TORA-SAN, WISH YOU WERE HERE Info and Pics From Shochiku

Source: Shochiku Co., Ltd. Official Site: tora-san.jp/movie50 (Japan)

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Japan`s most prominent and popular comedy film series celebrates its 50th anniversary with its 50th film. Tora-san is back on the screen! Shochiku has provided information and large, high-res photos from TORA-SAN, WISH YOU WERE HERE (?????? ??? ???, Otoko wa Tsuraiyo Okaeri Torasan), the new film commemorating the 50th anniversary of director Yoji Yamada`s humanistic comedy series Tora-san. The movie revives the series after a 22-year hiatus, and brings one of Japan`s most beloved characters back to the big screen through a combination of new footage and 4K restored images of marquee actor Atsumi wKiyoshi, who passed away in 1996. Chieko Baisho, Gin Maeda, Hidetaka Yoshioka and Kumiko Goto return to reprise their roles from the earlier films. TORA-SAN, WISH YOU WERE HERE was the opening film for the 32nd Tokyo International Film Festival on October 28. STORY On the seventh anniversary of the death of Mitsuo Suwa’s wife, a memorial service is held at the Taishakuten Temple in Shibamata. On the way, Mitsuo and his daughter Yuri stop at Kurumaya, formerly a long-standing traditional confectionery store owned by their relatives. It has been reborn as a modern cafe, but the living quarters in the back remain unchanged. After the service, conversation inevitably turns to lively reminiscences of the past, especially the many times that Mitsuo`s uncle Torajiro, a traveling salesman and the black sheep of the Kuruma family, brought his latest unrequited love interest back with him, sending the house into an uproar... Half a century has now passed since Torajiro, fondly (and not-so-fondly) referred to as Tora, first returned to Kurumaya after leaving home in his youth. CREDITS Japanese Theatrical Release: December 27, 2019 (Nationwide Roadshow) Running Time: 115 Minutes Cast Torajiro Kuruma: Kiyoshi Atsumi Sakura Suwa: Chieko Baisho Mitsuo Suwa: Hidetaka Yoshioka Izumi Buruna: Kumiko Goto Hiroshi Suwa: Gin Maeda Setsuko Takano: Chizuru Ikewaki Reiko Hara: Mari Natsuki Lily: Ruriko Asaoka Akemi: Jun Miho Genko: Gajiro Satoh Yuri Sawa: Hiyori Sakurada Staff Director: Yoji Yamada Original Story: Yoji Yamada Screenplay: Yoji Yamada, Yuzo Ashara Producer: Hiroshi Fukazawa Cinematographer: Masashi Chikamori Music: Naozumi Yamamoto, Junnosuke Yamamoto Production Company: Shochiku Distributor (Japan): Shochiku ©2019 Shochiku Co., Ltd.

About Shochiku Co., Ltd.

Shochiku traces its origins to 1895 when Takejiro Otani presented his first stage play. They also produced the first color motion picture in Japan, and have expanded into TV dramas, video contents, Kabuki presentation, theater operations, and real estate. The company has become a symbol of enduring tradition as the exclusive promoter of the Kabuki theater in Japan as well as widely known as the creator of the world’s longest-running feature film series, TORA-SAN. The company is making all possible efforts to develop business in various fields, including multimedia and co-productions, across generation, national, and cultural borders.