ZATOICHI #15
Directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda • 1967 • Japan
Wearying of his wandering lifestyle, Zatoichi yearns to settle down; unfortunately, when he does so it’s in a town overrun by yakuza. He has an eye-opening encounter with the town’s blacksmith, who reveals himself to be the apprentice of the man who forged Zatoichi’s legendary cane sword, and informs Zatoichi that it’s a hairline crack away from snapping. The news prompts Zatoichi to hang up his sword, yet leaving the fighting life and his code of honor behind proves not to be so simple.
Up Next in Samurai
-
Zatoichi and the Fugitives
ZATOICHI #18
Directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda • 1968 • JapanThe wandering swordsman finds himself in a small village that serves as hideout for a band of fugitives who control the town officials and enforce brutal slave labor in the local silk mill. This lean and mean entry is packed with coldheart...
-
Zatoichi’s Vengeance
ZATOICHI #13
Directed by Tokuzo Tanaka • 1966 • JapanZatoichi encounters a dying man, who asks the itinerant masseur to deliver a bag of money to his young son; he agrees to fulfill the request, finding the boy in a village terrorized by criminals. This is the first entry to scrutinize the swor...
-
Zatoichi’s Pilgrimage
ZATOICHI #14
Directed by Kazuo Ikehiro • 1966 • JapanTroubled by his violent past, Zatoichi begins a journey to a series of shrines for a dose of cleansing spirituality. But as always, trouble isn’t far behind, and the blind swordsman soon finds himself defending a widow from the self-interest ...
