Yamada Yoji (山田洋次)
Yoji YAMADA (September 13, 1931 -) is a film director, playwright, and member of the Japan Art Academy, from Toyonaka City, Osaka Prefecture. He made his debut with "Nikai no tanin" (The Strangers Upstairs) in 1961, after working as an assistant director for Yuzo KAWASHIMA and Yoshitaro NOMURA. Since then, he has brought out numerous human-interest dramas, such as the "Otoko Wa Tsurai Yo" (It's Tough Being a Man) series, and remains popular with the public. He is also highly-rated by critics and intellectuals and, among active directors, he has the most appearances in Kinema Junpo's top ten. Even in countries such as China, he is recognized as the leading figure in Japanese cinema. He is a board member of Chihiro Art Museum. He is a guest professor of both Kansai University Graduate School of Letters and Ritsumeikan University College of Image Arts and Sciences.
His wife was Yoshie YAMADA (May 23, 1932 - November 8, 2008), who was a vice-president of 'Raicho HIRATSUKA Documentary Films Association.'
His second daughter is Aki YAMADA (September 14, 1963 -), a producer at satellite broadcaster BS-TBS. * Not to be confused with Aki YAMADA, a former NHK presenter.
Style
His works, influenced by rakugo (traditional comic storytelling), mainly focus on human drama and are full of humor and pathos. They carefully depict the joy and sorrow hidden in the everyday life of ordinary people and outcasts, with beautiful scenery and simple visual imagery.
It is said that, when directing, he expects 'both leading and supporting actors to work together as one, with understated, natural acting.'
Since he places importance on inspiration and momentum on the set, he doesn't decide on the details of the script beforehand. He is also an avid reader of foreign mystery novels and in his early days showed an interest in suspense and black humor, but he seems to have soon abandoned this direction. Although he flirted with musicals in 'Kinema no Tenchi' (The Golden Age of Movies), it was not his sphere, and Yamada's true worth is definitely seen when depicting down-to-earth everyday life.
Biography
He was born in Toyonaka City, Osaka Prefecture in 1931. Because of the work of his father, an engineer for South Manchuria Railways, he moved to Manchuria at the age of two, and spent his childhood there. In 1947, after the war, his family moved from Dalian City back to Japan, where he lived between the ages of 15 and 18 in his aunt's house in Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Yamada's repatriation experience is one reason why he often depicts drifters and outcasts.
He graduated from Ube Junior High School (present-day Yamaguchi Prefectural Ube High School), and while at Yamaguchi High School (present Yamaguchi University), the education system reforms, which basically saw junior high schools become high schools, and high schools became universities, were introduced. He entered the faculty of law at Tokyo University after graduating from the new Tokyo Metropolitan Koyamadai High School.
Although he almost dropped out of school due to skipping classes and failing to attend sufficient days, he graduated in 1954 and was accepted by Shochiku after being put on their waiting list
He worked as a scriptwriter and assistant director on Yoshitaro NOMURA's films. He made his debut as a director with "Nikai no tanin" in 1961.
At a time when up-and-coming directors such as Nagisa OSHIMA, Masahiro SHINODA and Yoshishige YOSHIDA were making a name as part of the Shochiku New Wave, Yamada remained low-key. While Nouvelle Vague directors broke away from Shochiku, he pursued a career as a company director, continuing the 'Shochiku Ofuna style' (named after the company's studios), with works focusing on comedies including "Shitamachi no Taiyo" (The Sunshine Girl) and "Baka Marudashi" (Honest Fool).
He gradually won a reputation as a writer of comedies and several of his films were included in Kinema Junpo's top ten, but he remained without any hit films.
In 1969, "Otoko Wa Tsurai Yo" was released. Though the attendance was small at first, it gained a good reputation. When, under the rotation system, Yamada became the sole director, attendance increased and over the next 27 years the series became a huge hit with 48 films. It was said that the movies, released in the summer holidays and at the year's end, were a Japanese seasonal tradition and a national institution. However, after Kiyoshi ATSUMI, who played Torajiro KURUMA, became unwell, the "Otoko Wa Tsurai Yo" series, which had been made twice a year, was reduced to one movie a year and, later, Yamada decided to have more scenes with Mitsuo, Torajiro's nephew, and fewer with Torajiro. For the forty-seventh and forty-eighth films, he had Atsumi force himself to play despite the doctor's order that he should stop. It is said that Yamada didn't know Atsumi's personal contact information or his family since Atsumi didn't like to mix private and public matters. It was not until after the farewell gathering for Tora-san (Torajiro) that he got to know them. Four years after the death of Atsumi ended the "Otoko Wa Tsurai Yo" series, the Ofuna studios were closed, and Yamada had fewer chances to direct.
He also released serious films, usually with an original script, including "Kazoku" (Where Spring Comes Late) and "Harakara" (The Village), every two or three years between episodes of the series. These were highly acclaimed and achieved good results, solidifying Yamada's position as a filmmaker. They mostly starred Chieko BAISHO, who featured in more than 60 films in the leading or the second leading role, including Sakura in "Otoko Wa Tsurai Yo" and numerous starring roles before the start of the series. This rare closeness in a way proves that Yamada is the sort of artist who 'repeatedly sings the same song for life'.
In 2002, "Tasogare Seibei" (The Twilight Samurai) based on a Shuhei FUJISAWA novel was released. This was Yamada's second period drama following "Un Ga Yokerya" (If You Are Lucky), and the first Fujisawa novel to be made into a movie. The story depicts the suffering of "low-ranked" samurai, who had been ignored in other period dramas. He took ten years over the plot and focused thoroughly on authenticity. Real details are carefully depicted, with the characters wearing worn-out old clothes instead of beautiful new ones, and having stubble growing in the shaved part of the head since people could hardly shave it everyday, and the film was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film award at the 76th Academy Awards.
In 2004, he released another period drama "Kakushi ken Oni no tsume" (The Hidden Blade) based on a Fujisawa novel, which won the Best Film Award at the 7th Zimbabwe International Film Festival.
In 2006, Yamada, who was a member of sumo's Yokozuna Deliberation Committee, became an honorary advisor to Tokyo University Sumo Club, which he used to belong to, in order to 'hopefully solve the shortage of club members.'
Watching a friendly match against Kyoto University, he was thrilled because 'it is wonderful that students who are apparently beginners fight while their noses are bleeding.'
In 2007, it was decided Yamada's "Shiawase no kiiroi hankachi" (The Yellow Handkerchief) would be remade in Hollywood. The film stars Oscar-winner William Hurt.
In 2008, Yamada became the second film director, following Yasujiro OZU, to be appointed to the Japan Art Academy.
Episodes
His grandfather fought on the government side in the Seinan War.
He spent his childhood in Manchuria but since the nearby roads were paved with asphalt, he didn't grow up with beautiful scenery that he could call home.
He entered Tokyo University because he wanted to go to Tokyo. He studied hard to attain this goal. He chose the faculty of law because he believed it would be easy to graduate. In fact, he found the classes boring, hardly attended any and was on the verge of dropping out before he graduated.
When he killed off the main character in the final episode of the TV series "Otoko Wa Tsurai Yo," he received a large amount of complaints from the fans. He acknowledged that he had not understood the drama, and decided to create a sequel for the screen.
Shibamata, Katsushika Ward, the setting for the 'Tora-san' series, was chosen after being suggested by writer Katsumoto SAOTOME.
When he fell sick on the set of the final movie and was lying down in the dressing room, Kiyoshi ATSUMI, who at that time might have already known that he himself was dying, said to him, 'Are you all right, Mr. Yamada? You should take care of yourself and live a long life,' which Yamada still remembers fondly.
In recent years, he has said 'I feel like I could make a lot more Otoko Wa Tsurai Yo films' when he is on location.
He used to criticize the films of Yasujiro OZU for being 'similar stories every time' and 'boring, with nothing happening' and was shocked to see Akira KUROSAWA, whom he respected, eagerly watch Ozu films at home. In recent years, he kind of agreed that his films have been influenced by Ozu.
His favorite writer is Shuhei FUJISAWA because he is touched by the way all the main characters lead modest lives.
Major prizes
Geijutsu Sensho Monbudaijinsho (Ministry of Education Award for Artistic Excellence) (1969)
Kan KIKUCHI Award (1972)
Asian Film Festival, Best Comedy award (1980)
Tomin Eiyosho (Tokyo Honor Award) (1982)
Vienna City Johann Award (1989)
Shiju hosho (Medal of Honor with purple ribbon) (1996)
Shanghai International Film Festival, Best Director award (1999)
Kunyonto Kyokujitsusho (Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette) (2002)
Bunkakorosha (Person of Cultural Merit) (2004)
Asian Film Lifetime Director Award (2008)
Asian Film Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award (2008)