2. Tora-san arrived on the screen when anything was possible if you
Monthly ClassiCs worked hard enough, and people were forward-thinking and full of
Best of tora-san energy. . . A penniless, comic anti-hero, Tora-san lacked good looks
and smarts and remained oblivious to the country’s modernization,
October 2008–May 2009 living solely to bring happiness to those he loved.
As the world’s longest running series in film Yoji Yamada, Director
history, the 48-part Tora-san series chronicles
the life of an unruly salesman traveling through
Japan. From 1969–96, Tora-san (played by
Kiyoshi Atsumi) drove over 80 million people
to the theater, and today remains Japan’s
beloved icon. Celebrating the 40th anniversary
of the first Tora-san film, and the 80th anniver-
sary of Atsumi’s birth, Tora-san writer/director
Yoji Yamada (Twilight Samurai) hand selects
the top eight films for this series.
Episode #1
2008–09
tora-san, our lovable tramp oct. 17 (#1/1969)
(otoko wa tsuraiyo) tora-san, our lovable tramp
Friday, October 17 at 7:30 pm
nov. 21 (#15/1975)
Join Yoji Yamada for a special Q&A live from Japan after the
screening, via live video! tora-san Meets the
songstress again
Twenty years after abandoning his small town of
Dec. 5 (#32/1983)
Shibamata, Tora-san returns home and is reunited tora-san Goes Religious?
with his pretty younger sister, Sakura, who is being
Jan. 23 (#8/1971)
courted by a local factory worker. Tora-san, his family
tora-san’s love Call*
and friends are all introduced in this seminal debut
Feb. 13 (#9/1972)
of the series that lasted over 25 years.
tora-san’s Dear old home*
1969, 91 min., 35mm, color. Directed by Yoji Yamada, with Kiyoshi Atsumi,
Chieko Baisho, Sashiko Mitsumoto. Mar. 13 (#10/1972)
Tickets: $11/$7 members, students & seniors. For details, visit
tora-san’s Dream Come true
www.japansociety.org/film. Order tickets online or call the Japan apr. 17 (#29/1982)
Society box office at (212) 715-1258. Programs subject to change. hearts and Flowers
for tora-san*
Japan Society 2007–08 Film Programs are generously supported by The Lila
Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund. May 22 (#42/1989)
Additional support is provided by Joshua S. Levine and Nozomi Terao, and the tora-san, My Uncle
New York State Council on the Arts, a State agency.
All prints courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. Special thanks to Keio University for * Presented for the first time with English subtitles.
providing the private internet network for the director’s live Q&A.
