# Otoko wa Tsurai yo

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 Torajirō Kuruma, whose nickname is 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 [jp]) were directed by Yōji Yamada, who also wrote (or co-wrote) all the screenplays.
Each film featured a different leading lady, called a Madonna, and a different region of Japan. (There were also episodes that featured scenes in Arizona and Vienna.) Two films were usually made each year between 1969 and 1989, one for summer and one for New Year release. From 1990 to 1995 only one film was made each year, for New Year release. AnimEigo released a box-set of the first four films in the United States in 2009 under the title "Tora-san". The series holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-running movie series starring a single actor.
The film series had presumed to have ended with Atsumi's declining health and death from lung cancer at age 68, without Tora-san ever settling down and finding domestic happiness. Atsumi was so identified with the Tora-san character that his death was also considered by fans to be the death of Tora-san. Director Yamada had decided at the time not to continue the series after Atsumi's death, but reworked a Tora-san script stuck in development as Niji wo Tsukamu Otoko starring Nishida Toshiyuki as a traveling cinema operator. Although Niji was a tribute to movies in general, the final scenes were Yamada's touching, loving posthumous tribute to the Tora-san series and to Atsumi Kiyoshi. Almost all of the principal actors from Otoko wa Tsurai yo have cameos in the Niji film, and the Tora-san character even makes a surprise cameo appearance near the end of the movie. The film ends with a dedication to Atsumi Kiyoshi.
However, the 50th Tora-san film, Tora-san, Wish You Were Here, was released in Japan on December 27, 2019. Atsumi appears throughout the film as flashbacks, using footage from his dozens of performances as Tora-san in the previous films, with the cast members in contemporary Tokyo recalling his presence in their lives.

## Basic plot

Torajirō Kuruma (Tora-san) is a traveling salesman whose sole possessions are the contents of a small suitcase, the clothes on his back and some pocket money. He wanders from town to town peddling his wares. He yearns to return to his home in Shibamata, Katsushika, Tokyo.
His family members include Sakura (his kind-hearted half-sister), Hiroshi (Sakura's husband), Mitsuo (Sakura and Hiroshi's son), Tatsuzō (Tora-san's elderly uncle), and Tsune (Tora-san's elderly aunt). Tatsuzō and Tsune run a traditional sweet (dango) shop in Shibamata. The film often begins with Tora-san dreaming of doing grand deeds, anxious to be worthy of his family, usually resulting in disappointment and subsequent awakening.
Tora-san unexpectedly drops in on his family. While they are glad to see him, Tora-san's stay eventually causes some kind of ruckus and usually a violent family argument ensues. He then storms off with his belongings just as suddenly as he arrived.
In each film he falls in love with a "Madonna," an attractive woman, but he invariably ends up heartbroken.

## Origin of the series

Preceding the first theatrical film of Otoko wa Tsurai yo, a teledrama version was broadcast from 1968 to 1969. It was originally titled "Gukei (or "Gukyō")-Kenmai" (愚兄賢妹), meaning "Goofy Brother and Wise Sister." The name comes from the final subtitle of Naite tamaruka (泣いてたまるか). (The star of Naite tamaruka is also Atsumi Kiyoshi.)
Kobayashi Shun'ichi renamed the show Otoko wa Tsurai yo. In the final episode of the TV series, Torajirō dies of a snakebite. This denouement made the audience angry and a film version of Otoko wa Tsurai yo followed.
Initially, Shochiku, the distributing agency, was not enthusiastic about the film's prospects but Yōji Yamada's persuasiveness ultimately prevailed. The film series went on to become a huge success with films released every summer and New Years. The series became part of Japanese pop culture. With the exception of Morikawa Shin, the supporting cast of the television version did not reprise their roles in the film series – though Sato Gajiro appears in most of the films as "Gen-chan," Nagayama Aiko is the Madonna in the 5th film and Hisashi Igawa is her suitor.

## Cast
### TV series

* Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō Kuruma
* Aiko Nagayama as Sakura
* Shin Morikawa as Tatsuzō Kuruma
* Tokuko Sugiyama as Tsune Kuruma
* Gajirō Satō as Yūjirō (Torajiro's little brother)
* Hisashi Igawa as Hiroshi Suwa (a doctor)

### Films

* Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō Kuruma
* Chieko Baisho as Sakura Suwa
* Gin Maeda as Hiroshi Suwa
* Shin Morikawa – as Ryuzō Kuruma (in films 1 to 8)
* Tatsuo Matsumura – as Ryuzō Kuruma (in films 9 to 13)
* Masami Shimojō as Ryuzō Kuruma (in films 14 to 48)
* Chieko Misaki as Tsune Kuruma
* Hidetaka Yoshioka as Mitsuo Suwa (in films 27 to 50)
* Hisao Dazai as Boss (Umetarō Katsura)
* Chishū Ryū as Gozen-sama
* Gajirō Satō as Genkō

### Anime

* Kōichi Yamadera as Torajirō Kuruma
* Yumi Tōma as Lilly
* Mari Okamoto as Sakura Suwa
* Hōchū Ōtsuka as Hiroshi Suwa
* Minori Yada as Tatsuzō Kuruma
* Mie Azuma as Tsune Kuruma
* Mine Eken as Umetarō Katsura
* Ryūji Saikachi as Gozen-sama
* Naoki Tatsuta as Genkō

## Film series

| Number | Title | Japan release date | US release date |
| 1 | It's Tough Being a Man ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo") (男はつらいよ) | August 27, 1969 | July 18, 1974 |
| 2 | Tora-san's Cherished Mother ("Zoku Otoko wa Tsurai yo") 続・男はつらいよ | November 15, 1969 | July 1, 1970 |
| 3 | Tora-san, His Tender Love ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Fuuten no Tora") 男はつらいよ フーテンの寅 | January 15, 1970 | October 20, 1973 |
| 4 | Tora-san's Grand Scheme ("Shin Otoko wa Tsurai yo") 新・男はつらいよ | February 27, 1970 | July 25, 1973 |
| 5 | Tora-san's Runaway ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Bōkyō hen") 男はつらいよ 望郷篇 | August 25, 1970 | May 28, 1971 |
| 6 | Tora-san's Shattered Romance ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Junjō hen") 男はつらいよ 純情篇 | January 15, 1971 | September 1, 1971 |
| 7 | Tora-san, the Good Samaritan ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Funtō hen") 男はつらいよ 奮闘篇 | April 28, 1971 | June 25, 1975 |
| 8 | Tora-san's Love Call ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō koiuta") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎恋歌 | December 29, 1971 | April 14, 1973 |
| 9 | Tora-san's Dear Old Home ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Shibamata bojō") 男はつらいよ 柴又慕情 | August 5, 1972 | March 10, 1974 |
| 10 | Tora-san's Dream-Come-True ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō yumemakura") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎夢枕 | December 29, 1972 | May 1973 |
| 11 | Tora-san's Forget Me Not ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō wasurenagusa") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎忘れな草 | August 4, 1973 | January 4, 1974 |
| 12 | Tora-san Loves an Artist ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Watashi no tora-san") 男はつらいよ 私の寅さん | December 26, 1973 | May 22, 1974 |
| 13 | Tora-san's Lovesick ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Koiyatsure") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎恋やつれ | August 10, 1974 | |
| 14 | Tora-san's Lullaby ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Komoriuta") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎子守唄 | December 28, 1974 | December 1975 |
| 15 | Tora-san's Rise and Fall ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Aiaigasa") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎相合い傘 | August 2, 1975 | June 12, 1977 |
| 16 | Tora-san, the Intellectual ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Katsushika Risshihen") 男はつらいよ 葛飾立志篇 | December 27, 1975 | December 31, 1976 |
| 17 | Tora-san's Sunrise and Sunset ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Yūyake Koyake") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎夕焼け小焼け （仮タイトルは「男はつらいよ 柴又の伊達男」） | July 24, 1976 | May 6, 1977 |
| 18 | Tora's Pure Love ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Junjōshishū") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎純情詩集 | December 25, 1976 | |
| 19 | Tora-san Meets His Lordship ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō to Tonosama") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎と殿様 | August 6, 1977 | August 25, 1978 |
| 20 | Tora-san Plays Cupid ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Gambare!") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎頑張れ! | December 24, 1977 | |
| 21 | Stage-Struck Tora-san ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Wagamichi o Yuku") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎わが道をゆく | August 5, 1978 | |
| 22 | Talk of the Town Tora-san ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Uwasa no Torajirō") 男はつらいよ 噂の寅次郎 | December 27, 1978 | September 28, 1979 |
| 23 | Tora-san, the Matchmaker ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Tonderu Torajirō") 男はつらいよ 翔んでる寅次郎 | August 4, 1979 | May 1980 |
| 24 | Tora-san's Dream of Spring ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Haru no Yume") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎春の夢 | December 28, 1979 | June 1, 1980 |
| 25 | Tora-san's Tropical Fever ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Haibisukasu no Hana") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎ハイビスカスの花 | August 2, 1980 | December 26, 1980 |
| 26 | Foster Daddy, Tora! ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Kamome Uta") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎かもめ歌 | December 28, 1980 | |
| 27 | Tora-san's Love in Osaka ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Naniwa no Koi no Torajirō") 男はつらいよ 浪花の恋の寅次郎 | August 8, 1981 | January 1, 1982 |
| 28 | Tora-san's Promise ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Kamifūsen") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎紙風船 | December 29, 1981 | June 1982 |
| 29 | Hearts and Flowers for Tora-san ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Ajisai no Koi") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎あじさいの恋 | August 7, 1982 | December 24, 1982 |
| 30 | Tora-san, the Expert ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Hana mo Arashi mo Torajirō") 男はつらいよ 花も嵐も寅次郎 | December 28, 1982 | |
| 31 | Tora-san's Song of Love ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Tabi to Onna to Torajirō") 男はつらいよ 旅と女と寅次郎 | August 6, 1983 | January 20, 1984 |
| 32 | Tora-san Goes Religious? ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Kuchibue o Fuku Torajirō") 男はつらいよ 口笛を吹く寅次郎 | December 28, 1983 | June 29, 1984 |
| 33 | Marriage Counselor Tora-san ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Yogiri ni Musebu Torajirō") 男はつらいよ 夜霧にむせぶ寅次郎 | August 4, 1984 | December 21, 1984 |
| 34 | Tora-san's Forbidden Love ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Shinjitsu Ichiro") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎真実一路 | December 28, 1984 | May 1985 |
| 35 | Tora-san, the Go-Between ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Ren'aijuku") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎恋愛塾 | August 3, 1985 | |
| 36 | Tora-san's Island Encounter ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Shibamata yori Ai o Komete") 男はつらいよ 柴又より愛をこめて | December 28, 1985 | |
| 37 | Tora-san's Bluebird Fantasy ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Shiawase no Aoi Tori") 男はつらいよ 幸福の青い鳥 | December 20, 1986 | June 1987 |
| 38 | Tora-san Goes North ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Shiretoko Bojō") 男はつらいよ 知床慕情 | August 15, 1987 | January 11, 1990 |
| 39 | Tora-san Plays Daddy ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Monogatari") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎物語 | December 26, 1987 | |
| 40 | Tora-san's Salad-Day Memorial ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Sarada Kinenbi") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎サラダ記念日 | December 24, 1988 | |
| 41 | Tora-san Goes to Vienna ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Kokoro no Tabiji") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎心の旅路 | August 5, 1989 | November 1989 |
| 42 | Tora-san, My Uncle ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Boku no Ojisan") 男はつらいよ ぼくの伯父さん | December 27, 1989 | January 11, 1990 |
| 43 | Tora-san Takes a Vacation ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō no Kyūjitsu") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎の休日 | December 22, 1990 | |
| 44 | Tora-san Confesses ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō no Kokuhaku") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎の告白 | December 21, 1991 | March 1992 |
| 45 | Tora-san Makes Excuses ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō no Seishun") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎の青春 | December 26, 1992 | |
| 46 | Tora-san's Matchmaker ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō no Endan") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎の縁談 | December 25, 1993 | |
| 47 | Tora-san's Easy Advice ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Haikei, Kuruma Torajirō-sama") 男はつらいよ 拝啓車寅次郎様 | December 23, 1994 | |
| 48 | Tora-san to the Rescue ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Kurenai no Hana") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎紅の花 | December 23, 1995 | |
| 49 | Tora-san's Tropical Fever Special Edition ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Haibisukasu no Hana Tokubetsuhen") 男はつらいよ 寅次郎ハイビスカスの花 特別篇 | November 22, 1997 | |
| 50 | Tora-san, Wish You Were Here ("Otoko wa Tsurai yo 50: Okaeri, Torasan") 男はつらいよ50　おかえり、寅さん | December 27, 2019 | |

## Madonnas

Each movie had a female guest star with whom Tora-san would usually fall head over heels (or, in the later movies, play a surrogate father figure). These characters were referred to as "Madonnas". Each Madonna was played by an ingenue who was popular at the time of the movie's release.
| Movie No. | Actress | Role |
| 1 | Sachiko Mitsumoto | Fuyuko, the Taishaku-ten Priest's daughter |
| 2 | Orie Sato | Natsuko Tsubouchi, the English teacher's daughter |
| 3 | Michiyo Aratama | O-Shizu, the ryokan kamisan |
| 4 | Komaki Kurihara | Haruko Usami, the kindergarten teacher |
| 5 | Aiko Nagayama | Setsuko, the fried tofu shopkeeper's daughter |
| 6 | Ayako Wakao | Yuko Akashi, the niece of Tsune's cousin's husband |
| 7 | Rumi Sakakibara | Hanako Ota, the disabled school assistant from Aomori |
| 8 | Junko Ikeuchi | Takako Rokuhara, the coffee shop owner |
| 9 | Sayuri Yoshinaga | Utako, the tourist / writer's daughter |
| 10 | Kaoru Yachigusa | Chiyo, the barber |
| 11 | Ruriko Asaoka | Lily, the lounge singer |
| 12 | Keiko Kishi | Ritsuko, the artist |
| 13 | Sayuri Yoshinaga | Utako, the writer's daughter |
| 14 | Yukiyo Toake | Kyoko, the nurse |
| 15 | Ruriko Asaoka | Lily, the lounge singer |
| 16 | Fumie Kashiyama | Reiko, the grad student / instructor of archeology |
| 17 | Kiwako Taichi | Botan, the geisha |
| 18 | Machiko Kyō | Aya Yagyu, Mitsuo's teacher's mother |
| 19 | Kyōko Maya | Mariko, the lordship's daughter in law |
| 20 | Shiho Fujimura | Fujiko, the electrician's sister |
| 21 | Nana Kinomi | Nanako, the SKD revue dancer |
| 22 | Reiko Ohara | Sanae, the divorcee |
| 23 | Kaori Momoi | Hitomi, the runaway bride |
| 24 | Kyōko Kagawa | Keiko, the English teacher's mother |
| 25 | Ruriko Asaoka | Lily, the lounge singer |
| 26 | Ran Ito | Sumire, the school dropout |
| 27 | Keiko Matsuzaka | Fumi, the Osaka geisha |
| 28 | Mikiko Otonashi | Mitsue, the tekiya's widow |
| 29 | Ayumi Ishida | Kagari, the maid |
| 30 | Yūko Tanaka | Keiko Ogawa, the tourist / department store worker |
| 31 | Harumi Miyako | Harumi Kyo, the enka singer |
| 32 | Keiko Takeshita | Tomoko, the Rendai-ji priest's daughter |
| 33 | Rie Nakahara | Fuuko, the hairdresser |
| 34 | Reiko Ohara | Fujiko, the missing salaryman's wife |
| 35 | Kanako Higuchi | Wakana Egami, the Catholic lady's granddaughter |
| 36 | Komaki Kurihara | Machiko, the junior high school teacher |
| 37 | Etsuko Shihomi | Miho, the Kabuki actor's daughter |
| 38 | Keiko Takeshita | Rinko, the veterinarian's daughter |
| 39 | Kumiko Akiyoshi | Takako Takai |
| 40 | Yoshiko Mita | Machiko, the doctor |
| 41 | Keiko Takeshita | Kumiko, the tourguide |
| 42 | Kumiko Goto/ Fumi Dan | Izumi Oikawa, Mitsuo's girlfriend; Izumi's mother |
| 43 | Kumiko Goto/ Mari Natsuki | Oikawa Izumi, Mitsuo's girlfriend |
| 44 | Kumiko Goto/ Hideko Yoshida | Oikawa Izumi, Mitsuo's girlfriend |
| 45 | Kumiko Goto/ Jun Fubuki | Oikawa Izumi, Mitsuo's girlfriend |
| 46 | Keiko Matsuzaka | Sakaide Yoko |
| 47 | Rino Katase | Miya Noriko, the photographer |
| 48 | Ruriko Asaoka | Lily, the lounge singer |
| 49 | Ruriko Asaoka | Lily, the lounge singer |