Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman

1971 1h 34m JA

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 48

AdventureActionDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Zatoichi is a blind massage therapist and swordsman who finds out that something troubling is taking place on the outskirts of town. After discovering who the guilty parties are -- an accomplished Chinese martial artist named Wang Kang and his youthful attendant -- Zatoichi finds them and discovers that the pair's mixed up with a dangerous bunch of terrorist samurai who murdered the boy's parents. Now, Zatoichi must step in to save the day.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Shintarō Katsu
Zatoichi
Jimmy Wang Yu
Wang Kang
Yuko Hama
Osen
Michie Terada
Oyone
Kōji Nanbara
Kakuzen
Tōru Abe
Boss Toubei
Shinsuke Minami
Hanoichi
Goro Kumon

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kimiyoshi Yasuda
Writers: Yamada Takayuki, Kan Shimozawa, Kimiyoshi Yasuda
Languages: Mandarin, Japanese
Countries: Hong Kong, Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

55 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Mandarin, Japanese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Hong Kong, Japan.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda, shot by Chikashi Makiura. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Isao Tomita. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Toshio Taniguchi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Shintarō Katsu and Jimmy Wang Yu and Yuko Hama carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kimiyoshi Yasuda directs. Chikashi Makiura behind the camera. Isao Tomita scores. Toshio Taniguchi cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Hong Kong, Japan. Dialogue in Mandarin, Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

155 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Mandarin, Japanese.
3International production across 2 countries: Hong Kong, Japan.
4Part of the "Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda, shot by Chikashi Makiura. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Isao Tomita. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Toshio Taniguchi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Shintarō Katsu and Jimmy Wang Yu and Yuko Hama carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0066602 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 48 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Chikashi Makiura
Original score: Isao Tomita
Editing: Toshio Taniguchi
Production design: Yoshinobu Nishioka
Runtime: 94 min · 1h 34m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: JA
Certification (US): 16
IMDB: Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman (1971)

Part of

Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman Collection

The colossally popular Zatoichi films make up the longest-running action series in Japanese history and created one of the screen’s great heroes: an itinerant blind masseur who also happens to be a lightning-fast swordsman. As this iconic figure, the charismatic and earthy Shintaro Katsu became an instant superstar, lending a larger-than-life presence to the thrilling adventures of a man who lives staunchly by a code of honor and delivers justice in every town and village he enters.