Zatoichi's Pilgrimage

1966 1h 22m JA

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 50

DramaActionAdventure

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Zatoichi's trek through 88 temples to atone for his violent past is interrupted as he stumbles into a village terrorized by a violent yakuza boss.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Shintarō Katsu
Zatoichi
Michiyo Yasuda
Okichi
Kunie Tanaka
Storyteller
Hisashi Igawa
Eigoro
Masao Mishima
Nanashino Gonbei
Jōtarō Senba
Bokasuri
Ryūtarō Gomi
Jyonenbo
Isao Yamagata
Boss Tohachi

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kazuo Ikehiro
Writers: Kaneto Shindō, Kan Shimozawa
Languages: Japanese
Countries: 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

RUNTIME

Did you know

82 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

60 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kazuo Ikehiro, shot by Senkichirō Takeda. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 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#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Shintarō Katsu and Michiyo Yasuda and Kunie Tanaka carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0199905 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kazuo Ikehiro directs. Senkichirō Takeda behind the camera. Ichirō Saitō scores. Toshio Taniguchi cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

182 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
260 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Kazuo Ikehiro, shot by Senkichirō Takeda. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Ichirō Saitō. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Toshio Taniguchi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Shintarō Katsu and Michiyo Yasuda and Kunie Tanaka carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0199905 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 50 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Senkichirō Takeda
Original score: Ichirō Saitō
Editing: Toshio Taniguchi
Production design: Yoshinobu Nishioka
Runtime: 82 min · 1h 22m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: JA
IMDB: Zatoichi's Pilgrimage (1966)

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.