Yoji Yamada is a Japanese film director best known for his Otoko wa Tsurai yo series of films and his Samurai Trilogy.
Yoji Yamada at the Tokyo International Film Festival in 2019
Otoko wa Tsurai yo is a Japanese film series starring Kiyoshi Atsumi as Tora-san (寅さん), a kind-hearted vagabond who is always unlucky in love. The series itself is often referred to as "Tora-san" by its fans. Spanning 48 installments released between 1969 and 1995, all of the Otoko wa Tsurai yo films except episodes 3 and 4 were directed by Yōji Yamada, who also wrote all the screenplays.
Poster for the 18th film, Tora's Pure Love (1976)