Shintaro Katsu in Shintaro Katsu's Zatoichi (1989)

Takeshi Kitano in Zatoichi (2003)

Zatoichi (座頭市 Zatōichi) is a fictional character featured in one of Japan's longest running series of films and a television series set in the Edo period. The enduring popularity of the character has been likened to that of James Bond in Western countries. Unlike Bond, however, whose character has been portrayed by a long list of actors, Zatoichi has become almost synonymous with only one actor: Shintaro Katsu. The only other actor to portray Zatoichi on film is Takeshi Kitano, after a hiatus of almost 15 years (and the death of Katsu). Image File history File links Shintaro_Katsu_in_Zatoichi_Challenged. ... Image File history File links Shintaro_Katsu_in_Zatoichi_Challenged. ... Image File history File links Takeshi_Kitano_in_Zatoichi. ... Image File history File links Takeshi_Kitano_in_Zatoichi. ... Zatoichi (座頭市 Zatōichi) is a Japanese samurai drama and martial arts film, released in 2003. ... Alice, a fictional character based on a real character from the work of Lewis Carroll. ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... The Edo period ), also called Tokugawa period, is a division of Japanese history running from 1603 to 1868. ... Flemings image of James Bond; commissioned to aid the Daily Express comic strip artists. ... For alternative meanings for The West in the United States, see the U.S. West and American West. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... Shintaro Katsu in Shintaro Katsus Zatoichi (1989), which he wrote, produced, directed and starred in. ... Takeshi Kitano , born January 18, 1947) is a Japanese comedian, actor, presenter, author, poet, painter, one-time video game designer, and film director who has received critical acclaim, both in his native Japan and abroad, for his highly idiosyncratic cinematic work. ...

Character

Zatoichi seems to be only a harmless blind anma (masseur) who wanders around the country making his living by gambling; however, he is also highly-skilled in swordsmanship, specifically iaijutsu. He does not carry a traditional katana, instead using a well-made shikomizue (cane sword). Shikomizue were generally straight lower-quality blades which could not compare with regular katanas, but as revealed in Zatoichi's Cane Sword, his weapon is nearly superior to one as it was forged by a master bladesmith just before his prime. A recurring theme of both the films and television series is Zatoichi protecting the innocent from oppressive warring yakuza gangs, and general injustice. His fighting skill is incredible, even more so considering he grips the sword in an inverse manner; this combined with his sometimes inexplicably keen ear, nose and proprioception renders him a capable surprise attacker. He is also most likely ambidextrous. In addition, as pictured in the 2003 movie, he can resume the traditional normal grip when necessary. Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or psychological factors. ... Anma (按摩) was the Japanese term for a masseuse, or massage specialist in the martial arts. ... The term gambling has had many different meanings depending on the cultural and historical context in which it is used. ... Swordsman redirects here. ... Iaido (居合道 iaidō), also sometimes called iaijutsu (居合術 iaijutsu) or battojutsu (抜刀術 battōjutsu) is the art of drawing the katana, cutting down the opponent, flipping blood from the blade, and then re-sheathing the katana in one fluid movement. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Shikomizue (仕込み杖 Japanese prepared cane) is a Japanese concealed sword disguised as a cane or walking stick. ... Look up cane in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Swiss longsword, 15th or 16th century Look up Sword in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Bladesmithing is the art of blacksmithing that relates specifically to creating knives, swords, and other blades using a forge, hammer, anvil, and other smithing tools. ... Yakuza ), also known as gokudō (極道), are members of traditional organized crime groups in Japan. ... // Proprioception (PRO-pree-o-SEP-shun (IPA pronunciation: ); from Latin proprius, meaning ones own and perception) is the sense of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body. ...

The character's name is actually Ichi. Zatō is a title, the lowest of the four official ranks within the Tōdōza, the historical guild for blind men. Ichi is therefore properly called Zatō-no-Ichi ("Low-Ranking Blind Person Ichi", approximately), or Zatōichi for short. It is also a play on words: 'Sa' or 'za' is a combinative word for master; 'to' is likewise for sword; therefore, an alternate translation might read 'First Sword Master'. Giving massages was a traditional occupation for the blind, since blind persons and masseurs were on the lowest societal level, equal to or slightly above beggars. The Tōdōza ) was a Japanese guild for blind men, established in the 14th century by the biwa hōshi Akashi Kakuichi ). Members performed a variety of roles, as itinerant musicians, masseurs, and acupuncturists. ...

The original series of films

The original series of 26 films featured Shintaro Katsu as Zatoichi. The first film was made in 1962 in black and white. The third film, in 1963, was the first to be filmed in color. The twenty-fifth film was made in 1973, and there was a pause of some 16 years before Katsu's last film, in 1989, which he wrote and directed himself. Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Black-and-white or black and white) can refer to a general term used in photography, film, and other media (see black-and-white). ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Color is an important part of the visual arts. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ...

The original series of movies features other popular fictional characters of the genre on two occasions: Zatoichi and the One Armed Swordsman (1971) connects with the Shaw Brothers series of Hong Kong produced movies directed by prolific director Chang Cheh. Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (1970) features Toshiro Mifune playing a character named Sassa who bears a striking resemblance to his role as Sanjuro from the Akira Kurosawa films Yojimbo (lit. "bodyguard") and its sequel Sanjuro. Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... Shaw Brothers Studio The Shaw Studio (邵氏片場), owned by Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd. ... Chang Cheh (張徹; pinyin:Zhāng Chè) (February 10, 1923 – June 22, 2002) was Shaw Brothers Studios best known and most prolific film director, with such films as the Five Venoms, the Brave Archer (based on the works of Jin Yong), the One-Armed Swordsman, and other classics of wuxia... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Toshiro Mifune in the film Drunken Angel. ... Akira Kurosawa , 23 March 1910—6 September 1998) was a prominent Japanese film director, film producer, and screenwriter. ... Yojimbo (Japanese: 用心棒, Yōjinbō) is a 1961 jidaigeki (period drama) film by Akira Kurosawa. ... Sanjuro is the English title for Tsubaki Sanjūrō ), a 1962 black and white Japanese samurai film directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshirō Mifune. ...

The series has also had wide spread influences on non-Japanese films. The 1989 film Blind Fury featuring Rutger Hauer as a blind swordsman in contemporary America is based on the screenplay of Zatoichi Challenged (1967) with elements of other films of the series. Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Blind Fury is a 1989 movie starring Rutger Hauer as a Vietnam Vet. ... Rutger Oelsen Hauer (IPA: [rʏtxÉ›r ulsÉ›n hÊŒuÉ›r]) (born in Breukelen, January 23, 1944) is a Dutch film actor. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Sample from a screenplay, showing dialogue and action descriptions. ...

Zatoichi is one of several fictional blind heroes with superhuman fighting skills, and while predated by such American characters as the pulp fiction and comic book heroes The Black Bat and Doctor Mid-Nite respectively, is followed by the likes of Daredevil. The 1970s television series Kung Fu also featured a blind Shaolin priest possessing amazing martial arts skills. Flynns Detective Fiction from 1941. ... Comics (or, less commonly, sequential art) is a form of visual art consisting of images which are commonly combined with text, often in the form of speech balloons or image captions. ... The Black Bat was the name of two characters featured in different pulp magazine series in the 1930s. ... Doctor Mid-Nite is a DC Comics superhero. ... Daredevil (Matt Murdock) is a superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... Master Po (left) and Kwai Chang Caine (right) in a flashback from the episode Dark Angel, written by Herman Miller Kung Fu (1972-1975) was an award-winning American television series which starred David Carradine. ... Ever since 1669, when Huang Zongxi first described Chinese martial arts in terms of a Shaolin or external school versus a Wudang or internal school,[1] Shaolin has been used as a synonym for external Chinese martial arts regardless of whether or not the particular style in question has any... Hawaiian State Grappling Championships. ...

List of original films

Notes: // Events Dr. No launches the James Bond film series, the longest-running motion picture franchise of all time, running more than 40 years. ... // Events Dr. No launches the James Bond film series, the longest-running motion picture franchise of all time, running more than 40 years. ... // Events January 28 - Filming begins on Dr. Strangelove. ... // Events January 28 - Filming begins on Dr. Strangelove. ... // Events January 28 - Filming begins on Dr. Strangelove. ... // Events January 29 - The film Dr. Strangelove is released. ... // Events January 29 - The film Dr. Strangelove is released. ... // Events January 29 - The film Dr. Strangelove is released. ... // Events January 29 - The film Dr. Strangelove is released. ... // Events Top grossing films North America Mary Poppins The Sound of Music, starring Julie Andrews Goldfinger My Fair Lady Whats New Pussycat? Shenandoah The Sandpiper Father Goose Academy Awards Best Picture: The Sound of Music - Argyle, Twentieth Century-Fox Best Actor: Lee Marvin - Cat Ballou Best Actress: Julie Christie... // Events Top grossing films North America Mary Poppins The Sound of Music, starring Julie Andrews Goldfinger My Fair Lady Whats New Pussycat? Shenandoah The Sandpiper Father Goose Academy Awards Best Picture: The Sound of Music - Argyle, Twentieth Century-Fox Best Actor: Lee Marvin - Cat Ballou Best Actress: Julie Christie... // Events Top grossing films North America Mary Poppins The Sound of Music, starring Julie Andrews Goldfinger My Fair Lady Whats New Pussycat? Shenandoah The Sandpiper Father Goose Academy Awards Best Picture: The Sound of Music - Argyle, Twentieth Century-Fox Best Actor: Lee Marvin - Cat Ballou Best Actress: Julie Christie... // Events Top grossing films North America Thunderball Dr. Zhivago Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? That Darn Cat! The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming Academy Awards Best Picture: A Man for All Seasons - Highland, Columbia Best Actor: Paul Scofield - A Man for All Seasons Best Actress: Elizabeth Taylor... // Events Top grossing films North America Thunderball Dr. Zhivago Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? That Darn Cat! The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming Academy Awards Best Picture: A Man for All Seasons - Highland, Columbia Best Actor: Paul Scofield - A Man for All Seasons Best Actress: Elizabeth Taylor... Lauren steiger, born in 1992 at Royal Womens hospital started acting and modelling at the age of 2 and is now currently 15 working in Milan on the catwalks. ... Lauren steiger, born in 1992 at Royal Womens hospital started acting and modelling at the age of 2 and is now currently 15 working in Milan on the catwalks. ... Lauren steiger, born in 1992 at Royal Womens hospital started acting and modelling at the age of 2 and is now currently 15 working in Milan on the catwalks. ... The year 1968 in film involved some significant events. ... The year 1968 in film involved some significant events. ... // Events February 11 - The film The Magic Christian, starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr premieres in New York City. ... Kihachi Okamoto (岡本喜八 Okamoto Kihachi, 17 February 1923 – 19 February 2005) was a Japanese film director who has worked in several different genres, including jidaigeki. ... // Events February 11 - The film The Magic Christian, starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr premieres in New York City. ... See also: 1970 in film 1971 1972 in film 1970s in film years in film film // Events February 8 - Bob Dylans hour long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New Yorks Academy of Music. ... // Top grossing films The Godfather Fiddler on the Roof Diamonds Are Forever Whats Up, Doc?, starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan ONeal Dirty Harry The Last Picture Show A Clockwork Orange Cabaret, starring Liza Minnelli The Hospital Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex Academy Awards Best Picture... // Top grossing films The Godfather Fiddler on the Roof Diamonds Are Forever Whats Up, Doc?, starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan ONeal Dirty Harry The Last Picture Show A Clockwork Orange Cabaret, starring Liza Minnelli The Hospital Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex Academy Awards Best Picture... // Events The Marx Brothers Zeppo Marx divorces his second wife, Barbara Blakely. ... // Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia for $20 million. ...

• The English title is not necessarily a direct translation of the Japanese title.
• The 14th film in the series is impossible to find as a legal Region 1 DVD with English subtitles, as Miramax bought the rights to it several years ago and production of it has ceased. However, it can be obtained as a legal Region 2 DVD, without English subtitles, in Japan, and on Region 2 UK DVD with English subtitles, as part of a box set or on its own.
  • The single UK DVD actually contains Zatoichi at Large from 1972 under the wrong title, and the image quality is extremely poor. It's unknown if the same error occurs with the box set version.
  • Subtitles for Zatoichi 14 can be downloaded from http://www.asian-subs.net/index.php?f=792&l=1&g=0, and can be opened and printed using a word-processing software (OpenOffice.org Writer, Microsoft Office Word or similar).

Miramax is a Big Ten film distribution and production company. ...

The television series

The television series of Zatoichi ran for four seasons, with Shintaro Katsu in the lead role:

1. 26 episodes, in 1974
2. 29 episodes, in 1976
3. 19 episodes, in 1978
4. 26 episodes, in 1979

See also: List of Zatoichi episodes A blonde haired, very skilled worker with a 70s look. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... This is an episode list for the Japanese jidaigeki television series Zatoichi. ...

Interestingly, in the final episode Zatoichi regains his eyesight but his hands are damaged, destroying his ability to fight with a sword. Yet, in the final movie, 1989's Zatoichi, his eyesight is gone and his swordsmanship is as good as ever.

Production companies

The majority of the films were produced by Daiei Motion Picture Company: from the first film, The Tale of Zatoichi, to the 22nd film, Zatoichi Meets the One Armed Swordsman, released in 1971 when Daiei went bankrupt. However, starting with Zatoichi the Outlaw in 1967, Shintaro Katsu's own company, Katsu Productions, coproduced the films (as well as producing the TV series and his last Zatoichi film). After Daiei was out of commission, Toho Company took over the films in 1972 starting with Zatoichi at Large, the 23rd film, until Zatoichi at the Blood Fest in 1973, the 25th (and the last "old school") film. Shochiku distributed Katsu's last Zatoichi film in 1989, as well as the new 2003 Zatoichi film starring Takeshi Kitano. Daiei Motion Picture Company, Ltd. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... The English-language version of Tohos famous logo, used from the early 1960s to the late 1990s. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... Shochiku Co. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 2003 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Takeshi Kitano , born January 18, 1947) is a Japanese comedian, actor, presenter, author, poet, painter, one-time video game designer, and film director who has received critical acclaim, both in his native Japan and abroad, for his highly idiosyncratic cinematic work. ...

Home Vision Entertainment was granted United States distribution rights to the original Daiei films (except for the 14th—see above), and has released them on DVD. AnimEigo has released seven of the films on DVD: Zatoichi the Outlaw (1967), Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (1970, incorrectly listed by AnimEigo as © 1965), Zatoichi at the Fire Festival (1970, as Zatoichi: The Festival of Fire), Zatoichi Meets the One Armed Swordsman (1971), Zatoichi at Large (1972), Zatoichi in Desperation (1972), and Zatoichi at the Blood Fest (1973, as Zatoichi's Conspiracy). Media Blasters (under their Tokyo Shock label) has released the 1989 film and (as of February 7, 2007) the first season (26 episodes) of the TV series. AnimEigo is an American licensor and distributor, within the United States and Canada, of Japanese anime such as Urusei Yatsura, Oh My Goddess!, Vampire Princess Miyu, Gainaxs classic industry sendup Otaku no Video, the Bubblegum Crisis OVA series, and Kimagure Orange Road. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... Media Blasters is a corporation in New York City that translates, packages, and dubs anime and live action films for home video release. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

The parody

Zatoichi parody in Getting Any?.

For more details on the parody directed by Takeshi Kitano, see Getting Any?.

Takeshi Kitano's Getting Any? 1995 comedy features a parody of Zatoichi, with Asao (played by Minoru Iizuka aka Dankan) replacing injured Shintaro Katsu. In the second take of the main fighting scene, he mistakes his cane with a dipper for feces and uses it as a weapon. Image File history File links Zatoichiloucheamerde. ... Image File history File links Zatoichiloucheamerde. ... Getting Any? is the official international title for みんな～やってるか！ (Minnā yatteru ka!; literally: is everyone doing it?), a 1995 film by, and starring, Japanese film maker Takeshi Kitano. ... Getting Any? is the official international title for みんな～やってるか！ (Minnā yatteru ka!; literally: is everyone doing it?), a 1995 film by, and starring, Japanese film maker Takeshi Kitano. ... Getting Any? is the official international title for みんな～やってるか！ (Minnā yatteru ka!; literally: is everyone doing it?), a 1995 film by, and starring, Japanese film maker Takeshi Kitano. ...

In other works

The character of Zatoichi is paid homage to in the character of Zato-Ino (also known as "the Blind Swordspig") in Stan Sakai's long running anthropomorphic comic series Usagi Yojimbo. This iteration of the character uses his keen sense of smell to find his way and to combat his enemies. Gen, Usagi, Fujiko and Zato-Ino, Usagi Yojimbo Volume 1, Issue 38 Zato-Ino, the Blind Swordspig is a character in the comic book Usagi Yojimbo, he is an anthropomorphic pig who was blind since birth, and is a skilled swordsman. ... Stan Sakai (born 1953) is a third-generation American of Japanese descent. ... Usagi Yojimbo (Japanese: 兎用心棒 rabbit bodyguard,) is a comic book series created by Stan Sakai. ...

The Crimson Bat film series was an obvious imitation, but starring a blind girl, played by Yoko Matsuyama, as the hero. The Crimson Bat is a series of four movies based around the character of the same name. ... Yoko Matsuyama (松山容子 Matsuyama Yōko; born 30 November 1937 in Ehime, Japan) is a Japanese actress best known for her work in the Crimson Bat series. ...

Blindman was a spaghetti western variation on the formula, starring Tony Anthony in the Zatoichi role. Movie poster for Once Upon a Time in the West Spaghetti Western is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western film that emerged in the mid-1960s, so named because most of them were produced by Italian studios. ... Tony Anthony (born Roger Pettito on October 16, 1937, in Clarksburg, West Virginia), is a former film actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. ...

The 1989 movie Blind Fury starring Rutger Hauer was inspired by the Zatoichi films and television series. In this movie Hauer plays a blind Vietnam War veteran trained to use a sword cane in battle. Blind Fury is a 1989 movie starring Rutger Hauer as a Vietnam Vet. ... Rutger Oelsen Hauer (IPA: [rʏtxɛr ulsɛn hʌuɛr]) (born in Breukelen, January 23, 1944) is a Dutch film actor. ...

In the episode of The Boondocks television series "Granddad's Fight" Huey trains his grandfather believing his blind opponent (who uses his cane as a weapon) is a master of martial arts like Zatoichi, even making his Granddad watch some ultra-violent scenes from the movies to demonstrate his point. For the originating definition of Boondocks, see Boondock. ... Granddads Fight is an episode in the animated series The Boondocks Spoiler warning: The episode starts with two African-American gangsters passing each other on a city street. ...

Throughout the film Equilibrium, the main character John Preston employs a swordsmanship style similar to Zatoichi's inverse style.

In the fighting video game series, Guilty Gear (series), there is a character for the first two installments called Zato-1, who uses a parasitic beast to gain powers, at the cost of his sight. His lack of sight, and name is in reference to Zatoichi because the number "one" in Japanese is pronounced "Ichi", so the name would naturally be "Zato-Ichi". The Guilty Gear series is known for its unique graphics. ... Zato-1 ) is a character in the Guilty Gear fighting game series, making his first appearance in Guilty Gear: The Missing Link. ...

The 2003 film

Zatoichi (2003)

For more details on this topic, see Zatoichi (2003 film).

In 2003, Takeshi Kitano produced a new high-budget Zatoichi film, called simply Zatoichi (座頭市 Zatōichi). Image File history File links Size of this preview: 423 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (501 × 709 pixel, file size: 93 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Japanese theatrical release poster lo-rez fair use. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 423 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (501 × 709 pixel, file size: 93 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Japanese theatrical release poster lo-rez fair use. ... Zatoichi (座頭市 Zatōichi) is a Japanese samurai drama and martial arts film, released in 2003. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 2003 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Takeshi Kitano , born January 18, 1947) is a Japanese comedian, actor, presenter, author, poet, painter, one-time video game designer, and film director who has received critical acclaim, both in his native Japan and abroad, for his highly idiosyncratic cinematic work. ... Zatoichi (座頭市 Zatōichi) is a Japanese samurai drama and martial arts film, released in 2003. ...

In this remake, Zatoichi discovers a small, remote mountain town that has been overtaken by a bullying gang who are extorting money out of them. As Zatoichi seeks to liberate the town, he encounters a ronin seeking employment to pay for his ailing wife's needs, and two geisha who are seeking to avenge the murder of their parents, but he soon discovers they are not what they seem to be. The film also showcases an unexpected musical finale. In film, a remake is a newer version of a previously released film or a newer version of the source (play, novel, story, etc. ... Graves of the forty-seven Ronin at Sengaku-ji Ronin robbing a merchants house in Japan around 1860 (1) For other uses, see Ronin (disambiguation). ... Women posing as maiko (geisha apprentices), Kyoto, Japan wearing traditional furisode and okobo Geisha ) are traditional, female Japanese entertainers, whose skills include performing various Japanese arts, such as classical music and dance. ...

The soundtrack features contributions from Keiichi Suzuki (formerly of the Moon Riders) and The Stripes. Keiichi Suzuki is a Japanese composer and performer, most familiar to US audiences from his music for the Super Nintendo game EarthBound. ... The Stripes is an album by the German band, The Stripes. ...

See also

• Samurai cinema
• Bakuto
• Cho-han bakuchi

While earlier samurai period pieces were more dramatic rather than action based, samurai movies post World War II have become more action based, with darker and more violent characters. ... Bakuto were itinerant gamblers in Japan from the 1700s to the mid-20th century. ... Cho-Han Bakuchi (or Cho Ka Han Ka, or simply Cho-Han) is a traditional Japanese gambling game using dice. ...

External links

• Zatoichi (2003) at the Internet Movie Database
• Official UK website for Kitano's Zatoichi
• Zatoichi's Musical Journey (CDs of the original film music) - Volumes 1 2 and 3
• The Momii Company's Zatoichi site—a commercial site selling Zatoichi on VHS and DVD, with good information on the series
• The Digital Bits' DVD Review Index - Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman on DVD
• Zatoichi No Eigamono—synopses of the first sixteen Zatoichi films