Kiyoshi Atsumi (渥美清 ''Atsumi Kiyoshi''), born Yasuo Tadokoro (田所康雄 ''Tadokoro Yasuo'', 10 March 1928 – 4 August 1996), was a Japanese actor. He was born in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

, and started his career in 1951 as a comedian at a strip-show theater in

Asakusa is a district in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. It is known as the location of the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several other temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals, such as the . History The ...

. After two years of fighting pulmonary

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, ...

, he made his debut on TV in 1956 and on film in 1957. His vivid performance of a lovable, innocent man in the film “Dear Mr. Emperor” (''Haikei Tenno-Heika-Sama'') in 1963 established his reputation as an actor. Later he became the star of the highly popular '' Tora-san series of films''. His portrayal of the main characters lasted from the original ''Otoko wa Tsurai yo'' (translated in English as 'It's Tough being a Man') in 1969 to the 48th film released in 1995, the year before his death. The enduring success of the series made him synonymous with the Tora-san character, and when he died in

, many Japanese regarded his death as the death of the character Tora-san, not the death of the actor Yasuo Tadokoro or Kiyoshi Atsumi.

Selected filmography

*''Otorasan daihanjô'' (1958) - Hatta *''Shima no sehiro no oyabun-shû'' (1961) *''Koshinuke nyûipin sodô'' (1961) *''Daite chôdai'' (1961) *''Atomic no obon: Surimasuwayo no maki'' (1961) *''Tôshi reijô'' (1961) - Nozaki *''Atomic no obon, onna oyabuntaiketsu no maki'' (1961) *''Wakaki ni ho Jirocho: Tokaido no tsumujikaze'' (1962) *''Nippon no obaachan'' (1962) - Policeman *''Oedo Hyobanji Binan no Kaoyaku'' (1962) - Ushi *''Kigeki: Danchi oyabun'' (1962) *''Ottamage ningyo monogatari'' (1962) - Ginji *''Sarariman Isshin Tasuke'' (1962) *'' Attack Squadron!'' (1963) *''Utae Wakôdotachi'' (1963) - Taxi driver *''Mushukunin-betsuchô'' (1963) - Ichibei *''Tsumujikaze'' (1963) *''Haikei tenno heika sama'' (1963) - Shosuke Yamada *''Gendaikko'' (1963) - Actor (uncredited) *''Okashina yatsu'' (1963) - Kashô Sanyûtei *''Zoku Haikei Tenno Heika Sama'' (1964) - Zensuke yamaguchi *''Gendai kane monogatari'' (1964) *''Haikei sôri daijin sama'' (1964) *''Ore wa bodigado'' (1964) *''Sanpo suru reikyusha'' (1964) *''Baka marudashi'' (1964) *''Bwana Toshi no uta'' (1965) - Toshi *''Izuko e'' (1966) *''Un ga yoke rya'' (1966) *''Kutsukake Tokijiro - yukyo ippiki'' (1966) *''Ohana han'' (1966) *''Kaachan to 11-nin no kodomo'' (1966) - Teiji Yoshida *''Chichiko gusa'' (1967) *''Kigeki: Kyûkô ressha'' (1967) *''Kigeki: Dantai ressha'' (1967) *''Otoko nara furimukuna'' (1967) *''Neon taiheiki'' (1968) *''Kigeki hachurui'' (1968) - Seki *''Moetsukita chizu'' (1968) - Tashiro *''Nippon gerira jidai'' (1968) *''Hakuchû dôdô'' (1968) - Katsuji 'Watakatsu' Watanabe *''Gion matsuri'' (1968) *''Sukurappu shûdan'' (1968) - Hose *''Kigeki hatsumoude resha'' (1968) - Ueda *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo'' (1969) - Torajirô Kuruma *''Kigeki: Onna wa dokyô'' (1969) - Tsutomu *'' Zoku otoko wa tsurai yo'' (1969) - Torajirô Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Fûten no Tora'' (1970) - Torajirô Kuruma *'' Shin otoko wa tsurai yo'' (1970) - Torajirô Kuruma *''Kigeki: Otoko wa aikyo'' (1970) - Okera no Goro *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Boukyou hen'' (1970) - Torajiro Kuruma *''

Tora! Tora! Tora! ''Tora! Tora! Tora!'' ( ja, トラ・トラ・トラ！) is a 1970 epic war film that dramatizes the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The film was produced by Elmo Williams and directed by Richard Fleischer, Toshio Masuda and Kinji ...

'' (1970) - Cook #1 (Japanese version only) (uncredited) *''

Where Spring Comes Late is a 1970 Japanese film directed by Yoji Yamada. Plot The Kazami family live on the island of Iōjima, Nagasaki, where Seiichi Kamazi works in a coal mine. With the coal mine closing, Seiichi decides to move to Hokkaido and become a dairy farm ...

'' (1970) *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Junjô hen'' (1971) - Torajirô Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Funto hen'' (1971) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro koiuta'' (1971) - Torajiro Kuruma *''Yaruzô mite ore tamegorô'' (1971) *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Shibamata bojo'' (1972) - Torajiro Kuruma *''Furusato'' (1972) - Matsushita *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro yumemakura'' (1972) - Torajiro Kuruma *''Aa koe naki tomo'' (1972) - Tamiji Nishiyama *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro wasurenagusa'' (1973) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Watashi no tora-san'' (1973) - Torajiro Kuruma *''Tokyo do mannaka'' (1974) *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro koiyatsure'' (1974) - Torajiro Kuruma *''

Castle of Sand is a 1974 Japanese police procedural film directed by Yoshitarō Nomura, based on the novel ''Suna no Utsuwa'' by Seicho Matsumoto. Plot Yoshitaro Nomura's 1974 film of Seicho Matsumoto's immensely popular detective story tells the tale of two ...

'' (1974) - Movie Theater Manager *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro komoriuta'' (1974) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro aiaigasa'' (1975) - Torajiro Kuruma *''Harakara'' (1975) *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Katsushika risshi hen'' (1975) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro yuuyake koyake'' (1976) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajirô junjô shishû'' (1976) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajirô to tonosama'' (1977) - Torajiro Kuruma *''Shiawase no kiiroi hankachi'' (1977) - Watanabe kakarichô *''Yatsuhaka-mura'' (1977) - Kôsuke Kindaichi *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro gambare!'' (1977) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro wagamichi wo yuku'' (1978) - Torajiro Kuruma *''Kôtei no inai hachigatsu'' (1978) - Kubo *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Uwasa no Torajirô'' (1978) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Tonderu Torajirô'' (1979) - Torajirô Kuruma *''Ore-tachi no kokyogaku'' (1979) *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajirô haru no yume'' (1979) - Torajirô Kuruma *''Haruka naru yama no yobigoe'' (1980) *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro haibisukasu no hana'' (1980) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro kamome uta'' (1980) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Naniwa no koi no Torajirô'' (1981) - Torajirô Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro kamifusen'' (1981) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro ajisai no koi'' (1982) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Hana mo arashi mo Torajirô'' (1982) - Torajirô Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Tabi to onna to Torajirô'' (1983) - Torajirô Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Kuchibue wo fuku Torajirô'' (1983) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Yogiri ni musebu torajiro'' (1984) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajirô shinjitsu ichiro'' (1984) - Torajirô Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajirô ren'ai juku'' (1985) - Torajirô Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Shibamata yori ai wo komete'' (1985) - Torajiro Kuruma *''

Final Take is a 1986 Japanese drama film directed by Yoji Yamada. It was Japan's submission to the 59th Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee. Cast * Kiyoshi Atsumi as Kihachi * Kiichi Nakai ...

'' (1986) - Kihachi *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Shiawase no aoi tori'' (1986) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Shiretoko bojô'' (1987) - Torajirô Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro monogatari'' (1987) - Torajiro Kuruma *''Nijushi no hitomi'' (1987) - Narrator *'' Dauntaun hirozu'' (1988) - Havaosuke the dormitory cook *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro sarada kinenbi'' (1988) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro kokoro no tabiji'' (1989) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Boku no ojisan'' (1989) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro no kyuujitsu'' (1990) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro no kokuhaku'' (1991) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro no seishun'' (1992) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' A Class to Remember'' (1993) *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro no endan'' (1993) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Haikei, Kuruma Torajiro sama'' (1994) - Torajiro Kuruma *'' Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro kurenai no hana'' (1995) - Torajiro Kuruma *''Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro haibisukasu no hana tokubetsu-hen'' (1997) - Torajiro Kuruma (final film role)

Honours

* Medal with Purple Ribbon (1988) *

People's Honour Award is one of the commendations bestowed by the Prime Minister of Japan on people in recognition of their accomplishments in sport, entertainment, and other fields. The award, not restricted to Japanese nationals, was created in 1977 by the then-Prime ...

(1996)

References

"Kiyoshi Atsumi, Actor, 68"
''The New York Times'', 11 August 1996. 1928 births 1996 deaths Japanese male film actors Chuo University alumni Japanese comedians People's Honour Award winners 20th-century Japanese male actors Male actors from Tokyo Japanese male television actors Recipients of the Medal with Purple Ribbon 20th-century comedians {{Japan-film-actor-stub