is a

fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...

created by Japanese novelist

Kan Shimozawa was a Japanese novelist and historical writer. He was born February 1, 1892, in Atsuta, Hokkaido, and died July 19, 1968. Sometimes his name is spelled ''Kan Shimosawa'' (in ''New Tale of Zatoichi'', ''Zatoichi the Fugitive''). His real name was U ...

. He is an itinerant blind

masseur Massage is the manipulation of the body's soft tissues. Massage techniques are commonly applied with hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearms, feet or a device. The purpose of massage is generally for the treatment of body stress or pain. In Eu ...

and

swordsman Swordsmanship or sword fighting refers to the skills and techniques used in combat and training with any type of sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to a ...

of Japan's late

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

(1830s and 1840s). He first appeared in the 1948

essay An essay is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a letter, a paper, an article, a pamphlet, and a short story. Essays have been sub-classified as formal a ...

, part of Shimozawa's ''Futokoro Techō'' series that was serialized in the magazine ''Shōsetsu to Yomimono''. This originally minor character was drastically altered and developed for the screen by

Daiei Film 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 ...

and actor

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 ...

, becoming the subject of one of Japan's longest-running film series. A total of 26 films were made between 1962 and 1989. From 1974 to 1979, a television series was produced, starring Katsu and some of the same actors that appear in the films. Produced by Katsu Productions, 100 episodes were aired before the ''Zatoichi'' television series was cancelled. The seventeenth film of the ''Zatoichi'' series was remade in the US in 1989 by

TriStar Pictures TriStar Pictures, Inc. (spelled as Tri-Star until 1991) is an American film studio and production company that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, part of the multinational conglomerate Sony. It is a corporate sibling of Sony ...

as ''

Blind Fury ''Blind Fury'' is a 1989 American action comedy film directed by Phillip Noyce and starring Rutger Hauer, Brandon Call, Terry O'Quinn, Lisa Blount, Randall "Tex" Cobb, and Noble Willingham. The screenplay by Charles Robert Carner is a loosely ba ...

'', starring

Rutger Hauer Rutger Oelsen Hauer (; 23 January 1944 – 19 July 2019) was a Dutch actor. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century. Hauer's career began in 1969 with the title role in the Dutch television series ' ...

. A 2003 film was directed by

Takeshi Kitano is a Japanese comedian, television presenter, actor, filmmaker, and author. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. With th ...

, who also starred as the title character. It was awarded the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...

Silver Lion for Best Direction The Silver Lion ( it, Leone d'argento, also known as Silver Lion for Best Direction) is an annual award presented for best directing achievements in a feature film at official competition section of the Venice Film Festival since 1998. The pri ...

. A stage adaptation of ''Zatoichi'' directed by

Takashi Miike is a Japanese film director, film producer and screenwriter. He has directed over one hundred theatrical, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. His films run through a variety of different genres, and range from violent an ...

and starring

Show Aikawa is a Japanese actor. Career Show Aikawa was born in Tokushima and raised in Kagoshima. Aikawa has appeared in a number of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's films, including ''Eyes of the Spider'', ''Serpent's Path'', ''License to Live'', ''Seance'', and ''Pu ...

was filmed in 2007 and later released on home video. '' Zatoichi: The Last'' is a 2010 film directed by

Junji Sakamoto is a Japanese film director. Career After working as a set assistant or assistant director under such filmmakers as Sogo Ishii and Kazuyuki Izutsu, he made his directorial debut in 1989 with '' Dotsuitarunen'' (earning the Directors Guild of Ja ...

and starring

Shingo Katori is a Japanese actor, singer, television host, radio personality. He was the youngest member of SMAP, one of the best-selling boy band in Asia. After the group's disbandment on 31 December 2016, Katori has been pursuing his solo career. He left ...

Character

Zatoichi at first comes across as a harmless blind ''

anma ''Anma'' ( ja, ) is a practice of traditional Japanese massage; the word also refers to practitioners of that art. Modern shiatsu is largely derived from ''anma''. History ''Anma'' is thought to be of Chinese origin, developing from ''Tui Na' ...

'' (masseur) and ''

bakuto ''Bakuto'' (博徒) were itinerant gamblers active in Japan from the 18th century to the mid-20th century. They were one of two forerunners (the other being ''tekiya'', or peddlers) to modern Japanese organized crime syndicates called ''yakuza''. ...

'' (gambler) who wanders the land, making his living by ''

chō-han ''Chō-Han Bakuchi'' or simply is a traditional Japanese gambling game using dice. Gameplay The game uses two standard six-sided dice, which are shaken in a bamboo cup or bowl by a dealer. The cup is then overturned onto the floor. Players t ...

'' (playing dice) as well as giving massages, performing

acupuncture Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in which thin needles are inserted into the body. Acupuncture is a pseudoscience; the theories and practices of TCM are not based on scientifi ...

and even, on occasion, singing and playing music. Secretly, however, he is very highly skilled in

swordsmanship Swordsmanship or sword fighting refers to the skills and techniques used in combat and training with any type of sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to a ...

, specifically Muraku-school

kenjutsu is an umbrella term for all ('' ko-budō'') schools of Japanese swordsmanship, in particular those that predate the Meiji Restoration. Some modern styles of kendo and iaido that were established in the 20th century also included modern forms of ...

and

iaido , abbreviated , is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to sudden attacks.Christensen, Karen and Allen Guttmann et.al (2001) ''International Encyclopedia of Women and Sports ...

along with the more general sword skills of Japan, as well as

sumo wrestling is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by thr ...

and kyujutsu. Little of his past is revealed, other than that he lost his sight as a child through illness. His father disappeared for undisclosed reasons when Zatoichi was about five years old. He is described by his swordsmanship instructor as having practiced constantly and with extreme devotion when he was a pupil in order to develop his incredible skills. Zatoichi says of himself that he became a

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 ...

(gangster) during those three years he spent training (which immediately precede the original ''The Tale of Zatoichi'') and killed many people, something he later came to deeply regret. This is reflected in his willingness to involve himself in the affairs of others—chiefly, those suffering from oppression and exploitation, or some form of corruption. Despite that moral re-assessment and his new perspective and remorse (and most often because of them), he usually has a bounty (sometimes quite large) on his head from one source or another throughout the movies and series. However, because of his earnestness, wit, and natural sense of empathy, many people who encounter him during his travels grow to respect and even care for him. Unlike a bushi, he does not carry a traditional

katana A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge fa ...

. Instead, he uses a well-made '' shikomi-zue'' (仕込み杖, lit. "prepared cane" or cane sword), as the use or possession of true fighting blades was formally outlawed for non-

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

during the Edo period. The decree was virtually impossible to enforce, however, as evidenced by the Yakuza enforcers being shown wielding katanas throughout the films. The blades of ''Shikomi-zue'' were generally straight-edged, of lower-quality, unfolded steel, which could not compare with even a low-end ''katana''. As a result, the blade in Ichi's cane sword is broken during the climactic battle in ''Zatoichi the Fugitive'' (the fourth film). The sword has a new blade by the next film, which he wields until the fifteenth film ''Zatoichi's Cane Sword''. The blade (which breaks during the film) and the blade that replaces it were specially forged at great expense and with far more than the usual care by master

bladesmith Bladesmithing is the art of making knives, swords, daggers and other blades using a forge, hammer, anvil, and other smithing tools. Bladesmiths employ a variety of metalworking techniques similar to those used by blacksmiths, as well as woodworkin ...

s and were both of exceptional quality, superior to the swords of even most ''samurai''. At the beginning of ''Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo'', his swordblade (presumably the same) inexplicably breaks and is sold to a blacksmith along with its hilt and scabbard. Its replacement is not a ''shikomi-zue'', but a ''jotō'' (杖刀 lit. a "staff sword") of unrevealed origin that resembles a short, thick

bo staff Bo or BO may refer to Arts and entertainment Film, television, and theatre * Box office, where tickets to an event are sold, and by extension, the amount of business a production receives *'' BA:BO'', 2008 South Korean film * ''Bo'' (film), a ...

, which also soon breaks. In the next film, ''Zatoichi: The Festival of Fire'', he is once again using his trademark cane sword, outfitted with a new blade of unknown origin and quality. The principal recurring thematic formula of these films and the television series is that of the ever-wandering and sentimental drifter who protects the innocent and the helpless from oppressive or warring ''yakuza'' gangs, stops the worst of general injustice or predation and aids the unfortunate, and often, through no fault of his own, is set upon by ruffians or stumbles into harm's way. Zatoichi's saga is essentially one of an earthy but basically good and wise man almost always trying to do the decent thing, to somehow redeem himself and perhaps atone for past failings. Nevertheless, he believes himself instead to be a stained, corrupted and evil man, irredeemable and undeserving of the love and respect that some show and rightly have for him. This self-described "god of calamities" is routinely a magnet for troubles of one sort or another. Death is his only constant companion, as he pragmatically does not allow other people, especially those he loves or thinks highly of, to get close and stay there for long; such would lead to eventual tragedy. Death does seem, like a shadow, actually to follow an often reluctant Zatoichi almost everywhere he goes, and despite his mostly compassionate nature, killing appears to come entirely naturally to him. His lightning-fast fighting skill is incredible, with his sword held in a reverse grip; this, combined with his unflappable steel-nerved wits in a fight, his keen ears, sense of smell and

proprioception Proprioception ( ), also referred to as kinaesthesia (or kinesthesia), is the sense of self-movement, force, and body position. It is sometimes described as the "sixth sense". Proprioception is mediated by proprioceptors, mechanosensory neurons ...

, all render him a formidable adversary. He is also quite capable with a traditional ''katana'', as seen in ''Zatoichi's Vengeance'' and the bathhouse scene in ''Zatoichi and the Festival of Fire''. Similarly, he displays considerable skill using two swords simultaneously, in Musashi-like ''Nitō Ichi'' style in ''Zatoichi and the Doomed Man''. Almost preternaturally dangerous with blades, he is fully capable (whether standing, sitting or lying down) of fighting and swiftly defeating multiple skilled opponents simultaneously. Some, however, have come close to besting him in combat, in particular during the final duel in ''Zatoichi Challenged'', where extenuating circumstances played a role. A number of other standard scenarios are also repeated through the series: Zatoichi's winning of large amounts at gambling via his ability to hear whether the dice have fallen on even or odd is a common theme, as is his catching loaded or substituted dice by the difference in their sound. This frequently culminates in another set piece, Zatoichi's cutting the candles lighting the room and reducing it to pitch blackness, commonly accompanied by his tagline "Kurayami nara kotchi no mon da" (暗闇ならこっちのもんだ; roughly meaning "Darkness is my ally" or "Now we are all blind"). The character's name is actually ''Ichi''. ''Zatō'' is a title, the lowest of the four official ranks within the ''

Tōdōza The was a Japanese guild for blind men, established in the 14th century by the biwa hōshi . Members performed a variety of roles, as itinerant musicians, masseurs, and acupuncturists. It received the patronage of the Muromachi and Edo shogun ...

'', the historical guild for blind men (thus, ''zato'' also designates a blind person in Japanese slang). Ichi is therefore properly called ''Zatō-no-Ichi'' ("Low-Ranking Blind Person Ichi", approximately), or ''Zatōichi'' for short. Massage was a traditional occupation for the blind (as their lack of sight removed the issue of gender), as was playing the

biwa The is a Japanese short-necked wooden lute traditionally used in narrative storytelling. The is a plucked string instrument that first gained popularity in China before spreading throughout East Asia, eventually reaching Japan sometime duri ...

or, for blind women (''

goze is a Japanese historic term referring to visually-impaired Japanese women, most of whom worked as musicians. Etymology The ideographs for mean "blind" and "woman." The kanji are so because the individual ideograph for already existed. is m ...

''), the

shamisen The , also known as the or (all meaning "three strings"), is a three-stringed traditional Japanese musical instrument derived from the Chinese instrument . It is played with a plectrum called a bachi. The Japanese pronunciation is usual ...

. Being lesser

hinin Hi-nin () was an outcast group in ancient Japan, more specifically the Edo Period of Japanese history. The direct translation of the phrase "Hinin" is "non-human". Hinin and Eta () consisted of the lowest social classes in ancient Japan, but were ...

(lit. " non-people"), blind people and masseurs were regarded as among the very lowest of the low in social class, other than

eta Eta (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ἦτα ''ē̂ta'' or ell, ήτα ''ita'' ) is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the close front unrounded vowel . Originally denoting the voiceless glottal fricative in most dialects, ...

or outright criminals; they were generally considered wretches, beneath notice, no better than beggars or even the insane—especially during the Edo period—and it was also commonly thought that the blind were accursed, despicable, severely mentally disabled, deaf and sexually dangerous.

Original film series

The original series of 26 films featured

as Zatoichi. The first film was made in 1962 in

black and white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...

. The third film, in 1963, was the first to be filmed in color. The 25th film was made in 1973, followed by a hiatus of 16 years until Katsu's last film, which he wrote and directed himself in 1989. The original series of movies features other popular fictional characters of the genre on two occasions. ''Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman'' (1971) connects with the

Shaw Brothers Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd. () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, and operated from 1925 to 2011. In 1925, three Shaw brothers— Runje, Runme, and Runde—founded Tianyi Film Company (also called "Unique") in Shangh ...

series of

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

-produced movies directed by prolific director

Chang Cheh Chang Cheh (; 10 February 1923 – 22 June 2002) was a Chinese people, Chinese filmmaker, screenwriter, lyricist and producer active in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Chang Cheh directed more than 90 films in Greater China, the majority of them wi ...

; and ''Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo'' (1970) features

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 '' ...

as Imperial Shogunate Secret Agent Daisaku Sasa. This character resembles the title character of

Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker and painter who directed thirty films in a career spanning over five decades. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Kurosawa displayed a bold, dyna ...

's films ''

Yojimbo is a 1961 Japanese samurai film co-written, produced, edited, and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The film stars Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yoko Tsukasa, Isuzu Yamada, Daisuke Katō, Takashi Shimura, Kamatari Fujiwara, and Atsushi Watanabe. ...

'' and ''

Sanjuro is a 1962 black-and-white Japanese ''jidaigeki'' film directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshiro Mifune. It is a sequel to Kurosawa's 1961 ''Yojimbo''. Originally an adaptation of the Shūgorō Yamamoto novel ''Hibi Heian'', the script w ...

''. The earlier films, in which Mifune's character used the pseudonym Sanjuro (30-year-old), are alluded to when Sassa is jokingly called Shijuro (40-year-old).

List of films

* Note: The English titles shown are the common commercially used titles, thus they are not direct translations of the original Japanese titles.

Television series

The television series ''Zatoichi'' ran for four seasons—a total of 100 episodes—with Shintaro Katsu in the lead role: # 26 episodes, in 1974 # 29 episodes, in 1976 # 19 episodes, in 1978 # 26 episodes, in 1979 Most of the stories in the television series are original dramas, but some are essentially redacted remakes of the full-length Zatoichi films of the previous decade such as Season One, Episode 14, "Fighting Journey with Baby in Tow" (corresponds to the 8th film "Fight, Zatoichi, Fight" 座頭市血笑旅 Zatōichi kesshō-tabi); Season One, Episode 16, "The Winds From Mt. Akagi". The first season of television shows has been released with English subtitles from

Media Blasters Media Blasters, sometimes abbreviated as MB, is an American entertainment corporation that was founded by John Sirabella in 1997 and is based in New York City. It is in the business of licensing, translating, and releasing to the North American ...

/ Tokyo Shock.

Production companies

The first 20 films were produced and distributed by

(except for the 16th film ''Zatoichi the Outlaw'' and the 20th film ''Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo'' which were produced by Shintaro Katsu's own company, Katsu Productions, and distributed theatrically by Daiei). The last 6 films (and the TV series) were also produced by Katsu Productions. Distribution of these films was done by Dainichi Eihai (''Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival'', ''Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman''), Toho (''Zatoichi at Large'' which Toho also co-produced with Katsu Productions, ''Zatoichi in Desperation'', and ''Zatoichi at the Blood Fest''), and

Shochiku () is a Japanese film and kabuki production and distribution company. It also produces and distributes anime films, in particular those produced by Bandai Namco Filmworks (which has a long-time partnership—the company released most, if not all ...

which released Katsu's last Zatoichi film in 1989. It was re-released (and retitled ''Darkness Is His Ally'') in 2004, occasioned by the new 2003 Zatoichi film, ''Zatoichi'', starring

, which Shochiku also released. Chambara Entertainment/Video Action of Honolulu held the original VHS release rights to the Zatoichi film series numbers 1-20, though it only released some of them. Chambara eventually expired its North American release license. AnimEigo held the remainder of the VHS rights. Home Vision Entertainment was granted United States distribution rights to the original Daiei films (except for the 14th and the 16th (the second of which was still in possession of AnimEigo)), and released them on DVD: the films were numbered 1–13, 15, and 17–19.

AnimEigo AnimEigo is an American entertainment company that licenses and distributes anime, samurai films and Japanese cinema. Founded in 1988 by Robert Woodhead and Roe R. Adams III, the company was one of the first in North America dedicated to licensi ...

released seven of the films: ''Zatoichi the Outlaw'' (1967), ''Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo'' (1970), ''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'').

(under their Tokyo Shock label) have released both the 1989 film and the first season (26 episodes) of the TV series. The

Criterion Collection The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films." Criterion serves film and media scholars, cinep ...

released the first 25 films as a dual-format Blu-ray and DVD boxed set on November 26, 2013.

Remakes and spin-offs

''Blind Fury''

In 1989,

released a remake called ''

'', starring

as a

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

vet who is blinded, then taught to use a cane sword by a local tribe before returning home to America. This film is based on ''Zatoichi Challenged'' (1967), the 17th film in the original series.

2003 film

In 2003,

wrote, directed and appeared in a new high-budget film featuring the character, ''

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 premiered on September 3, 2003, at the

, where it won the prestigious

Silver Lion The Silver Lion ( it, Leone d'argento, also known as Silver Lion for Best Direction) is an annual award presented for best directing achievements in a feature film at official competition section of the Venice Film Festival since 1998. The pri ...

award, and went on to numerous other awards both at home and abroad. The soundtrack was composed by

Keiichi Suzuki is a Japanese musician, singer, and record producer who co-founded the Moonriders, a group that became one of Japan's most innovative rock bands. He is known to audiences outside Japan for his musical contributions to the video games ''Mother'' ...

and the Japanese tap dance troupe ''The Stripes''. Zatoichi discovers a small, remote mountain town that has been overtaken by a bullying gang that is extorting money from the townspeople. As Zatoichi seeks to liberate the town, he encounters a ''

rōnin A ''rōnin'' ( ; ja, 浪人, , meaning 'drifter' or 'wanderer') was a samurai without a lord or master during the feudal period of Japan (1185–1868). A samurai became masterless upon the death of his master or after the loss of his master's ...

'' seeking employment to pay for his ailing wife's needs, and two ''

geisha {{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha {{nihongo, Geisha, 芸者 ({{IPAc-en, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ʃ, ə; {{IPA-ja, ɡeːɕa, lang), also known as {{nihongo, , 芸子, geiko (in Kyoto and Kanazawa) or {{nihongo, , 芸妓, geigi, are a class of female ...

'' who are seeking to avenge the murder of their parents, but he soon discovers that they are not what they seem to be.

Stage adaptation

A stage version of ''Zatoichi'' directed by

starred

. It was filmed in 2007 and later released on home video.

''Ichi''

In 2008's ''

Ichi The International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI) is a system of classifying procedure codes being developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is currently available as a beta 3 release. The components for clinical documentat ...

'', a blind female musician who is rescued (and later trained) by Zatoichi travels through Japan to find her mentor.

''Zatoichi: The Last''

Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer an ...

released a new Zatoichi film starring

titled '' Zatoichi: The Last'' on May 29, 2010.

In other works

*In 1969, Teruo Sakamaki ( 酒巻輝男), a Japanese restaurant owner from

Shinjuku is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world (Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration ...

turned Shintaro Katsu/Zatoichi impersonator, starred in a Pink film entitled ''Lewd Priest: Forty-Eight Positions Cutting'' (好色坊主四十八手斬り). The film was directed by Kaoru Umezawa and produced by Uematsu Productions which was reportedly sued by Daiei for copyright infringement. Under various aliases including "Shintaro Katsu look-alike (勝新太郎ソックリショー)", "Rintaro Katsu (勝利太郎)", and "Sing Lung (勝龍)", Sakamaki continued to imitate Shintaro Katsu as Zatoichi in numerous films in Taiwan including: ''The Blind Swordsman's Revenge'' (盲劍・血滴子) (1972), ''The Blind Swordsman vs White Wolf'' (盲俠鬥白狼) (1972), ''Trust and Brotherhood'' (義氣傳義氣) (1972), ''The Hunchback'' (漢駝) (1972), ''Inspector Karate'' (頭號鐵人) (1973), and ''The Devil's Owl'' (魔鬼怪鷹) (1977). *The '' Crimson Bat'' film series (1969–1970) and TV series (1971) was an unauthorized variation, with a blind woman named O-Ichi, played by

Yoko Matsuyama Yoko may refer to: People * Yoko (name), a Japanese feminine given name; variants include Yōko and Yohko * Yoko Gushiken (具志堅用高, born 1955), Japanese professional boxer * Yoko Taro (横尾太郎, born 1970), Japanese video game di ...

, as the sword-wielding hero. *''

Blindman ''Blindman'' (also known in Italian as ''Il Pistolero Cieco'', lit. "The Blind Gunfighter") is a 1971 Spaghetti Western film directed by Ferdinando Baldi and co-written and co-produced by Tony Anthony. The film's protagonist, played by Anthony, ...

'' is a 1971

Spaghetti Western The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

variation on the Zatoichi formula starring

Tony Anthony Darrell W. Anthony (born April 12, 1960) is a retired American professional wrestler, also known by his ring name Dirty White Boy. He wrestled primarily for independent promotions in the Southeastern United States. He was most active throughout t ...

as a blind gunman. *In the second season of the 1985 animated series '' Thundercats'', a character named Lynx-O shares many similarities to Zatoichi. Having been blinded by volcanic gasses during his escape from his dying homeworld of Thundera, Lynx-O develops his other senses to "see" the world around him. He is a formidable fighter, and can use pressure points to disable and defeat his foes. *The character of Zatoichi finds homage in the character of

Zato-Ino This list of ''Usagi Yojimbo'' characters features characters from the ''Usagi Yojimbo'' comic book. Major characters * Miyamoto Usagi – Miyamoto Usagi is the titular character (inspired by Miyamoto Musashi) and an anthropomorphic rabbit ('' ...

(also known as "the Blind Swordspig") in

Stan Sakai is a Japanese-born American cartoonist and comic book creator. He is best known as the creator of the comic series ''Usagi Yojimbo''. Career He began his career by lettering comic books (notably ''Groo the Wanderer'' by Sergio Aragonés and Mar ...

's long-running anthropomorphic comic series ''

Usagi Yojimbo is a comic book series created by Stan Sakai. It is set primarily at the beginning of the Edo period of Japanese history and features anthropomorphic animals replacing humans. The main character is a rabbit ''rōnin'', Miyamoto Usagi, whom Sak ...

'' (1984). This iteration of the character uses his keen sense of smell to find his way and to combat his enemies. Zato-Ino first appeared in ''Critters'' #7 (Jan 1987), published by

Fantagraphics Books Fantagraphics (previously Fantagraphics Books) is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, manga, magazines, graphic novels, and the erotic Eros Comix imprint. History Founding Fantagraphics was found ...

. *A TV-movie Western titled '' Blind Justice'' was released in 1994 from HBO. A blinded civil war veteran protects a baby he is transporting to family beyond a border town besieged by bandits. *In the 1998 video game series ''

Guilty Gear is a series of fighting games by Arc System Works, created and designed by artist Daisuke Ishiwatari. Guilty Gear (first video game), The first game was published in 1998, and has spawned several sequels. It has also adapted to other media suc ...

'', one of the original characters is named Zato-1, who also happens to be a blind assassin. Although his name is pronounced Zato-one, the Japanese word for one is ichi, hence Zato-ichi. *In the 2005 episode of ''

The Boondocks Boondocks are remote, usually brushy areas. Boondocks may also refer to: * The Boondocks (band), an Estonian rock band * ''The Boondocks'' (comic strip), a comic strip by Aaron McGruder ** ''The Boondocks'' (2005 TV series), the television ser ...

'' titled " Grandad's Fight," Huey has a dream in which he fights Col. Stinkmeaner - a blind and cruel elderly man who had beaten his grandfather earlier in the episode - as a samurai. Later in the episode, Huey shows his grandfather footage of the animated Zatoichi in action, comparing Stinkmeaner to the blind swordsman. *In the 2006 movie ''

Devil's Den Devil's Den is a boulder-strewn hill on the south end of Houck's Ridge at Gettysburg Battlefield, used by artillery and sharpshooters on the second day of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. A tourist attraction since ...

'', the main characters, while being trapped in the strip club by female ghouls, have a fantasy scenario of how Zatoichi would deal with the ghouls himself. *The Italian

heavy metal band Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal bands developed ...

Holy Martyr released a song titled "Zatoichi" on their 2011 album ''Invincible'', based on the character. The cover artwork of ''Invincible'' depicts Zatoichi in combat against two rival warriors. *In the Shogun Pack update of the 2007 multiplayer first-person shooter ''

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'', a katana called "The Half-Zatoichi" was introduced for use by both the Soldier and Demoman, alluding to the fact that the Demoman is missing an eye and is half-blind, while the Soldier's helmet covers his eyes and restricts his vision. *In the 2007 American

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'', Jungle Julia calls Stuntman Mike "Zatoichi" sarcastically when he fails to notice a billboard. Mike responds with a wide grin similar to Zatoichi's. *In the 2013 online co-op game ''

Warframe ''Warframe'' is a free-to-play action role-playing third-person shooter multiplayer online game developed and published by Digital Extremes. First released for Windows personal computers in March 2013, it was later ported to PlayStation 4 in No ...

'', there is a katana stance called "Blind Justice", which causes the katana to be held in reverse grip. Its first attack combination is called "Zatos' Creed", all of them being references to Zatoichi. As well as this, there is a skin for the "Excalibur" Warframe named "Excalibur Zato". *In the long-running manga series ''

One Piece ''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' since July 1997, with its individual chapte ...

'', the minor character and marine Admiral Fujitora is based upon Zatoichi. *In the music video for Wednesday Campanella's song Inca, singer KOM_I plays a Zatoichi inspired character. *The character of Zatoichi also finds homage in 2016's '' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,'' where Chinese actor

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appears as Chirrut Îmwe, a blind transient wanderer who is secretly a highly skilled warrior who believes in, and has a connection with,

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. The Jedi characters Rahm Kota and

Kanan Jarrus Kanan Jarrus (born Caleb Dume) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, voiced by Freddie Prinze Jr.. He is featured as one of the main characters of the animated series ''Star Wars Rebels'' (2014–2018) and related works. His F ...

also draw inspiration from the character. *In 2017, a short eight-minute fictitious sci-fi film trailer entitled ''ZVP - Zatoichi vs Predator'', produced, written and directed by Junya Okabe as a nonprofit fan film starring

Shun Sugata is a Japanese actor. Career Sugata was born in Yamanashi Prefecture. He starred in the 2006 film ''Confessions of a Dog''. He appeared in Amir Naderi's 2011 film ''Cut''. Filmography Film * ''Seiha'' (1982) as Nakahara * ''Kita no hotaru'' ...

as Zatoichi was released by Blast Inc. and made available on YouTube. A very special team of villains attack and kill a group of samurai comic book style, until a mysterious samurai appears to defeat them. He is revealed to be a Predator and Zatoichi will face him with a ''Star Wars''-style Jedi Knight lightsaber. A making-of video was also available.

References

Zatoichi (Wushu Cinema article)

Bibliography

External links

Official Forum for the UK Arrowdrome DVD Release

* ttp://www.mallo.co.uk/reviews/zatoichi.htm Review of the Artsmagic box set
Zatoichi's Musical Journey

* ttp://www.momii.com/zatoichi/ The Momii Company's Zatoichi fan site {{Zatoichi Fictional blind characters Fictional gamblers Fictional iaidouka Fictional Japanese people Fictional mass murderers Fictional sumo wrestlers Fictional yakuza Film characters introduced in 1962 Japanese film series Jidaigeki television series Kadokawa Dwango franchises Martial artist characters in films Mass media franchises