Torasan "It is tough being a man"

If you are interested in anything Japanese it is better to konw Japanese word called "ninjyo", 人情,whichi could be translated into human-warmth or tender feeling. The concept of ninjyo comes from Japanese good old days, Edo period(1603-1867) or even before when the unity inside society was most respected. You are supposed to behave based on "ninjyo" in those days.



Torasan is a man of ninjyo. Torasan is a Japanese film series starring Kiyoshi Atsumi, a kind-heated vagabond who is always unlucky in love. Spanning 48 installments (1969-95), it was considered by the Guniness Book of World Records to be the longest movie series in the world back then.


All the Torasan movies had same basic plot. Torasan, a traveling salesman, arrives in some remote town planning to peddle his wares to the locals. He meets a local woman, usually a damsel in distress, and tells her that if she is ever in Tokyo to look him up. He then heads back home to Shibamata, Katsushika, Tokyo and drops in unexpectedly on his family who run a traditional sweet shop. Sure enough, the damsel in distress ends up visiting Torasan in Tokyo, and he falls madly in love with her. However, in his shy efforts to win her heart, he usually ends up inadvertently helping bring her together with an old boyfriend or another man. Torasan invariably ends up heartbroken at the end of the movie. Each film featured a different leading lady, and a different rgion of Japan.

If you are interested in getting to know true Japanese this movie "Torasan, it is tough being a man" would be ideal. I myself really love this series, and would like people in the world to watch this movie. I would say that Torasan is a heart of Japanese people and society. You might find anything which you are looking for.