ZATOICHI #11
Directed by Kazuo Mori • 1965 • Japan
An elderly prisoner accused of murder begs Zatoichi to find evidence of his innocence. The blind swordsman, for the first time, chooses not to help, but fate has other plans for him. Director Issei Mori, who played a significant role in getting Shintaro Katsu cast as Zatoichi in the first place, shows his filmmaking flair, delivering bloody battles and raucous humor while mischievously upending narrative expectations.
Up Next in Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman
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Zatoichi and the Chess Expert
ZATOICHI #12
Directed by Kenji Misumi • 1965 • JapanKenji Misumi, who directed the first installment of the ZATOICHI series, returns with this tale in which the blind swordsman once again finds himself the protector of a child: a little girl pursued by both devious family members and bloodthirs...
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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...
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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 ...
