Yoji Yamada
Personal Info
Known for
Directing
Gender
Male
Birthday
1931-09-13 (93 years old)
Place of Birth
Osaka, Japan
Yoji Yamada
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 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
Acting
(2024)
(2019)
(2015)
(2015)
(1983)
I Lived, But...
as Self
Crew
(2025)
TOKYO Taxi
Director, Screenplay
(2025)
Home Sweet Home
Writer
(2023)
Mom, Is That You?!
Director, Screenplay
(2022)
The Call of a Faraway Mountain
Screenplay
(2021)
It's a Flickering Life
Screenplay, Director
(2019)
Tora-san, Wish You Were Here
Director, Screenplay
(2018)
What a Wonderful Family! 3
Director, Screenplay
(2018)
(2018)
Older Brother, Younger Sister
Screenplay
(2017)
What a Wonderful Family! 2
Director, Writer
(2016)
What a Wonderful Family!
Director, Screenplay
(2015)
Nagasaki: Memories of My Son
Director, Screenplay
(2014)
The Little House
Director, Screenplay
(2013)
Tokyo Family
Director, Screenplay
(2011)
The Yellow Handkerchief
Writer
(2010)
Kyoto Story
Story, Screenplay, Director
(2010)
About Her Brother
Director, Screenplay
(2009)
Free and Easy 20: Final
Screenplay
(2009)
The Yellow Handkerchief
Original Film Writer
(2008)
Kabei: Our Mother
Director, Writer
(2006)
Love and Honor
Director, Screenplay
(2006)
Sea Without Exit
Screenplay
(2005)
Free and Easy 16
Writer
(2004)
The Hidden Blade
Director, Screenplay
(2003)
Free and Easy 14
Writer
(2002)
The Twilight Samurai
Screenplay, Director
(2002)
Free and Easy 13
Writer
(2001)
(2000)
A Class to Remember IV: Fifteen
Director
(1998)
A Class to Remember III: The New Voyage
Director, Writer
(1998)
(1998)
Free and Easy 10
Screenplay
(1998)
(1997)
Shin Salaryman Senka
Screenplay
(1997)
The Rainbow Seeker 2
Director, Writer
(1997)
Tora-san's Tropical Fever Special Version
Director, Writer
(1996)
A Class to Remember II
Director, Screenplay
(1996)
The Rainbow Seeker
Director, Writer
(1996)
Free and Easy 8
Writer
(1996)
Salaryman Senka: Tanshin Funin
Screenplay
(1995)
Tora-san to the Rescue
Director
(1995)
Toki no kagayaki
Screenplay
(1995)
Salaryman Senka
Screenplay
(1994)
Free and Easy Special
Writer
(1994)
Tora-san's Easy Advice
Director
(1994)
Free and Easy 7
Writer
(1993)
A Class to Remember
Director, Screenplay
(1993)
Tora-san's Matchmaker
Director
(1993)
Free and Easy 6
Writer
(1992)
Tora-san Makes Excuses
Director, Screenplay
(1992)
Free and Easy 5
Writer
(1991)
My Sons
Director, Screenplay
(1991)
Tora-san Confesses
Director, Screenplay
(1991)
Free and Easy 4
Writer
(1990)
Tora-san Takes a Vacation
Director
(1989)
Days with Harasu
Writer
(1989)
Tora-san, My Uncle
Director, Writer
(1989)
Free and Easy 2
Writer
(1989)
Tora-san Goes to Vienna
Director
(1988)
Free and Easy
Writer
(1988)
Downtown Heroes
Director, Screenplay
(1988)
Tora-san's Salad-Day Memorial
Director, Original Story, Screenplay
(1987)
Tora-san Goes North
Director, Screenplay, Original Story
(1987)
Tora-san Plays Daddy
Director, Screenplay, Original Story
(1986)
Final Take: The Golden Age of Movies
Director, Writer
(1986)
Tora-san's Bluebird Fantasy
Director, Screenplay, Original Story
(1985)
Tora-san, the Go-Between
Director, Screenplay, Original Story
(1985)
Tora-san's Island Encounter
Director, Screenplay, Original Story
(1984)
Tora-san's Forbidden Love
Director, Writer, Original Story
(1984)
Marriage Counselor Tora-san
Director, Screenplay, Original Story
(1983)
Tora-san Goes Religious?
Director, Writer, Original Story
(1983)
Itoshi no Lahaina
Original Story
(1983)
Tora-san's Song of Love
Director, Screenplay, Original Story
(1982)
Hearts and Flowers for Tora-san
Director, Screenplay, Original Story
(1982)
Tora-san, the Expert
Director, Screenplay, Original Story
(1981)
Tora-san's Love in Osaka
Director, Screenplay, Original Story
(1981)
Tora-san's Promise
Director, Screenplay, Original Story
(1981)
(1980)
A Distant Cry from Spring
Director, Screenplay
(1980)
Tora-san's Tropical Fever
Director, Writer
(1980)
Foster Daddy, Tora!
Director, Screenplay, Original Story
(1979)
Tora-san's Dream of Spring
Director, Writer
(1979)
Our Symphony
Original Story
(1979)
Tora-san, the Matchmaker
Director, Writer
(1978)
Stage-Struck Tora-san
Director, Writer
(1978)
Talk of the Town Tora-san
Director, Writer
(1978)
(1978)
(1977)
The Yellow Handkerchief
Director, Screenplay
(1977)
Tora-san Meets His Lordship
Director, Writer
(1977)
Tora-san Plays Cupid
Director, Writer
(1976)
The Village
Director, Writer
(1976)
Tora-san's Sunrise and Sunset
Director, Writer
(1976)
Tora-san's Pure Love
Director, Writer
(1976)
Two Iida
Co-Writer
(1976)
Oretachi no toki
Original Story
(1975)
Tora-san Meets the Songstress Again
Director, Writer
(1975)
Tora-san, the Intellectual
Director, Writer
(1974)
Tora-san's Lovesick
Director, Writer
(1974)
Tora-san's Lullaby
Director, Writer
(1974)
The Castle of Sand
Writer
(1973)
Tora-san Loves an Artist
Director, Writer
(1973)
Tora-san's Forget Me Not
Director, Original Story, Screenplay
(1972)
Home from the Sea
Director, Screenplay
(1972)
Tora-san's Dear Old Home
Director, Original Story, Screenplay
(1972)
Tora-san's Dream-Come-True
Director, Original Story, Screenplay
(1971)
Tora-san's Love Call
Director, Screenplay, Original Story
(1971)
Tora-san's Shattered Romance
Director, Screenplay, Original Story
(1971)
Tora-san, the Good Samaritan
Director, Screenplay, Original Story
(1971)
Follow the Girls
Screenplay
(1970)
Tora-san's Runaway
Director, Writer
(1970)
Where Spring Comes Late
Director, Story, Screenplay
(1970)
Tora-san's Grand Scheme
Original Story, Screenplay
(1970)
Tora-san, His Tender Love
Original Story, Screenplay
(1969)
It's Tough Being a Man
Director, Screenplay
(1969)
Tora-san's Cherished Mother
Director, Screenplay, Original Story
(1969)
Vagabond Schemer
Director, Writer
(1968)
I, the Executioner
Writer
(1968)
The Million Dollar Pursuit
Screenplay, Director
(1968)
It's Tough Being a Man (Television Drama DVD Edit Edition)
Original Story, Adaptation
(1968)
The Shy Deceiver
Director, Writer
(1967)
The Greatest Challenge of All
Screenplay, Director
(1967)
Song of Love
Screenplay, Director
(1967)
Let's Have A Dream
Director, Writer
(1967)
Onna no issho
Screenplay
(1966)
The Lovable Tramp
Director, Screenplay
(1966)
Gamblers' Luck
Director, Screenplay
(1966)
Warm Current
Writer
(1965)
A Trap
Director
(1964)
To Your Majesty, The Emperor 2
Screenplay
(1964)
The Irresponsible Fool
Director
(1964)
The Honest Fool
Director, Screenplay
(1964)
The Donkey Comes on a Tank
Director, Screenplay
(1963)
The Sunshine Girl
Director, Screenplay
(1963)
At the Side of the Bridge 3
Screenplay
(1963)
At the Side of the Bridge 4
Screenplay
(1962)
At the Side of the Bridge
Screenplay
(1962)
Kyū-chan ondo
Screenplay
(1962)
At the Side of the Bridge 2
Screenplay
(1962)
寛美の我こそは一等社員
Screenplay
(1961)
The Strangers Upstairs
Director
(1961)
Zero Focus
Screenplay
(1960)
One Way Ticket to Love
Assistant Director
(1958)
Monthly Salary: 13,000 Yen
Screenplay
(1958)
Modan dôchû: Sono koi matta nashi
Screenplay