Tora-san's Love in Osaka
Encyclopedia
aka Tora's Many-Splintered Love is a 1981
Japan
ese comedy film directed by Yoji Yamada
. It stars Kiyoshi Atsumi
as Torajirō Kuruma (Tora-san), and Keiko Matsuzaka
as his love interest or "Madonna". Tora-san's Love in Osaka is the twenty-seventh entry in the popular, long-running Otoko wa Tsurai yo
series. It was the first film in the series in which Hidetaka Yoshioka
played the role of Tora-san's nephew Mitsuo Suwa.
was named Best Actress at the Japan Academy Prize and Blue Ribbon Awards
. Kiyoshi Atsumi
was nominated for Best Actor by the Japanese Academy.
Stuart Galbraith IV
writes that Tora-san's Love in Osaka is an "above-average entry in this consistently excellent series". He points out that some of the film's humor may be lost on western viewers since it stems from the contrast between Tokyo and Osaka culture.
Director Yamada, according to Galbraith, "obviously favors rural, remote Japan to sprawling urban landscapes like Osaka," but nevertheless, "the film plays as a heartfelt valentine to the city and its people." The German-language site molodezhnaja gives Tora-san's Love in Osaka three and a half out of five stars.
1981 in film
-Events:*January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it....
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese comedy film directed by Yoji Yamada
Yoji Yamada
is a Japanese film director best known for his Otoko wa Tsurai yo series of films and his Samurai Trilogy ....
. It stars Kiyoshi Atsumi
Kiyoshi Atsumi
Kiyoshi Atsumi , born Yasuo Tadokoro , was a Japanese film actor....
as Torajirō Kuruma (Tora-san), and Keiko Matsuzaka
Keiko Matsuzaka
is an actress.Born in Ōta, Tokyo, her father was a naturalized South Korean while her mother was Japanese. Active as a child actress in the 1960s, she came into her own as an adult with Daiei, then in 1972 with Shochiku....
as his love interest or "Madonna". Tora-san's Love in Osaka is the twenty-seventh entry in the popular, long-running Otoko wa Tsurai yo
Otoko wa Tsurai yo
Otoko wa tsurai yo is a Japanese film series starring Kiyoshi Atsumi as "Tora-san" , a kind-hearted vagabond who is always unlucky in love. The series itself is often referred to as "Tora-san" by its fans...
series. It was the first film in the series in which Hidetaka Yoshioka
Hidetaka Yoshioka
', is a Japanese actor known for his performance in several movies as a child and lately the award-winning TV drama Dr. Koto Shinryojo. He notably played the part of Tora-san's little nephew in the "Otoko wa Tsurai yo" film series, and he appeared in Akira Kurosawa's "Rhapsody in August" and...
played the role of Tora-san's nephew Mitsuo Suwa.
Synopsis
When his travels bring him to Osaka, Tora-san falls in love with a local geisha. He helps her to track down her estranged brother, and informs his family that he plans to marry her. His plans are foiled when the geisha informs Tora-san that she is engaged.Cast
- Kiyoshi AtsumiKiyoshi AtsumiKiyoshi Atsumi , born Yasuo Tadokoro , was a Japanese film actor....
as Torajirō - Chieko BaishōChieko Baishois a Japanese actress and singer.In Japan, she is well known for her performance as Sakura in the Otoko wa Tsurai yo series . In addition, she has acted in most films directed by Yōji Yamada since the 1960s...
as Sakura - Keiko MatsuzakaKeiko Matsuzakais an actress.Born in Ōta, Tokyo, her father was a naturalized South Korean while her mother was Japanese. Active as a child actress in the 1960s, she came into her own as an adult with Daiei, then in 1972 with Shochiku....
as Fumi Hamada - Shimojo Masami as Kuruma Tatsuzō
- Chieko Misaki as Tsune Kuruma (Torajiro's aunt)
- Gin Maeda as Hiroshi Suwa
- Hidetaka YoshiokaHidetaka Yoshioka', is a Japanese actor known for his performance in several movies as a child and lately the award-winning TV drama Dr. Koto Shinryojo. He notably played the part of Tora-san's little nephew in the "Otoko wa Tsurai yo" film series, and he appeared in Akira Kurosawa's "Rhapsody in August" and...
as Mitsuo Suwa - Hisao Dazai as Boss (Umetarō Katsura)
- Gajirō Satō as Genkō
- Chishū RyūChishu Ryuwas a famous Japanese film actor, a favourite of the director Yasujiro Ozu. From 1928 to 1992 he appeared in at least 155 films, including Ozu's Tokyo Story and Yoshitaro Nomura's Castle of Sand...
as Gozen-sama - Kannosuke Ashiya as Kikai
Critical appraisal
Tora-san's Love in Osaka was the fifth top box-office money-maker in Japan for 1981. For her role in the film Keiko MatsuzakaKeiko Matsuzaka
is an actress.Born in Ōta, Tokyo, her father was a naturalized South Korean while her mother was Japanese. Active as a child actress in the 1960s, she came into her own as an adult with Daiei, then in 1972 with Shochiku....
was named Best Actress at the Japan Academy Prize and Blue Ribbon Awards
Blue Ribbon Awards
The are film-specific prizes awarded solely by movie critics and writers in Tokyo, Japan.The awards were established in 1950 by which is composed of film correspondents from seven Tokyo-based sports newspapers...
. Kiyoshi Atsumi
Kiyoshi Atsumi
Kiyoshi Atsumi , born Yasuo Tadokoro , was a Japanese film actor....
was nominated for Best Actor by the Japanese Academy.
Stuart Galbraith IV
Stuart Galbraith IV
Stuart Galbraith IV is an American cinema historian, film critic, and DVD special features producer, essayist, and audio commentator.-Early life and education:...
writes that Tora-san's Love in Osaka is an "above-average entry in this consistently excellent series". He points out that some of the film's humor may be lost on western viewers since it stems from the contrast between Tokyo and Osaka culture.
Director Yamada, according to Galbraith, "obviously favors rural, remote Japan to sprawling urban landscapes like Osaka," but nevertheless, "the film plays as a heartfelt valentine to the city and its people." The German-language site molodezhnaja gives Tora-san's Love in Osaka three and a half out of five stars.
Availability
Tora-san's Love in Osaka was released theatrically on August 8, 1981. In Japan, the film has been released on videotape in 1986 and 1996, and in DVD format in 1998, 2002 and 2008.External links
- Tora-san's Love in Osaka at www.tora-san.jp (Official site)