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Zatô-Ichi
Samurai Films Series
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People |
"Zatô-Ichi, The Blind Swordsman" is one of the longest-running series in Japanese cinema history, spanning
26 movies [1962-89], 100 TV episodes [1974-79], and the recent revisionist version by Beat Takeshi.
The character Zatô-Ichi is a 19th century blind nomad who makes his living as a gambler and as a masseur,
and fends off ruffians & evil officials with his very special samurai skills.
Zato-Ichi listings on Internet Movie Database
search videos/DVDs for Zato-Ichi at Amazon.com
Japanese-language Zato-Ichi posters at AllPosters.com
People
actor-producer-director Shintarô Katsu
[real name Okumura Toshio; 1931-97]
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IMDb listing •
Wikipedia
Shintarô Katsu at the Japanese Movie Database
director Kazuo Ikehiro
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IMDb listing •
no entry at Wikipedia
director Akira Inoue
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IMDb listing •
no entry at Wikipedia
author-performer-director Takeshi 'Beat' Kitano
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browse books •
IMDb listing •
Wikipedia
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"Beat Takeshi vs. Takeshi Kitano" [2002] by Casio Abe, translated by William O. Gardner & Takeo Hori Muae/Kaya Press 7½x6 pb [1/2005] for $17.55 |
director Kenjo Misumi [1921-75]
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IMDb listing • no entry at Wikipedia
director Kazuo Mori [1911-89]
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IMDb listing • no entry at Wikipedia
director Kihachi Okamoto [1923-2005]
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Wikipedia
director Tokuzo Tanaka
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IMDb listing • no entry at Wikipedia
director Satsuo Yamamoto [1910-83]
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IMDb listing • no entry at Wikipedia
director Kimiyoshi Yasuda
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IMDb listing • no entry at Wikipedia
'Zatôichi, The Blind Swordsman' Series
Based on novels & stories by Kan Shimozawa {not available on Amazon.com 7/2007}
search videos/DVDs for Zatoichi at Amazon.com
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"Zatôichi, The Blind Swordsman DVD Collector's Edition Box Set" [2005]
AnimEigo subtitled color DVD box set [3/2005] 7 disks for $109.98 includes "Zatoichi #16: The Outlaw" [1967]; "Zatoichi #20: Meets Yojimbo" [1970] co-starring Toshirô Mifune; "Zatoichi #21: The Festival of Fire" [1970]; "Zatoichi #22: Meets The One-Armed Swordsman" [1971]; "Zatoichi #23: At Large" [1972]; "Zatoichi #24: In Desperation" [1972] directed by Shintarô Katsu; and "Zatoichi #25: Conspiracy" [1973] |
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"Zatôichi, The Blind Swordsman", 1-4 [2007] 
Homevision widescreen b&w DVD [6/2007] 4 disks for $35.99 includes "The Tale of Zatoichi" [#1 1962]; "The Tale of Zatoichi Continues" [#2 1962]; "New Tale of Zatoichi" [#3 1963]; and"Zatoichi The Fugitive" [#4 1963] |
#1 "The Tale of Zatoichi"
aka "Zatôichi Monogatari" [Daiei Japan April 1962]
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A gang leader hires Ichi to fight the consumptive samurai of a rival gang; the two opponents meet while fishing and become friends, but nonetheless are destined to fight to the death.
Directed by Kenji Misumi; script by Minoru Inuzuka; b&w cinematography by Chishi Makiura; martial arts directed by Shohei Miyauchi; starring Shintarô Katsu, Ryuzo Shimada, Shigeru Amachi, Eijirô Yanagi, Masayo Banri, Michio Minami, Manabu Morita & Hajime Mitamura Home Vision widescreen b&w subtitled DVD [5/2002] for $17.99 full credits from IMDb |
#2 "The Tale of Zatoichi Continues"
aka "The Return of Zatoichi" or "Zoku Zatôichi Monogatari"
[Daiei Japan Oct 1962, USA Oct 1979]
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Pursued by henchmen of a lord with a secret weakness known to Ichi, he takes refuge in the same village as movie #1, where he meets a new rival – his brother.
Directed by Kazuo Mori; script by Minoru Inuzuka; b&w cinematography by Shozo Honda; martial arts directed by Shohei Miyauchi; starring Shintarô Katsu, Yoshie Mizutani, Masayo Banri, Tomisaburo Wakayama, Eijirô Yanagi, Yutaka Nakamura & Sonosuke Sawamura
Home Vision widescreen b&w dubbed DVD [5/2002] for $17.99 full credits from IMDb |
#3 "New Tale of Zatoichi"
aka "Zatoichi Enters Again" or "Shin Zatôichi Monogatari" [Daiei March 1963]
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Ichi returns to his home village to rest, but is pursued by the brother a crook that he killed, gets tangled with his teacher's plot to kidnap a wealthy man's son, and then realizes that he and his teacher's soon-to-wed sister are in love.
Directed by Tokuzo Tanaka; script by Minoru Inuzuka; color cinematography by Chishi Makiura; starring Shintarô Katsu, Mikiko Tsubouchi, Chitose Maki, Mieko Kondo & Seizaburô Kawazu
Home Vision widescreen color subtitled DVD [10/2002] for $17.99 Chambara letterboxed color VHS [10/94] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb |
#4 "Zatoichi The Fugitive"
aka "Zatoichi's Flashing Sword" or "Zatôichi Kyojo Tabi" [Daiei Aug 1963]
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Ichi defeats several small-town yakuza in a wrestling match; the gang decides to seek revenge, and the insecure heir to the gang is chosen to fight Ichi; Ichi also discovers that his long-lost love is romantically involved with a gang member.
Directed by Tokuzo Tanaka; script by Seiji Hoshikawa; cinematography by Chishi Makiura; starring Shintarô Katsu, Miwa Takada, Masayo Banri, Junichiro Narita & Katsuhiko Kobayashi
Home Vision widescreen color subtitled DVD [10/2002] for $17.99 Chambara letterboxed color VHS [4/98] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb |
#5 "Zatoichi On The Road"
aka "Zatoichi's Fighting Journey" or "Zatôichi Kenka-tabi movie"
[Daiei Nov 1963; USA June 1968]
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A dying man asks Ichi to deliver a girl to her family, but two rival gangs plan to kidnap her for ransom.
Directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda; script by Minoru Inuzuka; cinematography by Shozo Honda; fight choreography by Shohei Miyauchi; starring Shintarô Katsu, Shiho Fujimura, Ryuzo Shimada , Reiko Fujiwara, Matasaburo Niwa, Yoshio Yoshida, Sonosuke Sawamura, Shôsaku Sugiyama & Yutaka Nakamura
Home Vision widescreen color subtitled DVD [10/2002] for $17.99 Chambara letterboxed color VHS [10/94] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb |
#6 "Zatoichi and The Chest of Gold"
aka "Zatôichi Senryô-kubi" [Daiei Japan March 1964]
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A chest containing the tax payment of a village is stolen, and Ichi and a respected gang boss are accused.
Directed by Kazuo Ikehiro; script by Shozaburo Asai & Akikazu Ota; starring Shintarô Katsu, Shogo Shimada, Mikiko Tsubouchi, Machiko Hasegawa & Tomisaburo Wakayama
Home Vision widescreen color subtitled DVD [4/2003] for $17.99 full credits from IMDb |
#7 "Zatoichi's Flashing Sword"
aka "Zatôichi Abare Tako" [Daiei Japan July 1964]
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A gangster shoots Ichi in the back, and the assassin's sister nurses Ichi back to health; when her father's business is attacked by a rival gang, Ichi repays his debt to her.
Directed by Kazuo Ikehiro; script by Shozaburo Asai & Minoru Inuzuka; cinematography by Yasukazu Takemura; starring Shintarô Katsu, Tatsuo Endo, Takashi Etajima, Ryutaro Gomi, Bokuzen Hidari, Naoko Kubo, Mayumi Nagisa, Yutaka Nakamura & Koh Sugita
Home Vision widescreen color subtitled DVD [4/2003] for $17.99 full credits from IMDb |
#8 "Fight, Zatoichi, Fight"
aka "Zatôichi Kesshô-tabi" [Daiei Japan Oct 1964]
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Ichi befriends a woman with a baby, and gangsters mistakenly kill her; Ichi and a young pickpocket journey to deliver the baby to its father.
Directed by Kenji Misumi; script by Seiji Hoshikawa & Tetsuro Yoshida; cinematography by Chishi Makiura; starring Shintarô Katsu, Nobuo Kaneko & Hizuru Takachiho
Home Vision widescreen color subtitled DVD [4/2003] for $17.99 full credits from IMDb |
#9 "Adventures of Zatoichi"
aka "Zatôichi Sekisho-yaburi" [Daiei Japan Dec 1964]
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Ichi befriends a woman looking for her father and a woman looking for her brother accused of murder; the two men were last seen at the same place and time.
Directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda; script by Shozaburo Asai; cinematography by Shozo Honda; starring Shintarô Katsu, Miwa Takada, Eiko Taki, Kichijiro Ueda, Daimaru, Mikijiro Hira, Akitake Kôno & Rocket Nakata
Home Vision widescreen color subtitled DVD [8/2003] for $17.99 Chambara letterboxed color VHS [10/2000] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb |
#10 "Zatoichi's Revenge"
aka "Zatôichi Nidan-giri" [Daiei Japan April 1965]
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Ichi goes home to visit his teacher and finds the man was robbed & murdered, and his virginal daughter imprisoned in a brothel; he teams with a local dice-thrower to fight the corrupt local governor and his henchmen.
Directed by Akira Inoue; script by Minoru Inuzuka; cinematography by Fujio Morita; starring Shintarô Katsu, Norihei Miki, Mikiko Tsubouchi, Takeshi Katô, Fujio Harumoto & San'emon Arashi
Home Vision widescreen color subtitled DVD [8/2003] for $17.99 Chambara letterboxed color VHS [10/2000] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb |
#11 "Zatoichi and The Doomed Man"
aka "Zatôichi Sakate-giri" [Daiei Japan Sept 1965]
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Ichi is jailed briefly, where another prisoner asks for help in proving his innocence of a crime for which he is sentenced to death.
Directed by Kazuo Mori; script by Shozaburo Asai; cinema- tography by Hiroshi Imai; starring Shintarô Katsu, Kanbi Fujiyama, Eiko Taki, Masako Myojo, Kenjiro Ishiyama, Ryuzo Shimada & Koichi Mizuhara
Home Vision widescreen color subtitled DVD [8/2003] for $17.99 full credits from IMDb |
"Zatoichi and The Chess Expert" aka Zatôichi Jigoku-tabi [#12 1965]
full credits from IMDb
"Zatoichi's Vengeance" aka Zatôichi No Uta Ga Kikoeru [#13 1966]
full credits from IMDb
"Zatoichi's Pilgrimage" aka Zatôichi Umi o Wataru [#14 1966]
full credits from IMDb
"Zatoichi's Cane Sword" aka Zatôichi Tekka-tabi [#15 1967]
full credits from IMDb
"Zatoichi The Outlaw" [#16 1967]
aka Zatôichi Rôyaburi or "Zatôichi Breaks Jail"
full credits from IMDb
"Zatoichi Challenged" aka Zatôichi Chikemuri-kaido [#17 1967]
full credits from IMDb
"Zatoichi and The Fugitives" aka Zatôichi Hatashijô [#18 1968]
full credits from IMDb
"Samaritan Zatoichi" aka Zatôichi Kenka-daiko [#19 1968]
full credits from IMDb
"Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo" aka Zatôichi To Yôjinbô [#20 1970]
full credits from IMDb
"Zatoichi At The Fire Festival" aka Zatôichi Abare-himatsuri [#21 1970]
full credits from IMDb
"Zatoichi Meets The One-Armed Swordsman" [#22 1971]
aka Zatôichi Yabure! Tojin-ken
full credits from IMDb
"Zatoichi At Large" aka Zatôichi Goyô-tabi [#23 1972]
full credits from IMDb
"Zatoichi In Desperation" aka Zatôichi Oreta Tsue [#24 1972]
full credits from IMDb
"Zatoichi At The Blood Fest [#25 1973]
aka "Zatoichi's Conspiracy" or Zatôichi Kasama No Chimatsuri
full credits from IMDb
"Shintaro Katsu's Zatoichi" aka Zatôichi [#26 1989]
Co-written & directed by and starring Shintarô Katsu
full credits from IMDb
Other Films
"Tales of Zatô-Ichi" TV series
[100 episodes; 1974-79]
Produced & directed by and starring Shintarô Katsu
list of episodes at Wikipedia •
series credits at IMDb
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Volume 1: episodes 1-5 [1974] on 2 disks
Tokyo Shock subtitled color DVD [11/2005] for $26.99 Volume 2: episodes 6-9 [1974] on 2 disks Tokyo Shock subtitled color DVD [1/2006] for $26.99 Volume 3: episodes 10-13 [1974] on 2 disks Tokyo Shock subtitled color DVD [3/2006] for $26.99 Volume 4: episodes 14-17 [1974] on 2 disks Tokyo Shock subtitled color DVD [6/2006] $26.99 Volume 5: episodes 18-21 [1974] on 2 disks Tokyo Shock subtitled color DVD [8/2006] for $26.99 Volume 6: episodes 21-26 [1974] on 2 disks Tokyo Shock subtitled color DVD [1/2007] $24.99 |
"The Blind Swordsman" documentary [1978]
video/DVD not available; credits at IMDb
"Zatôichi: The Blind Swordsman"
[Asahi/Shochiku Japan Sept 2003, USA June 2004]
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Script by, directed by & starring Takeshi Kitano; co-starring Tadanobu Asano, Michiyo Ookusu, Yui Natsukawa, Daigoro Tachibana, Yuuko Daike, Gadarukanaru Taka, Ittoku Kishibe, Saburo Ishikura & Kohji Miura; won 5 of 9 nominations for Japanese Academy Award; won Kinema Junpo People's Choice Best Film Award
B.M.G. Intl. soundtrack CD [6/2004] for $28.99 full credits at IMDb movie entry at Wikipedia official movie website double bill DVD with "Sonatine" [1993] Miramax color DVD [11/2004] 2 disks for $17.99 |
"Ichi" aka "The Blind Swordswoman"
[scheduled for 2008 Japan release]
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Directed by Fumihiko Sori; starring Haruka Ayase video/DVD not yet available; latest info at IMDb |
Books & Audio
The Zatô-Ichi movies are based on novels & stories by Kan Shimozawa
{not available on Amazon.com 7/2007}
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"Silver Screen Samurai: The Best of Japan's Samurai Movie Posters" [2004] by Cocoro Books of Japan D.H. Publng 10¼x8 pb [2/2004] for $15.56 |
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"The Samurai Film" [1984] by Alain Silver
Overlook 10x6¾ pb [6/86] for $11.01 Overlook 10x7¾ pb [10/2006] for $20.40 Overlook hardcover [3/84] for $23.95 Overlook 10x8 hardcover [11/2005] for $34.00 |
"Zatoichi's Musical Journey" (CDs of the original film music) Volumes 1, 2 & 3
not available at Amazon.com (7/2007)
Links
fansite about Zatoichi movies 1-16
Japanese-language Zato-Ichi posters at AllPosters.com
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