Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman's Pilgrimage (1966)
"Zatôichi umi o wataru" (original title)

Ichi seeks out on a pilgrimage to 81 temples, exploring spirituality to atone for his bloody past. On the way, Ichi stumbles into a village that's being bullied by a violent Yakuza boss and... See full summary »

Director:

Kazuo Ikehiro

Writers:

Kan Shimosawa (story), Kaneto Shindô

Stars:

Shintarô Katsu, Michiyo Ohkusu, Kunie Tanaka

Cast

Credited cast:
Shintarô Katsu	...	Zatoichi
Michiyo Ohkusu	...	Kichi (as Michiyo Yasuda)
Kunie Tanaka	...	Man speaks a lot
Hisashi Igawa	...	Eigoro
Masao Mishima	...	Nanashino Gonbei
Jotaro Senba	...	Bokasuri
Ryûtarô Gomi	...	Jyonenbo
Isao Yamagata	...	Boss Tohachi
Saburô Date	...	Kagimatsu
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yoichi Funaki
Kenshiro Hara
Yukio Horikita
Jun Katsumura	...	Tohachi yakuza
Masako Morishita	...	Little girl on boat
Manabu Morita	...	Takuji

Storyline

Ichi seeks out on a pilgrimage to 81 temples, exploring spirituality to atone for his bloody past. On the way, Ichi stumbles into a village that's being bullied by a violent Yakuza boss and his henchmen. After killing a young, hired assassin, Ichi is led back to the young man's village by his peculiar horse. Upon learning that her brother is dead, Okichi (Yasuda Michiyo) grabs a sword and attacks Ichi, either in an attempt to avenge her brother or in an attempt to commit suicide by forcing Ichi to defend himself. After injuring Ichi, Okichi tends to his wounds, nurses him back to health, and begins to have feelings for him. The Yakuza boss still wants Ichi dead in order to take over the village and now Ichi alone must deal with the boss and his gang, the young woman's feelings and a village full of cowards, who will not stand up for themselves!

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Plot Keywords:

zatoichi | katana sword | sword | katana | fourteenth part | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

13 August 1966 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman's Pilgrimage

Company Credits

Production Co:

Daiei Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A DVD with the title "Zatoichi's Pilgrimage" was released in the UK but the actual episode on the disc is not "Zatoichi's Pilgrimage" it is another (already released in the U.S.) episode in the series film #23, Zatoichi at Large.

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Connections

Follows Zatoichi and the Chess Expert (1965)

User Reviews

A twist for Zatoichi fans

The general standard for Zatoichi films is fairly high - though you can expect the same motifs and themes from one movie to the next. Zatoichi's Pilgrimage brings the series to a new level. Our blind swordsman (Kintaro Katsu) is troubled by his violent past, and vows to visit a circuit of shrines until the gods give him an answer to his spiritual quest. This quest brings him into contact with a group of brigands who all but rule the area, and he's left with little choice but to reassess his spiritual quest.

The screenplay is especially intriguing. Zatoichi's pilgrimage begins as a sea voyage, and the water theme repeatedly makes its way into the plot. In the hope of realizing his quest, a rider- less horse follows the blind swordsman to where he's most needed - suggesting that Zatoichi may have already found his destiny. An assured storytelling makes this one of the more satisfying of the long series.