Yoji Yamada
Known for: Directing
Born: September 13, 1931
Place of birth: Osaka, Japan
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.
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Filmography
164 movies · 3 TV shows, newest first
7.3
Tokyo Taxi
2025
6.0
Home Sweet Home
2025
NR
55th anniversary performance of Tora-San: Rakugo, Talk and Tora Jiro Returns
2024
6.1
Mom, Is That You?!
2023
NR
The Call of a Faraway Mountain
2022
6.4
It's a Flickering Life
2021NR
戦争童画集 ～75年目のショートストーリー～
2020
8.0
Tora-san, Wish You Were Here
2019
NR
Seijo Story: 60 Years of Making Films
2019
NR
Shounen Torajirou
2019
6.0
A Distant Cry from Spring
2018
7.0
Older Brother, Younger Sister
2018
7.6
What a Wonderful Family! 3
2018
7.0
What a Wonderful Family! 2
2017
6.7
Ken San
2016
7.3
What a Wonderful Family!
2016
6.9
Nagasaki: Memories of My Son
2015
NR
700 Days with Ryuichi Sakamoto
2015
NR
Sat-chan Tadashi-chan: Sengo minshu-teki dokuritsu pro funtō-ki
2015
6.8
The Little House
2014
7.3
Tokyo Family
2013
7.0
The Yellow Handkerchief
2011
6.6
Kyoto Story
2010
6.4
About Her Brother
2010
7.7
Free and Easy 20: Final
2009
6.3
The Yellow Handkerchief
2009
7.4
Kabei: Our Mother
2008
7.4
Love and Honor
2006
5.9
Sea Without Exit
2006
5.8
Free and Easy 17
2006
8.0
Free and Easy 16
2005
7.4
The Hidden Blade
2004
7.3
Free and Easy 14
2003
7.8
The Twilight Samurai
2002
7.3
Free and Easy 13
2002
7.3
Free and Easy 12: Big Holiday Bonus Project
2001
7.8
A Class to Remember IV: Fifteen
2000
7.3
Free and Easy: Samurai Edition
1998
6.6
A Class to Remember III: The New Voyage
1998
7.0
Free and Easy 10
1998
9.0
Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirou Wasurenagusa
1998
NR
The Rainbow Seeker 2
1997
9.0
Shin Salaryman Senka
1997
8.5
Tora-san's Tropical Fever Special Version
1997
7.0
The Rainbow Seeker
1996
NR
Salaryman Senka: Tanshin Funin
1996
6.4
A Class to Remember II
1996
7.3
Free and Easy 8
1996
7.8
Tora-san to the Rescue
1995
NR
Salaryman Senka
1995
NR
Toki no kagayaki
1995
8.5
Tora-san's Easy Advice
1994
7.5
Free and Easy 7
1994
7.3
Free and Easy Special
1994
9.0
Tora-san's Matchmaker
1993
7.7
Free and Easy 6
1993
7.3
A Class to Remember
1993
NR
Film Director Satsuo Yamamoto
1993
8.0
Tora-san Makes Excuses
1992
7.9
Free and Easy 5
1992
7.8
Tora-san Confesses
1991
8.3
Free and Easy 4
1991
7.8
My Sons
1991
7.7
Tora-san Takes a Vacation
1990
8.2
Tora-san, My Uncle
1989
8.7
Free and Easy 2
1989
NR
Days with Harasu
1989
8.7
Tora-san Goes to Vienna
1989
7.5
Free and Easy
1988
8.3
Tora-san's Salad-Day Memorial
1988
8.6
Downtown Heroes
1988
NR
Lady Camellia
1988
8.3
Tora-san Plays Daddy
1987
9.0
Tora-san Goes North
1987
7.3
Tora-san's Bluebird Fantasy
1986
6.6
Final Take: The Golden Age of Movies
1986
8.3
Tora-san's Island Encounter
1985
6.9
Tora-san, the Go-Between
1985
8.0
Tora-san's Forbidden Love
1984
8.0
Marriage Counselor Tora-san
1984
7.7
Tora-san Goes Religious?
1983
6.8
I Lived, But...
1983
7.0
Itoshi no Lahaina
1983
8.3
Tora-san's Song of Love
1983
8.7
Tora-san, the Expert
1982
8.0
Hearts and Flowers for Tora-san
1982
8.7
Tora-san's Promise
1981
6.3
Xiongmao Monogatari TaoTao
1981
9.0
Tora-san's Love in Osaka
1981
NR
Fuusen no Doratarou
1981
8.0
Foster Daddy, Tora!
1980
8.3
Tora-san's Tropical Fever
1980
7.4
A Distant Cry from Spring
1980
8.2
Tora-san's Dream of Spring
1979
8.7
Tora-san, the Matchmaker
1979
9.0
Our Symphony
1979
8.0
Talk of the Town Tora-san
1978
NR
Ore wa Ueno no puresurī
1978
8.2
Stage-Struck Tora-san
1978
NR
Ore wa inaka no puresurī
1978
8.0
Tora-san Plays Cupid
1977
7.0
The Yellow Handkerchief
1977
8.8
Tora-san Meets His Lordship
1977
9.2
Tora-san's Pure Love
1976
7.0
Two Iida
1976
NR
Oretachi no toki
1976
8.8
Tora-san's Sunrise and Sunset
1976
8.2
Tora-san, the Intellectual
1975
7.4
The Village
1975
8.2
Tora-san Meets the Songstress Again
1975
7.8
Tora-san's Lullaby
1974
7.4
The Castle of Sand
1974
8.0
Tora-san's Lovesick
1974
NR
Center of Tokyo
1974
8.4
Tora-san Loves an Artist
1973
8.4
Tora-san's Forget Me Not
1973
8.3
Tora-san's Dream-Come-True
1972
7.2
Home from the Sea
1972
8.3
Tora-san's Dear Old Home
1972
8.4
Tora-san's Love Call
1971
8.0
Follow the Girls
1971
8.0
Tora-san, the Good Samaritan
1971
7.7
Tora-san's Shattered Romance
1971
7.7
Where Spring Comes Late
1970
7.9
Tora-san's Runaway
1970
7.7
Tora-san's Grand Scheme
1970
7.4
Tora-san, His Tender Love
1970
6.8
Tora-san's Cherished Mother
1969
7.5
Women Can't Be Beaten
1969
7.8
Tora-san, Our Lovable Tramp
1969
6.0
Vagabond Schemer
1969
NR
It's Tough Being a Man (Television Drama DVD Edit Edition)
1968
NR
It's Tough Being a Man
1968
7.0
The Shy Deceiver
1968
7.4
I, the Executioner
1968
7.3
The Million Dollar Pursuit
1968
NR
Onna no issho
1967
7.0
The Greatest Challenge of All
1967
6.5
Song of Love
1967
7.0
Let's Have A Dream
1967
7.7
The Lovable Tramp
1966
NR
Ohana han: Dai ni bu
1966
NR
Ohana han
1966
NR
Warm Current
1966
7.2
Gamblers' Luck
1966
7.1
A Trap
1965
9.0
The Donkey Comes on a Tank
1964
7.0
The Irresponsible Fool
1964
8.0
The Honest Fool
1964
NR
To Your Majesty, The Emperor 2
1964
NR
At the Side of the Bridge 4
1963
5.7
The Sunshine Girl
1963
NR
At the Side of the Bridge 3
1963
NR
At the Side of the Bridge 2
1962
NR
At the Side of the Bridge
1962
NR
Kyū-chan ondo
1962
NR
Kanbi no ware koso wa ittō shain
1962
6.0
The Strangers Upstairs
1961
NR
Koi no gashū
1961
6.3
Zero Focus
1961
6.0
One-Way Ticket to Love
1960
NR
Yellow Cherries
1960
NR
Akatsuki no chiheisen
1959
NR
The Girl Who Creates Tomorrow
1958
NR
Modan dôchû: Sono koi matta nashi
1958
NR
Monthly Salary: 13,000 Yen
1958
NR
Hachi no ko
1957