is a 1964 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

Kazuo Ikehiro is a Japanese film director. He is known for directing Zatoichi series and the highly acclaimed Malay film Onna Gokuakuchō. In 1950, he joined the Daiei Film and started working as an assistant director under Kenji Mizoguchi etc. In 1960, h ...

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 Flashing Sword'' is the seventh episode in the 26-part film series devoted to the character of Zatoichi.

Plot

A lone

yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ...

musketeer A musketeer (french: mousquetaire) was a type of soldier equipped with a musket. Musketeers were an important part of early modern warfare particularly in Europe as they normally comprised the majority of their infantry. The musketeer was a pre ...

chases after Ichi alongside a canal and shoots him in retaliation for Ichi cutting the yakuza boss and to earn the prestige of his more experienced fellows. His fellow yakuza arrive and he claims to have killed Ichi, but without a corpse they don't believe him. Ichi is rescued from the water and a travelling stranger pays a local townswoman to nurse Zatoichi back to health. When well again Ichi travels to the stranger's home town to express his gratitude. The yakuza learn of Ichi's survival and his destination. They go after him and leave the failed shooter behind. He goes alone to make up for his lost face. On the way to

Kajikazawa was a town located in Minamikoma District, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 4,402 and a density Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the substance's mass per unit of volume. ...

, Ichi passes by a sword

dojo A is a hall or place for immersive learning or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts, but has been seen increasingly in other fields, such as meditation and software development. The term literally means "place of the ...

being roughed up by some stray ronin. Ichi laughs and the four ronin challenge him with

shinai A is a Japanese sword typically made of bamboo used for practice and competition in ''kendo''. ''Shinai'' are also used in other martial arts, but may be styled differently from ''kendo shinai'', and represented with different characters. T ...

. He mocks them for wanting to beat up a blind man then defeats them all in a few seconds. When Ichi arrives in Kajikazawa, he finds that the stranger was not a man but was Kuni, daughter of Bunkichi, one of the two town bosses. Her father is planning a free

fireworks Fireworks are a class of Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a l ...

display and goes across the river to talk to rival boss Yasugoro. Yasugoro wants control of the river

ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

as all travellers have to pay to cross. Ichi stays with Kuni and does chores around the house and massages around town. He massages Yasugoro's sister in Yasugoro's house and overhears that Yasugoro and the local government Inspector, who is sleeping with the sister, are conspiring to force control away from Bunkichi. The musketeer arrives in town and is revealed to be Seiroku, Bunkichi's son who fled town after racking up drinking debts and refusing to pay. He soon sees Ichi. The four ronin arrive Yasugoro hires them to kidnap Seiroku. Yasugoro's men claim Seiroku tried to kill Yasugoro. They say Bunkichi can either hand over the river right's, fight or they will kill Seiroku. Yasugoro's sister tells Yasugoro that the Inspector says to kill the prisoner to start a war. The Yakuza pursuing Ichi find him at the river bathing. He goes into deeper water and when they follow, he kills them while submerged. He goes to the Inspector's house, meets with him and Yasugoro's sister, kills them both and frees Seiroku. Seiroku proves ungrateful. He goes home and lies about escaping by himself. The lead ronin comes up with a plan to break Ichi's alliance with Bunkichi. Yasugoro sends a letter to Bunkichi claiming the Intendant will mediate at a meeting. Bunkicihi arrives and Yasugoro claims the mediator isn't present because Yasugoro wants Bunkichi to have a chance to give up the famous fugitive Ichi rather than have Bunkichi arrested for harbouring the criminal. Bunkichi falls for the deceit and sends Ichi on his way. Ichi is confused about why he is being forced to leave before the fireworks and refuses the money Bunkichi offers. Kuni is distressed that Ichi must leave and that she can't say why. As he says goodbyes to the household he tells Seiroku, having recognised Seiroku by scent when Seiroku arrived at home, that "you really shouldn't shoot people with guns" then he leaves town. With Ichi gone Yasugoro attacks Bunkichi's house killing almost everyone present (but not Kuni and her sister who are safe in a locked storeroom). Ichi, wishing to see, or at least be close to, the fireworks turns back and over hears the ronin, who are camped outside of town, as they brag about the plan. Ichi kills them and goes to Yasugoro's house to exact retribution. He cuts down the candles and forces them to fight in the dark. After killing Yasugoro he stands for a moment in the light of the fireworks.

Cast

as Zatoichi * Naoko Kubo as Okuni *

Mayumi Nagisa is a Japanese actress and singer. Biography She was born from Tokyo. After dropping out of high school, she made her debut in 1961 in the film ''Yūyake Ko yake no Akatonbo'' (directed by Koji Shima). She went sold out as Daiei Film's fresh star ...

as Oshizu * Takashi Edajima as Seiroku * Tatsuo Endō as Boss Yasugoro *

Yutaka Nakamura Yutaka Nakamura (中村豊 , ''Nakamura Yutaka'') (born December 22, 1967) is a Japanese animator, designer, and cinematographer. He's currently employed by Bones. His works include key animation on projects such as ''Cowboy Bebop'', ''Space D ...

as Mekichi *

Bokuzen Hidari was a Japanese actor and comedian born in Kotesashi Village (now part of Tokorozawa), Iruma District, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. He appeared in such films as Akira Kurosawa's ''Seven Samurai'', ''The Lower Depths'' and ''Ikiru''. Hidari was f ...

as Kyubei *

Ryosuke Kagawa was a Japanese actor. His son was child actor Sō Shuntarō. He appeared in more than 400 films between 1928 and 1986. His final film role was in the 1986 film ''Dixieland Daimyō'' directed by Kihachi Okamoto. Selected filmography * ''Story ...

as Bunkichi *

Ikuko Mori Ikuko (written: 郁子 or 育子) is a feminine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese politician *, Japanese character designer and animation director *, Japanese classical violinist and composer *, Japanese field ...

as Yasuhoro's sister

References

External links

*
''Zatoichi Abare Tako''
review by Brian McKay for eFilmCritic.com (22 February 2004)
''Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman, Vol. 7 - Zatoichi's Flashing Sword''
review by J. Doyle Wallis for Home Vision Entertainment (29 April 2003) {{DEFAULTSORT:Zatoichi's Flashing Sword Japanese adventure films 1964 films Zatoichi films Daiei Film films Films set in Japan Films shot in Japan 1960s Japanese films