Zatoichi's Flashing Sword (1964)
"Zatôichi abare tako" (original title)

After being wounded in a fight, Zatoichi is nursed to health by a young woman and her father. Now indebted to the family, he works to protect their ferry business from local thugs.

Director:

Kazuo Ikehiro

Writers:

Shozaburo Asai, Minoru Inuzuka,

Stars:

Shintarô Katsu, Tatsuo Endô, Takashi Etajima

Cast

Credited cast:
Shintarô Katsu	...	Zatoichi
Tatsuo Endô	...	Boss Yasugoro of Takeya
Takashi Etajima
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ryûtarô Gomi
Bokuzen Hidari	...	Kyubei
Jun Katsumura	...	Yasugoro yakuza
Naoko Kubo	...	Kuni
Ikuko Môri	...	Yasugora's sister
Mayumi Nagisa	...	Shizu
Yutaka Nakamura	...	Mekichi
Koh Sugita
Teruko Ômi	...	Mine

Storyline

Blind masseur Zatoichi is nursed back to health by a young woman after he is shot by a gang member. Zatoichi, who had come to the village to repay a debt, now feels further indebted. He commits himself to use his amazing sword skills to help the young woman's father, whose river-crossing service is under attack by the same gang responsible for Zatoichi's wounds.

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Plot Keywords:

zatoichi | sequel | seventh part | character name in title

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

11 July 1964 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Zatoichi's Flashing Sword

Company Credits

Production Co:

Daiei Motion Picture Company, Daiei Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Zatoichi: [after trapping Yakuza Boss Yasugoro into a corner] They say when you stutter like that, you're ready to be killed.
Zatoichi: What's the matter? Aren't you going to draw?
Zatoichi: [Turns to Boss Yasugoro's men as Yasugoro stutters in fear] Your boss is trapped in a corner, and none of you have the guts to save him. Yasugoro, you sure know how to pick'em, don't you?

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Connections

Followed by Zatôichi (1989)

User Reviews

More of the same -- but I like it!

If you've seen one Zatoichi film, then this one will be nothing new. The thing is, that Shintarô Katsu does such a great job playing Zatoichi, that I don't care how similar these movies are. This movie is a little different in that the beginning of the movie has several light humorous moments, the fact that Zatoichi is shot seems to have no bearing. But like all the other films in the series, it gets serious. In case, pretty serious. Katsu can be lighthearted and charming but when he means business, I wouldn't want to mess with him. As for the battles not a whole lot until the end, but that one is a doozy. I tried counting how many people he kills; I lost count after 35. So, if you're a sucker for Zatoichi, then this one should be fun viewing.