<figure id="attachment_477541" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-477541" style="width: 3503px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="334b304c"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/08/2b91f460dc27debbf17f074313000fa0.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-477541" class="wp-caption-text">Press Conference for the Film *It’s Tough Being a Man: Torajiro’s Journey of the Heart* (From left: Keiko Awaji, Kiyoshi Atsumi, Keiko Takeshita. 1989)</figcaption></figure>
<h2><span class="strongInContent"> Unable to perform in slapstick comedies</span></h2>
<p> it has been exactly 30 years since the one-of-a-kind national treasure, Kiyoshi Atsumi (aged 68), passed away in 1996.On August 13 of that year, a “Farewell Ceremony for Kiyoshi Atsumi” was held at Stage 9 of the Shochiku Ofuna Studios—a location deeply memorable for the “Tora-san” films.</p>
<p> A long line of fans who had rushed in from all over the country continued unbroken until late at night. That hot summer has come around again this year.</p>
<p> The Shochiku film series *It’s Tough Being a Man* first saw the light of day in August 1969.Since then, a total of 48 films were produced as Obon and New Year’s releases, earning a place in the Guinness World Records as “the longest-running film series starring a single actor.” While the “Tora-san” films have come to be known as a “Japanese cultural tradition,” who could have imagined back when they first began that they would be loved for so long?</p>
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<p><span class="strongInContent"> “Originally, *It’s Tough Being a Man* debuted as a TV drama in 1968.It struggled with ratings at first, but its popularity grew steadily, and when the final episode ended with Tora-san being bitten by a habu snake and dying on Amami Ōshima, the network was flooded with protests from viewers. Due to its immense popularity, the decision was made to adapt it into a film series,” said a film studio representative.</span></p>
<p> However, the decision to adapt “Tora-san” into a film was not made without a struggle.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “I suppose the pride of filmmakers at the time wouldn’t allow them to adapt a TV drama that was derided as ‘electric picture-story theater.’ Since there was opposition from the Shochiku side, Director Yoji Yamada negotiated directly with then-President Shiro Kido to finally get the production off the ground,” (ibid.)</span></p>
<p> When discussing the appeal of *It’s Tough Being a Man*, the presence of Kiyoshi Atsumi, who plays the protagonist Torajirō Kuruma, is indispensable.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “After the war, Atsumi—who had honed his skills at strip theaters while aspiring to become a comedian—quickly rose to prominence after becoming an exclusive performer at the Asakusa France-za in 1953.When he succeeded Mutsushi Yatsuhama—who would later form the “Derailment Trio”—as the second-generation troupe leader, his popularity skyrocketed. It’s said that whenever he appeared on stage, even the dancers and backstage crew would gather in the wings, and the show was such a hit that everyone, including the audience, would be rolling with laughter” (Production Company Producer)</span></p>
<p> However, a sudden trial befell Kiyoshi Atsumi, whose future looked so bright. In ’54, Atsumi contracted tuberculosis and underwent surgery to have his right lung removed.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “Mr. Atsumi, who had previously run around the stage with boundless energy, could no longer perform slapstick comedy. Furthermore, in ’56, he suffered from a gastrointestinal illness and was hospitalized for three months. It is said that it was around this time that he stopped drinking not only alcohol and smoking but even coffee,” (ibid.)</span></p>
<p> It was truly the greatest crisis of his career as a comedian. Wasn’t it the presence of Hisaya Morishige, a senior figure in the world of comedy, that served as a source of comfort for Kiyoshi Atsumi during that time?</p>
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<p><span class="strongInContent"> “Mr. Morishige rose to fame in 1952 with the office worker comedy film *Third-Class Executive*, and after gaining popularity as Ishimatsu Mori in the *Jirocho Sangokushi* film series, he gave a passionate performance in 1955’s *Fufu Zenzai* as the spoiled son of a wealthy Osaka family.He wasn’t just a slapstick comedian who made people laugh with comical gestures and boisterous antics; rather, he displayed a profound acting style that elicited laughter through the subtle expression of delicate emotions. It seems Atsumi was greatly influenced by Morishige’s performances, which transcended the boundaries of a typical comedy actor.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> The two of them co-starred in the sixth installment of the “Tora-san” series, *It’s Tough Being a Man: The Pure-Hearted Edition*. Moved by compassion, Tora-san travels with Kinuyo (Nobuko Miyamoto), who is carrying a baby, to Fukue Island in the Goto Islands, where her father, Senzo (Morishige), lives.“The thrilling, back-and-forth exchanges between Senzo, who runs an inn, and Tora-san are still etched in my memory,” said a director at the production company.</span></p>
<p> Kiyoshi Atsumi, who gave up the stage to make a career shift into film, enjoyed a truly remarkable rise to fame.</p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" His experience “joining the ranks” of street vendors…"></div>
<h2><span class="strongInContent">Newcomer director Yoji Yamada</span></h2>
<p> made his television debut in 1956 in the serial drama *Mrs. Suiren and the Rose Girl* (Nippon TV).In 1958, he made his film debut in *O-Tora-san’s Great Success*, and from 1961 onward, he appeared in the blockbuster TV series *Let’s Meet in a Dream* and *The Season of Youth* (both on NHK), cementing his status as a beloved comedian.</p>
<p> Furthermore, in ’63, he starred in the film *Dear His Majesty the Emperor* by master director Yoshitaro Nomura, establishing his reputation as an actor.In 1966, the TV series *Kiyoshi Atsumi’s I Won’t Cry* (TBS) was directed by a succession of master filmmakers, including Tadashi Imai, Kinji Fukasaku, and Jun’ya Sato.</p>
<p> Coincidentally, the screenplay for the series finale was written by Yoji Yamada. It is also an interesting anecdote that the episode was titled “It’s Tough Being a Man.”</p>
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<p><span class="strongInContent"> “During the planning stages for the TV drama *It’s Tough Being a Man*, it was Mr. Atsumi who recommended the rookie director Mr. Yamada to the show’s producer.While speaking with Mr. Yamada, who was writing at a ryokan, Mr. Atsumi described the charm of the street vendors he had admired as a child, weaving in their catchphrases and using vivid gestures—which sparked great enthusiasm, leading to the birth of Torajiro Kuruma, known as ‘Tora the Drifter.’</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> In fact, after being displaced by the Great Tokyo Air Raid, Atsumi had actually joined a group of street vendors. It’s no wonder that ‘Tora-san’ became Atsumi’s signature role,” said the director mentioned earlier.</span></p>
<p> For Kiyoshi Atsumi, who was posthumously awarded the National Honor Award, “Tora-san” became the defining role of his life. Even now, 30 years later, its luster has not faded in the slightest—</p>
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 Ukon Shima (Broadcast Writer and Video Producer)

 Kyodo

 This year marks the 30th anniversary of Kiyoshi Atsumi’s passing. What were the little-known hardships Kiyoshi Atsumi—who gained popularity for his role as Tora-san in the “It’s Tough Being a Man” film series—faced on his path to becoming a renowned filmmaker?

“30 Years After His Death”: Why Kiyoshi Atsumi Overcame Setbacks to Achieve Success as the Actor Who Played “Tora-san”

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