is a fictional character created by Japanese novelist

Kan Shimozawa was a Japanese novelist and historical writer best known for originating the character Zatoichi. He was awarded the Kikuchi Kan Prize in 1962 for a series of works set at the end of the Tokugawa period and the Meiji era. Biography Kan Shimozawa w ...

. He is an itinerant blind masseur 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 , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

(1830s and 1840s). He first appeared in the 1948 essay ''Zatoichi Monogatari'', 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, produci ...

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 part of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, which is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony, Sony Group Corporation. The compan ...

as ''

Blind Fury ''Blind Fury'' is a 1989 American action comedy film directed by Phillip Noyce and starring Rutger Hauer, Terry O'Quinn, Lisa Blount, Randall "Tex" Cobb, and Noble Willingham. It is a modernized, English-language remake of ''Zatoichi Challenge ...

'', starring

Rutger Hauer Rutger Oelsen Hauer (; 23 January 1944 – 19 July 2019) was a Dutch actor, with a career that spanned over 170 roles across nearly 50 years, beginning in 1969. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century. H ...

. A 2003 film was directed by

Takeshi Kitano , also known as in Japan, is a Japanese comedian, actor, and filmmaker. 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. During hi ...

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

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...

's Silver Lion for Best Direction. A stage adaptation of ''Zatoichi'' directed by

Takashi Miike is a Japanese film director, film producer and screenwriter. He has directed over 100 feature film, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. His films span a variety of different genres, ranging from violent and surrealism, b ...

and starring

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

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 ...

and starring

Shingo Katori is a Japanese actor, singer, television host, and radio personality. He was the youngest member of SMAP, one of the best-selling boy band, boy bands in Asia. Early life Katori was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa and moved to Tokyo to pursue his car ...

Character

Zatoichi at first comes across as a harmless blind ''

anma ''Anma'' () 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 scientif ...

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 an ...

, 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 o ...

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 Sport ...

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 ...

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 ''yak ...

(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 A swordstick or cane-sword is a cane containing a hidden blade or sword. The term is typically used to describe European weapons from around the 18th century. But similar devices have been used throughout history, notably the Roman ''dolon'', th ...

), as the use or possession of true fighting blades was formally outlawed for non-

samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

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 *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 Belgian film starring Ella-June ...

, 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 ( ) is the sense of self-movement, force, and body position. Proprioception is mediated by proprioceptors, a type of sensory receptor, located within muscles, tendons, and joints. Most animals possess multiple subtypes of propri ...

, 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 Visual impairment, blind men, established in the 14th century by the biwa hōshi . Members performed a variety of roles, as itinerant musicians, massage, masseurs, and acupuncture, acupuncturists. It received the pa ...

'', 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 durin ...

or, for blind women (''

goze is a Japanese historic term referring to visually-impaired Japanese women, most of whom worked as musicians. Etymology The kanji for mean "blind" and "woman." is most likely derived from , which also means "blind person" ( is a formal s ...

''), the

shamisen The , also known as 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 usually b ...

. Being lesser

hinin ''Hi-nin'' (kanji: , hiragana: ; ) was an outcast group (''burakumin'') in ancient Japan, more specifically the Edo Period of Japanese history (1603–1868). ''Hinin'' and ''Eta'' () consisted of the lowest social classes in ancient Japan, but ...

(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 ; ''ē̂ta'' or ''ita'' ) is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the close front unrounded vowel, . Originally denoting the voiceless glottal fricative, , in most dialects of Ancient Greek, it ...

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 to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...

. 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) Limited () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, operating 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)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

-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 and producer. The recipient of numerous awards and accolades over a lengthy career, he is widely considered one of the greatest actors of all time. He often played hypermasculine characters and was noted for his commandin ...

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

Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker who List of works by Akira Kurosawa, directed 30 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the History of film, history of cinema ...

's films ''

Yojimbo is a 1961 Japanese samurai film directed by Akira Kurosawa, who also co-wrote the screenplay and was one of the producers. The film stars Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yoko Tsukasa, Isuzu Yamada, Daisuke Katō, Takashi Shimura, Kamat ...

'' and ''

Sanjuro is a 1962 Cinema of Japan, Japanese ''jidaigeki'' film directed, co-written and edited by Akira Kurosawa, starring Toshiro Mifune. It is a sequel to Kurosawa's 1961 ''Yojimbo''. Originally an adaptation of the Shūgorō Yamamoto novel ''Hibi H ...

''. 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.

Directors

Many directors directed multiple Zatoichi movies. The directors are (in order of number of movies they directed): * Kenji Misumi: 6 * Kimiyoshi Yasuda: 6 * Kazuo Mori: 3 * Tokuzō Tanaka: 3 * Kazuo Ikehiro: 3 * Shintaro Katsu: 2 * Akira Inoue: 1 * Satsuo Yamamoto: 1 * Kihachi Okamoto: 1

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 company 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 mar ...

/ 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 entertainment company. Founded in 1895, it initially managed '' kabuki'' theaters in Kyoto; in 1914, it also acquired ownership of the Kabuki-za theater in Tokyo. In 1920, Shochiku entered the film production industry and establis ...

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 licens ...

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". A "sister company" of arthouse film distributo ...

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 (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

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 ''Zatoichi Monogatari'', part of Shimozawa's '' ...

''. It premiered on September 3, 2003, at the

, where it won the prestigious

Silver Lion The Silver Lion (, also known as Silver Lion for Best Direction) is an annual award presented for best directing achievements in a feature film in the official competition section of the Venice Film Festival since 1998. The prize has been awar ...

award, and went on to numerous other awards both at home and abroad. The soundtrack was composed by Keiichi Suzuki 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 In feudal Japan to early modern Japan (1185–1868), a ''rōnin'' ( ; , , 'drifter' or 'wandering man', ) was a samurai who had no lord or master and in some cases, had also severed all links with his family or clan. A samurai became a ''rō ...

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

geisha {{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha {{nihongo, Geisha{{efn, {{IPAc-en, lang, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ., ʃ, ə, {{IPA, ja, ɡei.ɕa, ɡeː-, lang{{cite book, script-title=ja:NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典, publisher=NHK Publishing, editor= ...

'' 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 documenta ...

'', 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 entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...

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 , officially called Shinjuku City, is a special ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world ( Shinjuku Station) as well as the Tokyo Metropol ...

turned Shintaro Katsu/Zatoichi impersonator, starred in a

pink film refers in Japan to movies produced by independent studios that includes nudity (hence 'pink') or deals with sexual content. This encompasses everything from dramas to action thrillers and exploitation film features. Many pink films would be a ...

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'' or ''The Blind Swordsman vs. The Flying Guillotine'' (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 1969–70 '' Crimson Bat'' film series and its subsequent 1971 TV series were unauthorized variations, with a blind woman named O-Ichi, played by

Yoko Matsuyama Yoko may refer to: People and fictional characters * Yoko (name), a Japanese feminine given name; variants include Yōko and Yohko, including a list of people and Japanese fictional characters (for non-Japanese characters, see the Arts and ente ...

, as the sword-wielding hero. * '' Blindman'' 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 filmmaking 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 in NWA territories in the Southeastern United States. He was most active throughout the 1980s and 1990 ...

as a blind gunman. * In

Hou Hsiao-hsien Hou Hsiao-hsien ( zh, t=侯孝賢, poj=Hâu Hàu-hiân; born 8 April 1947) is a retired Mainland Chinese-born Taiwanese film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He is a leading figure in world cinema and in Taiwan's New Wave cinema mo ...

’s debut feature '' Cute Girl'' (1980), the main character Daigang performs a brief Zatoichi impression. * The second season of the 1985 animated series ''

Thundercats ''ThunderCats'' is a media franchise, featuring a fictional group of cat-like humanoid aliens. The characters were created by Tobin Wolf and featured in an animated television series named ''ThunderCats'', running from 1985 to 1989, whic ...

'' features a character named Lynx-O, who 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 (also known as "the Blind Swordspig") in

Stan Sakai is a Japanese Americans, Japanese-born American cartoonist and comic book creator. He is best known as the creator of the comic series ''Usagi Yojimbo''. Early life Sakai was born Masahiko Sakai (坂井雅彦) in Kyoto, Japan, to Akio and Ter ...

'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 ...

'' (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 (formerly) the Erotic comics, erotic Eros Comix imprint. They have managed sev ...

. * A Western TV movie titled '' Blind Justice'' was released in 1994 from HBO. A blinded

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

veteran protects a baby he is transporting to family beyond a border town besieged by bandits. * In the 1998 video game series ''

Guilty Gear ''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 o ...

'', 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 (comic strip), ''The Boondocks'' (comic strip), a comic strip by Aaron McGruder ** The Boondocks (TV series), ''The Boondocks'' (TV series), the television s ...

'' 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 film ''

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 t ...

'', 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. * In the Shogun Pack update of the 2007 multiplayer first-person shooter ''

Team Fortress 2 ''Team Fortress 2'' (''TF2'') is a Multiplayer video game, multiplayer first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve Corporation in 2007. It is the sequel to the 1996 ''Team Fortress'' Mod (video gaming), mod for ''Quake (video g ...

'', 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 exploitation

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

Death Proof ''Death Proof'' is a 2007 American slasher film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Kurt Russell as a Stunt performer, stuntman who murders young women with modified cars he says are "death-proof". Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito ...

'', Jungle Julia sarcastically calls Stuntman Mike "Zatoichi" when he fails to notice a billboard. Mike responds with a wide grin similar to Zatoichi's. * 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 a ...

Holy Martyr released a song titled "Zatoichi" on their 2011 album ''Invincible'', based on the character. The album's cover art depicts Zatoichi in combat against two rival warriors. * 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 ...

'', 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 follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, as he explores the Grand Line in search of the myt ...

'', 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

Donnie Yen Donnie Yen Chi-tan ( zh, c=甄子丹, p=Zhēn Zǐdān, j=, first=j; born 27 July 1963) is a Hongkongers, Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and action director. He is the recipient of various accolades, including three Golden Horse Fi ...

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

the Force The Force is a Metaphysics, metaphysical, mysterious, and Energy (esotericism), ubiquitous power in the ''Star Wars'' Universe of Star Wars, fictional universe. Characters refer to the Force as an energy that interconnects all things in the univer ...

. 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 ...

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 YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

. 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. *

Denzel Curry Denzel Rae Don Curry (born February 16, 1995) is an American rapper. Born and raised in Miami Gardens, Florida, Curry started rapping while in the sixth grade and began working on his first mixtape, ''King Remembered Underground Tape 1991–1995 ...

's album ''

Melt My Eyez See Your Future ''Melt My Eyez See Your Future'' is the fifth studio album by American rapper Denzel Curry, released through PH and Loma Vista Recordings on March 25, 2022. The album includes features from Robert Glasper, Buzzy Lee, Saul Williams, Bridget Perez ...

'' features a track titled "Zatoichi", and its accompanying music video includes Curry training under a blind martial artist.

References

Zatoichi (Wushu Cinema article)

Bibliography

External links

Official Forum for the UK Arrowdrome DVD Release

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

* [http://www.momii.com/zatoichi/ The Momii Company's Zatoichi fan site] {{Zatoichi Zatoichi, Fictional blind characters Fictional characters from the 19th century Fictional gamblers Fictional iaidoka Fictional Japanese people in literature Fictional mass murderers Fictional sumo wrestlers Fictional swordfighters in films Fictional swordfighters in literature Fictional yakuza Film characters introduced in 1962 Jidaigeki television series Literary characters introduced in 1948 Male characters in literature