Complete List of Japanese "Tora-San" Films 1969-2019
by FilmCuckoo | created - 16 Feb 2023 | updated - 21 Feb 2023 | Public"Otoko wa Tsurai yo" (男はつらいよ) a.k.a. "It's Tough Being a Man" -film series holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-running movie series starring a single actor - at 50 films in 50 years, this is a record highly unlikely ever to be broken. It is also worth noting that all but two of these were directed by one director, Yôji Yamada, Japan's most productive director of all time.
Please also note that the first 49 films were released in only 28 years, between 1969 and 1997, and the last one released in 2019 on the 50th anniversary, is actually a homage to the star of these films, Kiyoshi Atsumi, who had died unexpectedly in 1996. He still appears in the film through flashbacks and previously unseen footage shot during the past years.
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1. Tora-san, Our Lovable Tramp (1969)
91 min | Drama, Comedy, Romance
Tora-San, an itinerant peddler who is thrown out of his father's house twenty years before but reconnects with his aunt, uncle and sister Sakura. Tora wreaks some havoc in their lives, like getting drunk and silly at a marriage meeting.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Sachiko Mitsumoto, Chishû Ryû
Votes: 572
2. Tora-San's Cherished Mother (1969)
93 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Chôchô Miyako, Orie Satô
Votes: 252
3. Tora-san, His Tender Love (1970)
89 min | Comedy
Traveling salesman Kuruma Torajiro falls in love with an inn manager as New Year's approaches.
Director: Azuma Morisaki | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Michiyo Aratama, Chieko Baishô, Yoshiko Kayama
Votes: 193
4. Tora-san's Grand Scheme (1970)
92 min | Comedy
After winning big at the races, Torajiro wants to take his aunt and uncle on a trip to Hawaii to partly pay the great filial debt he feels he owes them, but the plan hits a snag. Also, a pretty kindergarten teacher rents a room at Toraya.
Director: Shun'ichi Kobayashi | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Komaki Kurihara, Chieko Misaki
Votes: 154
5. Tora-san's Runaway (1970)
88 min | Comedy
After an encounter with a dying yakuza's son and at his sister Sakura's urging, Torajiro attempts to change his vagrant lifestyle and become an honest worker with a steady job.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Aiko Nagayama, Hisashi Igawa
Votes: 163
6. Tora-san's Shattered Romance (1971)
89 min | Comedy
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Ayako Wakao, Chieko Baishô, Gin Maeda
Votes: 155
7. Tora-san, the Good Samaritan (1971)
91 min | Comedy
After a quarrel with his mother, Torajiro sets off to find a bride.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Rumi Sakakibara, Sachiko Mitsumoto
Votes: 123
8. Tora-san's Love Call (1971)
113 min | Comedy
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Shin Morikawa, Chishû Ryû
Votes: 128
9. Tora-san's Dear Old Home (1972)
107 min | Comedy
While Sakura and Hiroshi struggle to save funds to build a house, Torajiro befriends three young women on vacation during his travels.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Tatsuo Matsumura, Chieko Misaki
Votes: 128
10. Tora-san's Dream-Come-True (1972)
98 min | Comedy
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Kaoru Yachigusa, Tatsuo Matsumura
Votes: 113
11. Tora-san's Forget Me Not (1973)
99 min | Comedy
Tora visits his family after a year. After a misunderstanding he gets upset and leaves to end up in the countryside. On the way he meets Lily and they feel a connection. Sometime later Tora... See full summary »
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Gin Maeda, Chieko Misaki
Votes: 127
12. Tora-San Goes French (1973)
107 min | Comedy
Tora-San returns to Shibamata just before his family leaves on a trip for Kyushu. Later, he encounters an old school chum and begins to have feeling for his artist sister.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Gin Maeda, Chieko Misaki
Votes: 120
13. Tora-san's Lovesick (1974)
104 min | Comedy
After Torajiro's latest attempt to find a bride goes awry, he starts traveling again and runs into Utako (last seen in Tora-san's Dear Old Home), now a widow.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Gin Maeda, Chieko Misaki
Votes: 118
14. Tora-san's Lullaby (1974)
104 min | Comedy
After Hiroshi is injured in a workplace accident, Torajiro gives Sakura the money he has saved and leaves to work as a traveling salesman once again. During his travels, Torajiro meets a ... See full summary »
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Gin Maeda, Hisao Dazai
Votes: 101
15. Tora-san's Rise and Fall (1975)
90 min | Comedy
Traveling through Hokkaido with a disgruntled salaryman seeking a lost love (Eiji Funakoshi), Tora-san runs into Lily, who has gotten divorced since they last saw each other in Tora-san's ... See full summary »
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Masami Shimojô, Gin Maeda
Votes: 130
16. Tora-san, the Intellectual (1975)
100 min | Comedy
Tora-san returns to his family's shop in Shibamata, Tokyo to find himself accused of being the father of a 17-year-old girl. It turns out that Tora-san had only given help to the girl's ... See full summary »
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Masami Shimojô, Chieko Misaki
Votes: 95
17. Tora-san's Sunrise and Sunset (1976)
109 min | Comedy
Tora-san arrives in Shibamata on Mitsuo's first day of school only to find that on his account, Mitsuo was embarrassed. After a fight with his family, he goes to a bar to drink, then brings... See full summary »
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Kiwako Taichi, Masami Shimojô
Votes: 117
18. Tora-san's Heart of Gold (1976)
103 min | Comedy
When Tora-san's infatuation with his nephew's school teacher causes family turmoil, he leaves on his travels again. When he returns, he falls in love with the teacher's mother, who has a terminal illness.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Fumi Dan, Masami Shimojô
Votes: 87
19. Tora-san Meets His Lordship (1977)
99 min | Comedy
Tora-san befriends the descendant of a feudal lord. The man asks Tora to locate his deceased son's wife who resides somewhere in Tokyo.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Kyôko Maya, Masami Shimojô
Votes: 109
20. Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro gambare! (1977)
95 min | Comedy
Tora-san becomes friends with Toraya's newest tenant, a pachinko-playing electrician that goes by the nickname Watt. Tora attempts to match Watt with a young waitress.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Shiho Fujimura, Shinobu Ôtake
Votes: 89
21. Stage-struck Tora-san (1978)
107 min | Comedy
Tora-san returns from his travels throughout Japan to his family in Tokyo to find his uncle recovering from an illness. After a family fight erupts, he returns to the road swearing he'll ... See full summary »
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Nana Kinomi, Masami Shimojô
Votes: 84
22. Talk of the Town Tora-san (1978)
104 min | Comedy
After a chance encounter with Hiroshi's father on a bus, Tora decides to get serious and reflect on the mortality of man. His plans are derailed when a beautiful lady starts working at Toraya.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Masami Shimojô, Chieko Misaki
Votes: 89
23. Tora-san, the Matchmaker (1979)
107 min | Comedy, Romance
Lovable Tora-san returns in episode 24 with his adorable family and friends for a whole new adventure with a new gentle lady friend and whole new exciting mishaps.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Kaori Momoi, Masami Shimojô
Votes: 93
24. Tora-san's Dream of Spring (1979)
104 min | Comedy, Romance
Tora-san's opinions about Americans get challenged when another wandering peddler Michael Jordan stops by Shibamata.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Herb Edelman, Chieko Baishô, Masami Shimojô
Votes: 99
25. Tora-san's Tropical Fever (1980)
104 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Tora receives a letter from Lily, telling him that she is terminally ill. He flies to see her in a Okinawa hospital, and the two get a chance to rekindle their old fling.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Masami Shimojô, Chieko Misaki
Votes: 105
26. Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro kamome uta (1980)
97 min | Comedy
After a friend and business colleague dies, Tora-san visits the man's daughter, then takes her to Tokyo so she can study for a night school exam.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Ran Itô, Masami Shimojô
Votes: 86
27. Tora-san's Love in Osaka (1981)
104 min | Comedy, Romance
After the usual family fight, Tora leaves Shibamata and falls in love with a geisha from Osaka, who is struggling with her own problems. Tora tries to help her.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Keiko Matsuzaka, Masami Shimojô
Votes: 97
28. Tora-san's Promise (1981)
101 min | Comedy
Tora-san returns to his family's home to attend an elementary school class reunion. After he embarrasses himself by getting drunk and insulting all his ex-classmates, he resumes his travels... See full summary »
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Mikiko Otonashi, Masami Shimojô
Votes: 82
29. Hearts and Flowers for Tora-san (1982)
110 min | Comedy
During his travels, Tora-san gets drunk with an old man in Kyoto. Though Tora-san never fully comprehends his importance, the old man is a Living National Treasure ceramist. At his home, ... See full summary »
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Ayumi Ishida, Masami Shimojô
Votes: 82
30. Tora-san, the Expert (1982)
106 min | Comedy, Romance
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Yûko Tanaka, Masami Shimojô
Votes: 95
31. Tora-san's Song of Love (1983)
101 min | Comedy, Romance
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Masami Shimojô, Chieko Misaki
Votes: 74
32. Tora-san Goes Religious? (1983)
105 min | Comedy
When his travels bring him to Western Japan, Tora-san decides to pay his respects to the late Hyoichiro Suwa, his sister's father-in-law. He gets drunk with the priest at the temple, ... See full summary »
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Kiichi Nakai, Kaoru Sugita
Votes: 95
33. Marriage Counselor Tora-san (1984)
102 min | Comedy
In Shibamata, Tokyo, Tora-san's family prepares for a wedding. Meanwhile, the traveling Tora-san meets an old acquaintance in Iwate Province. Tora-san refuses to drink with him, afraid that... See full summary »
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Rie Nakahara, Masami Shimojô
Votes: 73
34. Tora-san's Forbidden Love (1984)
107 min | Comedy, Romance
Tora-san spends several days at the home of a hard-working salary man, who abruptly disappears. When the man's wife asks Tora-san to help find him, he falls in love with her, and secretly hopes the husband will not be found.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Masami Shimojô, Chieko Misaki
Votes: 81
35. Tora-san, the Go-between (1985)
108 min | Comedy, Romance
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Mitsuru Hirata, Masami Shimojô
Votes: 74
36. Tora-san's Island Encounter (1985)
105 min | Comedy
Tora-san's family's neighbor, Akemi, who had been married in Marriage Counselor Tora-san (1984), runs away from her husband, who is only interested in work. Tora-san follows her to ... See full summary »
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Masami Shimojô, Chieko Misaki
Votes: 80
37. Otoko wa tsurai yo: Shiawase no aoi tori (1986)
103 min | Comedy
During his travels, Tora-san comes across a traditional theater he used to visit, and discovers that one of his old friends has died. Tora-san and his family help the friend's daughter, who... See full summary »
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Etsuko Shihomi, Masami Shimojô
Votes: 73
38. Tora-san Goes North (1987)
107 min | Comedy, Romance
Tora-san, the näive and romantic peddler, returns once more to his home in Hokkaido where, as usual, he falls in love with a lovely young lady. The girl this time is Rinko Ueno, who has ... See full summary »
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Keiko Takeshita, Masami Shimojô
Votes: 135
39. Tora-san Plays Daddy (1987)
101 min | Comedy
A playboy-gambler friend of Tora-san's dies and, abandoned by his mother, his little boy suddenly turns up in Shibamata. Searching for the boy's mother, Tora-san meets a cosmetics saleslady... See full summary »
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Kumiko Akiyoshi, Midori Satsuki
Votes: 80
40. Tora-san's Salad-Day Memorial (1988)
100 min | Comedy
In his travels through Japan, Tora-san meets and falls in love with a female doctor, however he is afraid of committing to a relationship.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Hiroko Mita, Toshinori Omi
Votes: 69
41. Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro kokoro no tabiji (1989)
110 min | Comedy
During his wandering throughout Japan, Tora-san meets a suicidal man. He travels with the man to Vienna, but winds up homesick for Japan.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Masami Shimojô, Chieko Misaki
Votes: 80
42. Otoko wa tsurai yo: Boku no ojisan (1989)
109 min | Comedy
Tora-san's nephew Mitsuo is exchanging letters with Izumi, a former classmate whose parents divorced and took her out of Tokyo.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Fumi Dan, Hidetaka Yoshioka
Votes: 82
43. Tora-san Takes a Vacation (1990)
106 min | Comedy
Mitsuo goes to Nagoya to visit Izumi, whose father left Izumi's sad, bar hostess mother for another woman, so together they decide to confront him in Oita. Meanwhile, Izumi's mother ... See full summary »
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Mari Natsuki, Hidetaka Yoshioka
Votes: 86
44. Tora-san Confesses (1991)
104 min | Comedy, Drama
When Izumi can't stand seeing her mother flirt with other men, she leaves home. She sends a letter to Mitsuo and Mitsuo goes looking for her. But Izumi unexpectedly meets Tora-san.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Hideko Yoshida, Mari Natsuki
Votes: 77
45. Tora-San Makes Excuses (1992)
101 min | Comedy, Drama
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Jun Fubuki, Masami Shimojô
Votes: 76
46. Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro no endan (1993)
104 min | Comedy, Drama
After failing to find a job, Mitsuo becomes a fisherman on a small island, and develops a crush on a young nurse there. Tora-san, dispatched to bring Mitsuo back home, himself falls in love... See full summary »
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Masami Shimojô
Votes: 73
47. Otoko wa tsurai yo: Haikei, Kuruma Torajiro sama (1994)
101 min | Comedy, Drama
Mitsuo, unhappy in his new job as a shoe salesman, is invited to a festival and is introduced to a friend's sister. Tora-san meanwhile helps an injured housewife on her yearly vacation.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Riho Makise
Votes: 72
48. Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro kurenai no hana (1995)
107 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Tora-san works hard to bring together his nephew, Mitsuo, and Mitsuo's girlfriend who is engaged to someone else.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Masami Shimojô
Votes: 105
49. Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro haibisukasu no hana tokubetsu-hen (1997)
106 min | Comedy, Drama
Carrying a bag full of samples, Mitsuo makes rounds to shoe stores in remote cities. While staying at budget hotels, his thoughts turn to Tora-san.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Masami Shimojô
Votes: 36
50. Tora-san, Welcome Back! (2019)
115 min | Comedy, Drama
The 50th film in Tora-san series to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the series. The adult Mitsuo, Tora-san's nephew, who runs into Izumi, his first love, whom he had once promised to ... See full summary »
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Gin Maeda
Votes: 302
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