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Tora-san's Love in Osaka poster

Tora-san's Love in Osaka

1981 1h 44m JA
🤯
9.0
MASTERPIECE
★9.0TMDB · 3
Comedy
Synopsis
Spoiler shield

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.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Credits

Behind the camera

Director
Yoji Yamada
Writers
Yoji Yamada, Yoshitaka Asama, Yoji Yamada
Languages
Japanese
Countries
Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8
ERA

Did you know

45 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01
2 / 8
CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Tora-san Series" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Yoji Yamada, shot by Tetsuo Takaha. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Naozumi Yamamoto. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Iwao Ishii shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
CAST

Did you know

Kiyoshi Atsumi and Chieko Baisho and Keiko Matsuzaka carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0082865 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
WILD

Did you know

Only 3 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Yoji Yamada directs. Tetsuo Takaha behind the camera. Naozumi Yamamoto scores. Iwao Ishii cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

  • 145 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
  • 2Part of the "Tora-san Series" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
  • 3Directed by Yoji Yamada, shot by Tetsuo Takaha. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
  • 4Original score by Naozumi Yamamoto. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
  • 5Editor Iwao Ishii shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
  • 6Kiyoshi Atsumi and Chieko Baisho and Keiko Matsuzaka carry the top of the cast.
  • 7IMDB entry: tt0082865 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
  • 8Only 3 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography
Tetsuo Takaha
Original score
Naozumi Yamamoto
Editing
Iwao Ishii
Runtime
104 min · 1h 44m
Status
Released
Original language
JA

Part of

Tora-san Series

Otoko wa Tsurai yo (男はつらいよ, "It's tough being a man") 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 (Azuma Morisaki) and 4 (Shun'ichi Kobayashi) were directed by Yōji Yamada, who also wrote (or co-wrote) all the screenplays.

Also by

Yoji Yamada

Production companies

Who made it

  • Shochiku

    Shochiku

    JP

Key crew

  • Art DirectionMitsuo Degawa
  • Executive ProducerTetsuo Sao
  • Original StoryYoji Yamada
  • Still PhotographerSôhei Hasegawa
  • Sound MixerRyuji Matsumoto
  • Executive ProducerKiyoshi Shimazu
  • Lighting TechnicianYoshifumi Aoki
  • Sound RecordistIsao Suzuki
  • EditorIwao Ishii

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

  • osaka, japan

Release history · US

When it landed

  • Theatrical1981-08-08

Also known as

International titles

  • Tora's Many-Splintered LoveUS
  • Otoko wa Tsurai yo 27US
  • Tora-san's Love in OsakaFR
  • Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Naniwa no Koi no TorajirōJP

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