4. Context
9-13-1931 – Present
Toyonaka City, Osaka
Six Decades
60 movies
Journeyman director
Comedy (Internationally
acclaimed festival
favorite)Yoji Yamada
Director
5. Context
Director
His Tora-sanfilms about the
travails of a traveling salesman,
of which he wrote and directed
46, comprise the longest-
running series in cinematic
history.
Yoji Yamada
6. Context
Director
It was his samurai trilogy (The
Twilight Samurai, The Hidden
Blade and Love and
Honor) between 2002 and 2006
that brought him worldwide
attention, including a foreign-
language Oscar nomination.Yoji Yamada
7. Context
Director
You’ve achieved a lot during a
long career. Is there anything left
you want to do?
To make a comedy that
would make you laugh so much
that your stomach hurts; that’s my
dream. It’s hard though. You
know straightaway if it works or
not because audiences either
laugh or they don’t.Yoji Yamada
8. Context
Otoko wa Tsurai yo series (Tora-
san series) : 1969-1995
Yoji Yamada
Critically acclaimed films
Director
10. Context
Kakushi ken: Oni no Tsume (The
Hidden Blade) : 2004
Yoji Yamada
Critically acclaimed films
Director
11. Context
Kakushi ken: Oni no Tsume
(The Hidden Blade) : 2004
Yoji Yamada
Critically acclaimed films
Director
12. Context
Asian Film Awards, 2008 – Lifetime
Achievement Award
Awards of the Japanese Academy,
2003 – Best Director (The Twilight
Samurai)
Nikkan Sports Film Awards, 2002 –
Best Director (The Twilight
Samurai)
Udine Far East Film Festival, 2004
– Audience Award (The Twilight
Samurai)Yoji Yamada
AWARDS
Director
17. Context
Production Notes
The Twilight Samurai is based on three short novels by Shuhei
Fujisawa:
Tasogare Seibei
Twilight Seibei
Takemitsu Shimatsu
Record of a Bamboo Sword
Hoito Sukehachi
Sukehachi, the Beggar
18. Context
Production Notes
This film is the first screen adaptation of Fujisawa’s
novels and the first samurai film for director
Yamada.
The Twilight Samurai is Yamada’s 77th film and
marks his 41st year as a director since his first
feature, Stranger Upstairs (Nikai no Tanin).
Yamada: “At last, the time has come for realizing my
long-cherished dream, to portray the realm of Shuhei
Fujisawa on the screen with cinematic beauty and
power. To challenge a truly authentic samurai movie
is replete with excitement.”
