Yoshimura took his first film steps with the director Yasujiro Shimazu, with whom he worked as a co-screenwriter and assistant director during 1934 and 1935. He directed most of the films based on Kaneto Shindô’s screenplays. His films include Anjo-ke no Butokai (The Ball at the Anjo House, 1947), Waga shogai no kagayakeru hi (1948), Nishijin no shimai (1952), Yoake mae (Before the Dawn, 1953), Ashizuri misaki (Cape Ashizuri, 1954), Katei no jijou (A Family Matter, 1962) and Nemureru bijo (The House of the Sleeping Virgins, 1968). In Europe he is most famous for his film Genji monogatari (The Tale of Genji, 1951) which was shown in the official program in Cannes in 1952. He made Osaka monogatari (An Osaka Story, 1957) based on Kenji Mizoguchi’s story and Ranru no hata (The Tattered Banner, 1974) is his last feature film.