is a 1967 Japanese ''

chambara , also commonly spelled "''chambara''", meaning "sword fighting" films,Hill (2002). denotes the Japanese film genre called samurai cinema in English and is roughly equivalent to Western and swashbuckler films. ''Chanbara'' is a sub-category of '' ...

'' film directed by

Kimiyoshi Yasuda (born February 15, 1911 Tokyo, Japan, died July 26, 1983) was a Japanese film director from the 1930s to 1970s. He directed six films about Zatoichi, the Blind Swordsman. He signed with Nikkatsu Kyoto studio as an assistant director and started w ...

and starring

Shintaro Katsu was a Japanese actor, singer, and filmmaker. He is known for starring in the ''Akumyo'' series, the ''Hoodlum Soldier'' series, and the ''Zatoichi'' series. Life and career Born Toshio Okumura (奥村利夫 ''Okumura Toshio'') on 29 Novemb ...

as the blind masseur

Zatoichi is a fictional character created by Japanese novelist Kan Shimozawa. He is an itinerant blind masseur and swordsman of Japan's late Edo period (1830s and 1840s). He first appeared in the 1948 essay , part of Shimozawa's ''Futokoro Techō'' serie ...

. It was originally released by the

Daiei Motion Picture Company Daiei Film Co. Ltd. (Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ''Daiei Eiga Kabushiki Kaisha'') was a Japanese film studio. Founded in 1942 as Dai Nippon Film Co., Ltd., it was one of the major studios during the postwar Golden Age of Japanese cinema, producing n ...

(later acquired by

Kadokawa Pictures Kadokawa Daiei Studio, formerly is the film division of the Japanese company the Kadokawa Corporation. It is one of the four members of the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (MPPAJ), and is therefore one of Japan's Big Four film stud ...

). ''Zatoichi's Cane Sword'' is the fifteenth episode in the 26-part film series devoted to the character of Zatoichi.

Plot

While travelling Zatoichi comes across a dying gangster boss called Shotaro. In a nearby town that has been overrun by gang belonging to Boss Iwagoro, Zatoichi disturbs the gangsters' gambling scam and hides away with the town's blacksmith Senzo. Senzo turns out to be the apprentice to the master swordsmith who forged Zatoichi's cane sword. Senzo spots a crack in the blade and warns that it will snap after one more kill. At the inn where Zatoichi takes a job as a masseur, the innkeeper Gembei has taken in Shotaro's daughter Shizu and son Seikichi. Shizu wants her brother to take their father's place as the new boss and keep the evil Boss Iwagoro from taking over, but the scholarly Seikichi has no interest in the family business. During his stay at the inn Zatoichi discovers Iwagoro is in cahoots with a corrupt government official, Inspector Kuwayama.

Cast

as Zatoichi *

Shiho Fujimura Shiho Fujimura (藤村志保 ''Fujimura Shiho'', born 3 January 1939 in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese actress. She was given a Special Prize for her career at the 2008 Yokohama Film Festival. Filmography Films *''Shino ...

as Oshizu *

Eijirō Tōno was a Japanese actor who, in a career lasting more than 50 years, appeared in over 400 television shows, nearly 250 films and numerous stage productions. He is best known in the West for his roles in films by Akira Kurosawa, such as ''Seven Samu ...

as Senzo * Yoshihiko Aoyama as Seikichi * Tatsuo Endo as Boss Iwagoro *

Masumi Harukawa , born , is a Japanese actress. Filmography * 1963: ''The Insect Woman'' * 1964: '' Unholy Desire'' * 1964: ''Kunoichi Keshō'' * 1967: ''Zatoichi's Cane Sword'' * 1968: ''The Human Bullet'' * 1968: '' Curse of the Blood'' * 1974: '' Pastoral: T ...

as Oryu *

Makoto Fujita , born Makoto Harada (April 13, 1933 – February 17, 2010), was a Japanese actor. He was born in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, the son of silent-film actor Rintarō Fujima, and started his career as a comedian in 1952. Acting Roles Fujita appeared in bo ...

as Umazo *

Kiyoko Suizenji , better known as , is a Japanese enka singer and actress represented by Suisei Kikaku. Discography (singles) Discography (albums) Original albums Live albums Best albums Filmography NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen Drama TV series Honours * O ...

as Oharu * Masako Akeboshi as Matsu *

Fujio Suga Fujio (written: 正行, 藤雄, 藤夫, 不二夫, 富士雄, 冨士夫, 富士夫, 富士男, 希仁男 or ふじを, ふじお in hiragana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese manga artist *, Mon ...

as Kuwayama

Production

Yoshinobu Nishioka was a Japanese jidaigeki production designer, art director, producer, and set decorater from Asuka, Nara Prefecture who won three Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction. Nishioka joined Daiei Kyoto film in 1948. H ...

- Art director

Reception

Critical response

Roger Greenspun Roger Greenspun (December 16, 1929 – June 18, 2017) was an American journalist and film critic, best known for his work with ''The New York Times'' in which he reviewed near 400 films, particularly in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and for '' ...

, in a review for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', wrote that " ere it is quiet enough to allow Ichi his peaceful idiocyncrasies, ''Zato Ichi's Cane Sword'' is a pleasantly modest film, an amiable contrast to the fateful solemnities of the

Toshiro Mifune was a Japanese actor who appeared in over 150 feature films. He is best known for his 16-film collaboration (1948–1965) with Akira Kurosawa in such works as ''Rashomon'', ''Seven Samurai'', ''The Hidden Fortress'', ''Throne of Blood'', and '' ...

samurai dramas. Ichi's very invulnerability makes for a certain relaxation, a few songs, a little buffoonery, and much of it to the good."

References

External links

* * *
"Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman, Vol. 15 - ''Zatoichi's Cane Sword''"
review by J. Doyle Wallis for

DVD Talk DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman. History Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...

(28 May 2004)
''Zatoichi's Cane Sword''
review by Judge Dan Mancini for

DVD Verdict DVD Verdict was a judicial-themed website for DVD reviews. The site was founded in 1999. The editor-in-chief was Michael Stailey, who owned the website between 2004 and 2016, and the site employed a large editorial staff of critics, whose reviews ...

(8 June 2004)
''Zatoichi's Cane Sword'' (1967)
review by D. Trull for Lard Biscuit Enterprises

review by Hubert for Unseen Films (17 February 2014)
Review: ''Zatoichi's Cane Sword'' (1966)
by Thomas Raven for freakengine (February 2012)
''Zatoichi's Cane Sword'' – A Complicated Story, Well Told
review by Trash Cinema Club (22 April 2014) Japanese adventure films 1967 films Zatoichi films Daiei Film films Films set in Japan Films shot in Japan Films scored by Ichirō Saitō 1960s Japanese films {{Japan-screen-actor-stub