Again
(1975)
Writer
Tora-san, the Intellectual
(1975)
Writer
Tora-san's Sunrise and Sunset
(1976)
Writer
Tora-san's Pure Love
(1976)
Writer
The Village
(1976)
Writer
Oretachi no toki
(1976)
Original Story
Two Iida
(1976)
Co-Writer
Tora-san Meets His Lordship
(1977)
Writer
Tora-san Plays Cupid
(1977)
Writer
The Yellow Handkerchief
(1977)
Screenplay
Stage-Struck Tora-san
(1978)
Writer
Talk of the Town Tora-san
(1978)
Writer
俺は田舎のプレスリー
(1978)
Story
Ore wa Ueno no puresurī
(1978)
Story
Tora-san's Dream of Spring
(1979)
Writer
Tora-san, the Matchmaker
(1979)
Writer
Our Symphony
(1979)
Original Story
Tora-san's Tropical Fever
(1980)
Writer
A Distant Cry from Spring
(1980)
Screenplay
Foster Daddy, Tora!
(1980)
Original Story and Screenplay
Tora-san's Promise
(1981)
Original Story and Screenplay
Tora-san's Love in Osaka
(1981)
Screenplay and Original Story
Xiongmao Monogatari TaoTao
(1981)
Story
Tora-san, the Expert
(1982)
Original Story and Screenplay
Hearts and Flowers for Tora-san
(1982)
Original Story and Screenplay
Tora-san Goes Religious?
(1983)
Writer and Original Story
Tora-san's Song of Love
(1983)
Screenplay and Original Story
Itoshi no Lahaina
(1983)
Original Story
Tora-san's Forbidden Love
(1984)
Writer and Original Story
Marriage Counselor Tora-san
(1984)
Screenplay and Original Story
Tora-san's Island Encounter
(1985)
Original Story and Screenplay
Tora-san, the Go-Between
(1985)
Screenplay and Original Story
Tora-san's Bluebird Fantasy
(1986)
Screenplay and Original Story
Final Take: The Golden Age of Movies
(1986)
Writer
Tora-san Plays Daddy
(1987)
Screenplay and Original Story
Tora-san Goes North
(1987)
Original Story and Screenplay
Free and Easy
(1988)
Writer
Hope and Pain
(1988)
Screenplay
Tora-san's Salad-Day Memorial
(1988)
Screenplay and Original Story
Tora-san, My Uncle
(1989)
Writer
Free and Easy 2
(1989)
Writer
Days with Harasu
(1989)
Writer
Free and Easy 4
(1991)
Writer
My Sons
(1991)
Writer
Free and Easy 5
(1992)
Writer
Free and Easy 6
(1993)
Writer
A Class to Remember
(1993)
Screenplay
Free and Easy 7
(1994)
Writer
Free and Easy Special
(1994)
Writer
Toki no kagayaki
(1995)
Screenplay
Salaryman Senka
(1995)
Screenplay
A Class to Remember II
(1996)
Writer
Free and Easy 8
(1996)
Writer
The Rainbow Seeker
(1996)
Writer
Salaryman Senka: Tanshin Funin
(1996)
Screenplay
The Rainbow Seeker 2
(1997)
Writer
Tora-san's Tropical Fever Special Version
(1997)
Writer
Shin Salaryman Senka
(1997)
Screenplay
A Class to Remember III: The New Voyage
(1998)
Writer
Free and Easy 10
(1998)
Screenplay
Free and Easy: Samurai Edition
(1998)
Writer
Free and Easy 12: Big Holiday Bonus Project
(2001)
Writer
The Twilight Samurai
(2002)
Screenplay
Free and Easy 13
(2002)
Writer
Free and Easy 14
(2003)
Writer
The Hidden Blade
(2004)
Screenplay
Free and Easy 16
(2005)
Writer
Sea Without Exit
(2006)
Screenplay
Love and Honor
(2006)
Writer
Kabei: Our Mother
(2008)
Writer
Free and Easy 20: Final
(2009)
Screenplay
About Her Brother
(2010)
Screenplay
Kyoto Story
(2010)
Story and Screenplay
The Yellow Handkerchief
(2011)
Writer
Tokyo Family
(2013)
Screenplay
The Little House
(2014)
Screenplay
Nagasaki: Memories of My Son
(2015)
Screenplay
What a Wonderful Family!
(2016)
Screenplay
What a Wonderful Family! 2
(2017)
Writer
What a Wonderful Family! 3
(2018)
Screenplay
A Distant Cry from Spring
(2018)
Writer
Older Brother, Younger Sister
(2018)
Screenplay
Tora-san, Wish You Were Here
(2019)
Writer
It's a Flickering Life
(2021)
Screenplay
続 遙かなる山の呼び声
(2022)
Screenplay
Mom, Is That You?!
(2023)
Writer
Crew